HP and SFI fund €3.7m for nano research venture
Hewlett-Packard (HP) and Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) are to jointly fund a €3.7 million research programme into nanotechnology.
The research will take place at the Centre for Research on Adaptive Nanostructures and Nanodevices (Crann), an SFI funded facility at Trinity College Dublin.
The programme is designed to build on an existing three-year nanoscience collaboration between Crann and HP to develop a low cost, transparent, thin-film electrode, which will be used in the development of flexible digital displays, which are essentially paper-thin electronic screens.
The technology will have applications in laptops, ebooks and other low-power electronic devices.
Should the research prove successful, it will result in the creation of television screens that can be rolled up like a blind when not in use. Another development could be e-book readers that resemble real paper.
HP said it had been investing heavily in this area in the hope of developing a low cost manufacturing process for such displays. It wants to develop materials and processes that are compatible with roll-to-roll equipment, which means that the production line for such displays would resemble a newspaper printing press.
The announcement comes in advance of Nanoweek (November 30 to December 4). Run by the Nanoscience Network, which comprises Crann and HEA-backed Inspire research network, the week features a range of events to highlight the contribution nano science is making to the Irish economy. Nanoweek includes graduate workshops and conferences.
