MOU with National Graphene Institute

RNS Number : 6221X

Versarien PLC

21 November 2014

 



Press Release

21 November 2014

Versarien plc

("Versarien" or the "Group")

Memorandum of Understanding with National Graphene Institute

Commencement of graphene projects

2-DTech site visit

Versarien Plc (AIM:VRS), the advanced engineering materials group, announces that the Group's graphene application and product development subsidiary, 2-DTech Limited ("2-DTech"), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with The National Graphene Institute ("NGI"), which once finalised will result in 2-DTech becoming a project partner of the NGI.

Under the terms of the MOU, this partnership will bring together the graphene technology and applications potential that exists through The University of Manchester and the NGI, with the operational aspects of new product development and manufacturing expertise that 2-DTech and the other Versarien business divisions can offer.  2-DTech will also undertake its research and development project activity with the NGI in the NGI's £61 million purpose built centre, which is located on The University of Manchester campus and is due to open in March 2015.

Commenting on the Project Partnership, Nigel Salter Managing Director of 2-DTech, said: "2-DTech is delighted that we will now be able to respond to customer enquiries and project requests utilising the combined expertise of both 2-DTech and the NGI as well as apply the commercial expertise and funding opportunities that Versarien represents."

Neill Ricketts, Chief Executive Officer of Versarien, commented: "This is a significant step forward for 2-DTech and its journey towards the commercialisation of graphene.  We are delighted to further our already strong relationship with The University of Manchester, the established home of graphene."

Commenting on the project partnership, James Baker, Business Director of Graphene@Manchester, said: "We look forward to working with 2-DTech on a number of graphene related projects in the newly completed National Graphene Institute and in developing and growing the relationship into a strategic partnership in the near future.  We expect to see a number of exciting opportunities for graphene applications and products and this relationship will help in the acceleration of graphene commercialisation."

2-DTech site visit

Versarien and its subsidiary 2-DTech hosted a successful site visit in Manchester on 19 November 2014 for institutional investors, analysts and media.  The site visit demonstrated the progress made since May in the commercialisation of graphene and included a tour of the 2-DTech facility and presentations by leaders in this technology from 2-DTech and The University of Manchester.  No new trading or financial information was made available during the visit.  A copy of the presentations given are available on the Group's investor relations website at www.versarien.com.

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For further information:

Versarien Plc
Neill Ricketts, Chief Executive Officer	Tel: [phone]
Chris Leigh, Chief Financial Officer	www.versarien.com

Charles Stanley Securities (Nominated Adviser and Broker)
Mark Taylor / Russell Cook	Tel: [phone]

Media Enquiries:

Abchurch Communications Limited
Henry Harrison-Topham / Jamie Hooper	Tel: [phone]
[e-mail]	www.abchurch-group.com

Notes to Editors

Versarien™ plc(AIM:VRS), is an advanced engineering materials group. Leveraging proprietary technology, the Group creates innovative engineering solutions for its clients in a diverse range of industries.  Versarien has two wholly owned subsidiaries, Versarien Technologies Ltd and Total Carbide Ltd, and holds an 85% stake in 2-DTech Ltd.

Versarien Technologies Limited ("VTL")

VTL owns the exclusive rights to a patent-protected additive process for creating advanced micro-porous metals.  Versarien primarily targets the thermal management industry exploiting the superb thermal properties exhibited by such materials.  The company's lead product is VersarienCu™, a micro-porous copper which on incorporation into liquid cooling systems, can improve efficiency by up to ten times. http://www.versarien.co.uk/

2-DTech™ Limited

On 1 May 2014, Versarien acquired 85% of the issued share capital of 2-DTech, a company closely aligned with The University of Manchester, the established home of graphene technology.  2-DTech specialises in the supply, characterisation and early stage development of graphene products.  2-DTech also works closely with industry and researchers to help turn scientific innovation into groundbreaking products.  The acquisition will enable Versarien to apply its experience and expertise to commercialising graphene in the UK; demand for which is set to grow exponentially over the coming years.  For further information about 2-DTech visit http://2-dtech.com/

Total Carbide Limited ("TC")

TC is one of the leading European manufacturers of sintered tungsten carbide, with a global customer base covering over forty different industries. It primarily manufactures arduous environment products for application in the oil and gas industry, along with multiple other industries.  TC provides VTL with access to high volume manufacturing assets that have significantly expanded production of VersarienCu™. http://www.totalcarbide.com/

The University of Manchester

The University of Manchester, a member of the prestigious Russell Group of British universities, is the largest and most popular university in the UK.  It has 20 academic schools and hundreds of specialist research groups undertaking pioneering multi-disciplinary teaching and research of worldwide significance. According to the results of the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, The University of Manchester is one of the country's major research institutions, rated third in the UK in terms of 'research power', and has had no fewer than 25 Nobel laureates either work or study there. The University had an annual income of £807 million in 2011/12.

 

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