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20 Aug 2004
Including news from Mitsubishi Electric, Kodak, IPG Laser, Northrop Grumman and more.
General company news:
• Mitsubishi Electric is investing ¥3.3 billion to expand its annual production capacity of photovoltaic cells and modules. The firm plans to up capacity from 90 MWto 135 MW at its Nakatsugawa and Kyoto Works sites by April 2005. It also plans to establish a production system with an annual capacity of 230 MW by 2006.
• Kodak, US, has completed the sale of its remote sensing systems (RSS) operation to ITT Industries, US, for $725 million in cash. "The sale of RSS is consistent with Kodak's digitally oriented strategy to focus on the consumer, commercial and health imaging markets," said Kodak's chairman, Daniel Carp.
• IPG Laser of Germany has installed a 10 kW, 1 micron fiber laser system at German firm LTTZ/SLV Mecklenburg-Vorpommerm based in Rostock. IPG says this is the first commercial shipment of its 10 kW system. SLV says the laser will be used by other German firms and institutions for applications such as pipeline welding, ship building and tailored blank welding.
• e2v technologies and Brunel University, both of the UK, have established a new research facility called the "e2v Center for Electronic Imaging (CEI)". e2v says it plans to invest £500,000 in the CEI over the next five years. The center will welcome its first PhD students in October 2004.
• Northrop Grumman has donated in excess of $22 million of EUV lithography intellectual property and equipment to the University of Central Florida's College of Optics. According to Northrop, the donation consists of patents, patent applications, experimental hardware, data and grants to install the kit in the university's labs.
Funding:
• Intense Photonics, the UK maker of integrated optical components, has secured £5 million ($9.2 million) in its latest funding round. All of the company's financial investors are taking part in the new round. The firm plans to use some of the cash to purchase additional semiconductor fabrication equipment for module packaging.
Awards:
• Spire, US, has been awarded a $99,677 Phase I SBIR grant to develop a non-invasive blood-glucose monitor. The sensor will use Spire's terahertz quantum cascade laser technology and will eliminate the need to draw blood samples by finger pricking. Successful completion of Phase I could lead to a Phase II contract valued at up to $750,000.
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