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University research and expertise in materials and photonics relevant to data storage has influenced strategic investment decision-making within Seagate Technology resulting in the creation of 85 new R&D positions in the UK announced in 2010. These new jobs were part of an £60M investment that saw a re-allocation of corporate budget from the USA and resulted in significant expansion of Seagate Technology's UK based R&D capacity. The investment was made to support their medium-term technology roadmap plans. Seagate Technology is the world-leading manufacturer and supplier of data storage technology in the form of disk drives, employing 53,000 people worldwide.
Research undertaken by the University of Sheffield between 1999 and 2012 in functional oxide thin films was commercialised through knowledge transfer partnerships (KTP) with Ilika Technology. This directly led to over £1M in contracts and subsequent improvements in the commercial viability of the product base of blue-chip companies such as Toshiba, Toyota and Ceramtec and contributed to the increase in Ilika's turnover to ~£2M per annum and a growth in staff from 5 to 35 in 2012. In 2011, Ilika floated on the stock exchange with a valuation of ~£20M. The CEO has personally recognised the role Sheffield has played in establishing Ilika Technology as a limited company and in growing company revenue through contracts with leading multinationals.
An advanced plasma source based on novel engineering has been developed and proven in conjunction with Thin Film Solutions Ltd (TFSL). This source is retrofittable to existing electron- beam deposition systems and significantly improves the properties of thin films and advanced optical filters. TFSL has produced commercial products based on this source and has achieved sales to date of £2.3 million (letter from CEO of TFSL provided) as the new technology has been widely adopted in the optical filter industry.
The key impact is to have improved the economic performance of both multinational companies and SMEs through the introduction and performance enhancement of new electronic products.
Lancaster's research on reliability modelling technologies for use in the characterisation and optimisation of the reliability of MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) products such as accelerometers and gyroscopes has been used by ST Microelectronics to achieve mass market penetration of its MEMS. Specifically, the market share of ST (a French-Italian multinational electronics and semiconductor manufacturer) has doubled to $900M since 2008, with its MEMS accelerometers and gyroscopes now being found in, inter alia, Apple's iPhone, iPad and iPod.
Lancaster's test engineering research has also delivered a novel self-test technology that can be activated during normal operation of a MEMS based system. This capability has been integrated into an inertial device commercialised by QinetiQ for classified applications. Additionally, through assisting BCF-Designs (a UK SME specialising in electronic test systems for the military and civil aerospace sectors) in the development of its R&D portfolio and associated intellectual property in the area of on-line (in situ) testing, research conducted at Lancaster directly supported the tripling of BCF's turnover to £9M and more than doubling of its sale value to £12.5M (to ULTRA Electronics, 2008).
Nanomaterials research at Ulster into materials including diamond-like carbon (DLC) ultra-thin films, carbon nanotubes (CNT), graphene, silicon and metal oxide nanoparticles has resulted in direct uptake by major industrial manufacturers and led to a directly quantifiable socio-economic impact via added value, improved efficiencies and cost-savings and has secured or increased the employment of skilled engineering staff. Examples of this impact since 2008 include ceramic nanoparticles research in partnership with AVX Ltd that resulted in improved production efficiency processes (up 20%) and higher quality devices (up 10%). [text removed for publication] Research into ultra-thin DLC films, funded by Seagate, has led to their incorporation into magnetic media. [text removed for publication] Our nanoparticle research has attracted a new spin-in company SiSaf Ltd. (2009) and by incorporating NIBEC's expertise in nanomaterials into its business plan, the company was able to grow to a valuation of £3.5m and employ 7 people in skilled technical positions.
This research within the Unit was in collaboration with TT Electronics plc. to develop a novel low-ohmic thin film resistor for precision current measurement in power management applications. TT Electronics plc. is an international company with 6,000 employees worldwide and annual sales of over £500 million to multinational clients such as BMW, Daimler and BAE Systems. Since 2008 the benefits of this research to TT Electronics plc. include:
University of Bath research has contributed to a lean, `build-to-order' (BTO) production strategy for the European automotive industry. The study of `intelligent logistics' and supply chain configurations led to recommendations for building new production systems that are helping to address significant industry problems: global overcapacity, rising stock levels and low profitability. The research findings have been widely shared with vehicle manufacturers, suppliers, industry trade associations and government bodies, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and suppliers. The Bath research has had an impact on: the reduction of waste that is integral to the former `build to stock' production model; the development of an environmentally friendly manufacturing approach; improved profitability through the reduction of `inventory' (new cars losing value in large distribution parks); and on future innovation and growth challenges for the automotive industry. The research has influenced manufacturers and suppliers seeking to implement a more flexible automotive component supply chain across Europe.
Research in atmospheric pressure (thermal) chemical vapour deposition (APCVD) at the University of Salford demonstrates the following impact:
Thin-film optical filter research at the University of Reading is a unique and enabling technology that permits astronomers and meteorologists to gather data leading to increased understanding of atmospheric and astrophysical phenomena. Infrared filters are the key optical components in many satellite telescopes for Earth observation, planetary research probes and infrared astronomy. They form the eyes of the instrument to separate light into wavebands in order to measure temperature, gas composition, water vapour, dust clouds and aerosols. This data is used to generate accurate atmospheric and environmental circulation models for global climate studies, and measure properties of the universe for stellar and planetary formation theories.
Researchers within the Department of Physics and Astronomy at UCL have investigated the properties of defects in bulk HfO2 and at Si/SiOx/HfO2 interfaces. Results have been used by an industrial partner, SEMATECH (SMT), to improve the quality and reliability of high-performance microelectronic devices based on transistors. This has helped SMT to meet project objectives on behalf of member companies such as Intel and IBM, and UCL research results have been consistently highly evaluated by these companies. Recommendations made by SMT have been implemented by industrial partners in their currently manufactured devices, such as the 22nm process technology released by Intel in 2011.