Aug 15 2007
Cenamps, in partnership with the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI), hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for PETeC on 27th July 2007. PETeC, a unique plastics electronics technology centre, is set to establish North East England as a global leader in the application of plastic electronics.
The first spade was inserted into the ground starting construction of the £10m project at NETPark, County Durham, where the new facility is to be based.
PETeC will be established as a national prototyping operation providing world-class facilities, services and expertise at the hub of a UK-wide network in plastic electronics. The state-of-the-art facilities will include high-tech clean rooms and laboratories, as well as production and testing equipment which will be available on an open access basis to meet the needs of industry.
PETeC will offer space, resource and expertise for companies to research and develop new technologies and their applications, prototyping and pre-competitive stage mini-manufacturing of products based on plastic electronics. These will include smart packaging, real-time smart packaging, real-time newspapers, intelligent signage, point-of-care medical diagnostic devices, novel drug delivery devices, printed electronics for consumer products, flexible solar cells and solid state lighting.
Dr Mike Pitkethly, CEO of Cenamps commented: “This centre will provide a bridge between the lab and the factory to facilitate the commercialisation of new products. With ever-increasing competition from places such as India and China, it is crucial that the UK continues to offer the world class facilities for developing plastic electronic products, and PETeC will be integral to the UK’s competitiveness in this emerging group of technologies”.
The project has been funded by One NorthEast, The Northern Way and the European Regional Development Fund.