Great opportunities for smaller firms

DTU's many start-up projects can benefit CCC’s members. Business Developer at DTU Nanotech sees CCC as the natural gateway to many potential partners and new products.

At first hand biofuel made from algae, water filtration and vibrant energy do not have that many things in common. However, there is one: Nathalie Binderup, business developer at DTU Nanotech. Along with the team at DTU Nanotech, she facilitates a number of research projects, where small businesses, together with DTU and more established companies, develop new products.

Here, they have developed a new chip system that can scan and determine the bio-fuel potential present in algae significantly faster compared to the old method, which so far has been very a time consuming process.

- We are working to combine the research and business sector in several areas, for example on the algae project, which we currently have not found a partner for. This type of collaboration allows us to better pinpoint the needs of the businesses as early as possible in the process, improving the chances of our research being used by the industry, Nathalie Binderup explains.

CCC to provide contacts

Binderup mentions other projects such as collaborations between DTU, Novozymes and Aquaporin on the development of a water filter, which by the aid of a nano technological membrane can purify water completely. Also, the wind giant Vestas has, along with the two smaller companies Ferroperm and Piezoceramics, engaged in a project to develop a new technology for wireless censors that are to provide the censors with energy from vibrations instead of batteries. Thus, batteries in hard to reach places - such as cars and wind turbines - can be replaced while at the same time not requiring that much maintenance.

Common for all the projects are the companies' need for help from the research sector to develop new commercial products. And here CCC provides an excellent point of entry for the business developer, who by this way can create contacts and new research projects.

- I became interested in CCC because they provide contact with the industry and a new opportunity to meet with companies, in order to understand their challenges and learn about what technologies they need and what challenges it gives them. Here, we have the possibility of helping them move forward, so that their work will not be lost, Nathalie Binderup says.