Technology’s Edge

Printable NanoChromics Technology from NTERA

PHILADELPHIA, Pa.—NTERA (www.ntera.com) has debuted its NanoChromics™ Ink Systems that enable the manufacturing of printed electronic displays onto a variety of flexible substrate materials using industry-standard screen printing, roll, and inkjet printing techniques and equipment. The ultra-thin, sunlight-readable, low-power NanoChromics Displays (NCD) can be integrated into any number of products, including plastic cards, packaging, smart labels, RFID systems, greeting cards, toys and games, and consumer electronic devices. The technology can be applied to existing products and situations, giving them new added value.

As an example, NCD-enabled smart packages will enable consumers to interact with information contained on packaging, creating potential new avenues for consumer captivation. NCD-enabled smart packages with multi-color displays can show a best-before date or communicate a current promotion being run with specific products.

To create and expand the market for NTERA's process, the company has established partnerships with leading companies in key markets. These include: Blue Spark Technologies, which has demonstrated the world's lowest voltage battery-display system; GSI Technologies, which will produce devices using NTERA's NanoChromics technology to create a range of smart cards that can apply the technology on sheet-fed and web-fed (roll-to-roll) printing assets; and Plextronics, which has demonstrated solar-powered NanoChromics color changing displays powered by an organic photovoltaic (OPV) solar cell.

In addition, NTERA has introduced its NanoChromics TKN-4.0 trial kit for segmented numeric displays. The trial kit enables functional printers with sheetfed screen-printing capability to immediately begin manufacturing NCD™ displays for a variety of printed numeric applications.

TAGSYS Secures 
Venture Funding

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa.—TAGSYS, a provider of item-level RFID infrastructure, announced that it has secured $12 million in new investments. The funding will be used to support development of UHF and HF solutions for item-level applications in a variety of markets.

"2009 was a year of successes for TAGSYS," says Alain Fanet, CEO of TAGSYS. "The new funding will accelerate our partner network expansion and new market development, while reinforcing our strong competitive position by launching leading-edge solutions for item-level applications."

"Item-level RFID implementations are growing in supply chain, asset tracking, consumer goods, retail, and other industries because they provide real value by helping companies cut costs, enhance customer experiences, and grow sales," says Andrew Nathanson, director of research operations at VDC Research. pP