Knowledge Transfer Ireland (KTI) has announced the nine shortlisted entries, in three award categories, for the 2022 KTI Impact Awards with the winners set to be announced on December 1 at an in-person event in Dublin.
University College Dublin (UCD), through NovaUCD, has been shortlisted in the Future Forward Impact Award together with PlasmaBound. This Award seeks to recognise knowledge transfer activities that have strong potential for future impact but may still be at the early stages of development or roll out.
L-R: PlasmaBound co-founders, Alan Barry, Dr James Nicholas Barry and Xavier Montibert
The Annual KTI Awards recognise significant impact and achievements coming from in knowledge transfer, the commercialisation of publicly funded research nationwide and engagement with research system across the third level and other similar state research institutions.
In particular these awards pay tribute to the work of those within Ireland’s technology transfer offices (TTOs) around the country who provide a vital link between industry and academic research.
Novel surface bonding pre-treatment technology
PlasmaBound, a UCD engineering spin-out, has developed a novel surface bonding pre-treatment technology, Controlled Polymer Ablation (CPA), which enables high-speed bonding of ultra-lightweight fibre-reinforced materials at throughput and with reliability unseen outside of metallic applications.
This CPA technology is attracting significant interest in several sectors, where it empowers global industry to achieve their sustainability goals, particularly in decarbonisation and battery range extension, along with the benefit of being a single-step fully automated process, with extended bonding open times.
PlasmaBound, headquartered at NovaUCD, was co-founded in 2017 by Dr James Nicholas Barry, Alan Barry and Xavier Montibert as a spin-out from the UCD College of Engineering and Architecture following the completion of Enterprise Ireland Commercialisation Funding.
Since it was established PlasmaBound has grown to team of 15 employees, become an approved supplier for the European Space Agency and is currently undertaking validation trials with 30 Tier 1 global companies across different industry sectors.
'More renewable, lightweight materials'
Alan Barry, CEO and co-founder, PlasmaBound said: “We are delighted to have been shortlisted for the 2022 KTI Impact Awards and especially thrilled to have been shortlisted in the Forward Impact Award category. PlasmaBound’s technology focus is about getting more renewable, lightweight materials into mainstream use faster which we believe will have a significant impact on achieving a more sustainable carbon-reduced future.”
The company has raised €3.45m in funding to date from Act Venture Capital, Atlantic Bridge University Fund, Enterprise Ireland and a number of private investors.
Tom Flanagan, UCD director of enterprise and commercialisation, NovaUCD, said: “I am delighted that UCD has been shortlisted for a 2022 KTI Impact Award with PlasmaBound. NovaUCD has supported the PlasmaBound team to launch and scale over the last few years.
“PlasmaBound’s CPA technology has the potential to deliver significant impact in terms of sustainability and carbon reduction benefits in many different industries and we look forward to continue supporting the team to achieve its global ambitions in the years ahead.”
Imelda Lambkin, manager, disruptive technologies, innovation and knowledge transfer, Enterprise Ireland, said: “There are some incredible stand out examples of collaboration between industry and publicly funded research on this year’s Impact Awards shortlist.
"Each one is providing solutions to real challenges which industry and society are facing each day, and they are solutions that are backed up by lasting partnerships, some many years in the making. This year was a particularly competitive collection of entrants, and the judging team have their work cut out in choosing the eventual winners in advance of our awards presentation in December.”
Further information on Awards and the 2022 shortlist is available via https://www.knowledgetransferireland.com/Events/KTI-Impact-Awards/KTI-Impact-Awards-2022/Finalists-and-Winners/