Unidym,
Inc., a majority-owned subsidiary of Arrowhead Research
Corporation (Nasdaq:ARWR), announced today that Unidym's founder,
Professor George Gruner, has been selected as a visionary Technology
Pioneer for 2008 by the World Economic Forum and has been invited to
speak at the upcoming WEF Technology Pioneers Conference in Davos,
Switzerland, this January. Unidym is a leader in the development and
manufacture of carbon nanotubes for applications in the electronics
industry. Unidym, which recently merged with Carbon Nanotechnologies,
Inc. (CNI), possesses a foundational patent portfolio that covers
nearly every aspect of carbon nanotube manufacturing and processing.
The Technology Pioneers 2008 were nominated by the
world’s leading technology experts, including venture
capitalists, technology companies, academics and media. The final
selection from 273 nominees was made by a panel of leading technology
experts appointed by the World Economic Forum. Technology Pioneers 2008
are invited to participate in the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting
2008 that will be held in Davos, Switzerland, from January 23-27, 2008,
and in the Annual Meeting of the New Champions that will be held in
Tianjin, People’s Republic of China, from September 25-27,
2008.
"Unidym is very proud to have Professor Gruner named a
Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum," said Arthur L. Swift,
President and CEO. "This prestigious award is a tribute to the
innovative work of Dr. Gruner and the entire research and engineering
team at Unidym. Carbon nanotubes may be one of the most important
emerging technology platforms of the new millennium, and as such, we
are gratified by the recognition of our technology leadership."
Unidym leads in the development, manufacture, and application
of carbon nanotubes (CNTs): a novel class of materials with
extraordinary electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties.
Unidym’s initial product is a CNT-based transparent,
conductive film that offers improved performance and lower costs than
ITO in applications such as touch panels, LCDs, and solar applications.
Unidym is also rapidly developing CNT-based active and passive
components to address the growing markets in printable and flexible
electronics. Unidym licenses intellectual property (IP) to a growing
number of companies who are aggressively exploring other uses of CNTs
in various markets.
Dr. Gruner is a Distinguished Professor of Physics at the
University of California Los Angeles, as well as founder of Unidym, a
company pioneering research into CNT-based films and transistors. He
has served as a consultant to and advisory board member for numerous
companies and government agencies, including IBM, Exxon, and
Superconductor Technologies, Inc. From 2001 to 2004, Dr. Gruner was the
Chief Technical Officer and Chief Scientist of Nanomix Inc., a role for
which he also received the World Economic Forum’s Technology
Pioneer Award. Dr. Gruner has published over 400 papers and 2 books and
is the inventor of over 30 patents and patent applications, all in the
field of nanotechnology. He is one of the 200 most "Highly Cited
Scientists" in the field of physics worldwide.
Technology Pioneers are companies or people that have been
identified as developing and applying highly transformational and
innovative technologies in the areas of energy, biotechnology and
health, and information technology. To be selected as a Technology
Pioneer, a company must be involved in the development of life changing
technology innovation and have the potential for long-term impact on
business and society. In addition, it must demonstrate visionary
leadership, show all the signs of being a long-standing market leader
– and its technology must be proven. Previous Technology
Pioneers have included Business Objects, Cambridge Silicon Radio, Corel
Corporation, Encore Software, Google, Mozilla Corporation, and Napster.
The entire list of Technology Pioneers and interviews with the
CEOs of the selected companies can be found here: http://www.weforum.org/techpioneers/2008.
"This year the World Economic Forum received a record number
of applications from companies around the world to become a Technology
Pioneer. From a highly competitive field, we are extremely pleased to
have a community that is using innovation and technology to
dramatically affect the way society and business operate and doing so
in a markedly collaborative manner. We are excited to welcome the
Technology Pioneers class of 2008 to the larger community of the World
Economic Forum and we are looking forward to the fruits that their
collaboration will bring," said Peter Torreele, Managing Director of
the World Economic Forum.