2017 STFC IAA Projects

The University was awarded £85,000 IAA funding by STFC for 2017.
Projects funded were as follows:

 

Prof David Ireland, Prof Ralf Kaisee (School of Physics and Astronomy)

MUON Detector System for Nuclear Materials in Waste (£20,000)

This project is aimed at commercialisation of a muon tomography system. The first applications for the system are in the nuclear industry to detect pieces of spent fuel intermediate level waste barrels. Non-nuclear applications such as non-destructive monitoring of corrosion in concrete structures are also being explored.

University of Glasgow spinout company - Lynkeos Technology Ltd.

 

Dr Giles Hammond, Dr Richard Middlemass (School of Physics & Astronomy), Prof Doug Paul (James Watt School of Engineering)

MEMS Gravity Detector (£25,000)

This project is aimed at the commercialisation of low cost, small and highly sensitive MEMS-based gravity detectors for use in oil exploration; environmental monitoring; security and space-based applications.

The Wee-G: Glasgow's Gravimeter

 

Prof Matt Dalby (Institute of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology)

NanoKick Bioreactors (£20,000)

The ‘Nanokick’ technology came from a collaborative project between scientists from cell engineering and physics (gravitational waves). They developed a device to create nano-vibrations and to use this energy to turn on biological switches within stromal cells to grow bone cells. The team have now built ~10 systems which they have supplied to academic research laboratories and industry for evaluation and application testing. Market feedback from these evaluations along with STFC IAA funded market research will determine the commercialisation strategy. This project was delivered in partnership with Prof Stuart Reid of the University of the West of Scotland.

 

Dr Richard Bates (School of Physics and Astronomy)

MEMS Fine Pitched Probe Needles for Semiconductor QA Applications (£20,000)

This project is aimed at accelerating the commercialisation of MEMS fine-pitched probe needles production methods. A process that replaces currently used tungsten with tungsten-rhenium (W-Re) as the probe material has been developed via an STFC IPS award in collaboration with Probe Test Solutions Ltd., an SME that specialises in the production and service of probe cards for the semiconductor test market. W-Re is mechanically stronger and more reliable than tungsten thereby overcoming the expensive probe failure rates currently experienced by the semiconductor industry. They have an interest in the commercialisation of W-Re based probe needles but need the technology further de-risked before they are prepared to engage commercially.