Plastic Logic crunching the numbers for large-scale manufacturing plant
Plastic Logic Ltd is investigating locations for a large-scale $50m to $100m manufacturing plant for its flexible plastic electronics displays, according to a report in the EE Times online
EE Times reported that Hermann Hauser (pictured), a non-executive director of the company and director of venture capitalist Amadeus Capital Partners, told the International Semiconductor Executives Forum organized by the Fabless Semiconductor Association and the Institution of Engineering and Technology that plastic electronics for display purposes is "ready for prime time."
Dr Hauser said Plastic Logic is investigating the costs of volume manufacturing of flexible active-matrix display backplanes based on polymer semiconductor materials. It seemed likely that the factory would cost between $50m and $100m and would be able to turn out millions of displays a year.
“We can build our first fab starting now for completion in about 18 months,” Dr Hauser said, EE Times reported. He said that after selection of a location, construction would begin in 2007 with a view to volume manufacturing in 2008. (See our earlier article on the ramp up schedule.)
Plastic Logic's e-readers, thin flexible plastic sheets showing active high-resolution data, are one of the most disruptive technologies in development in the Cambridge Cluster of high tech firms.
Low cost, power-light, portable e-readers would liberate the world from the limitations of the computer screen and pave the way for e-books and e-newspapers. But beyond that Dr Hauser said the technology would impact mobile phone accessory displays, RFID and sensor technology.
University of Cambridge spin-out
Founded in November 2000 as a spin-out from Cambridge University's world famous Cavendish Laboratory, Plastic Logic is building on over a decade of fundamental research by a world-class team. It is developing and exploiting a portfolio of intellectual property based on printing of active electronic circuits using advanced plastic materials.
It retains close links with the University through its Chief Scientist, Professor Henning Sirringhaus, who is also Hitachi Professor of Electron Device Physics, and non-executive Director Professor Sir Richard Friend, who is Cavendish Professor of Physics, where he leads the Optoelectronics Group in the Cavendish Lab. Prof Friend pioneered the study of organic polymers and revolutionised the understanding of the electronic properties of molecular semiconductors.
Headquartered in state-of-the-art clean room facilities on the Cambridge Science Park, the company has secured more than $25m in investment. Lead investors are Amadeus Capital Partners and PolyTechnos Venture e-Partners; others with holdings in the non-listed company include Dow Venture Capital, Bank of America Equity Partners, Intel Capital, Yasuda Enterprise Development Co, Siemens Venture Capital and Nanotech Partners.
SFBR Comment
Given that list of blue chip venture capitalists, analysts are keenly watching Plastic Logic for 'the exit' - when and how the venture capitalists will realise their investment - and Dr Hauser's indication that "prime time" is imminent will only stoke that interest.
Best guess is that the company will launch an initial public offering on a stock market, especially in the current buoyant conditions, but an outright sale to a larger electronics firm is also a possibility.
11th May 2006
