The University of Leicester is looking for organisations in the region to adopt an innovative ‘air fingerprinting’ device into their workplace.

The University’s Real-time Air Fingerprinting Technology (RAFT) idea was the first to be posted to the East Midlands Development Agency’s (emda) new, online innovation Exchange (iExchange) service.

Hosted on the East Midlands Innovation portal www.eminnovation.org, the iExchange allows businesses, universities and other organisations to showcase and discuss innovative ideas, ask for help or find funding and support.

The University of Leicester is looking to generate joint IP to help exploit commercial opportunities for the RAFT device, which works like a ‘nose’ by measuring trace constituents in the air and creates fingerprints of these complicated compositions, giving powerful information about gas-phase composition.

Commercial target areas for the RAFT include medical diagnosis equipment, food analysis, automotive emissions and crime detection.

Professor Monks, who developed the idea said: “The iExchange is a unique opportunity to remove barriers between businesses and organisations that are looking to interact with each other. This is important when you need to get complex offers, such as RAFT, across to small companies.”

Anjuu Trevedi, Head of Regional Business Engagement at the University of Leicester said: “The iExchange provides a platform for the university to reach out and speak to companies, venture capitalists and business support agencies and connect with people interested in innovation.  The iExchange has the potential to act as the ‘shop window’ to innovations in the region and we are very excited to be the first to take advantage of and benefit from this new service.”

Dr. Martin French, emda’s Head of Innovation, said: “It is important, particularly in this current economic climate, that companies embrace new ideas, potential partnerships or support services in order to overcome problems, or become more competitive.  Sixteen ideas have already been posted onto the iExchange so I am delighted that the University of Leicester, along with some of the region’s leading universities and businesses are already recognising the value of this new service.”

To find out how the iExchange service can work for you, log onto www.eminnovation.org.uk.

ENDS

Issued on behalf of the East Midlands Development Agency by Lava. For further information contact Matt at Lava on 01522 842800 / matt@lavapr.co.uk

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