Insights

Beneq has developed an online deposition method for transparent conductive oxide (TCO) coatings on large-area flat glass to achieve a cost-effective coating process for photovoltaics. The high conductivity of the TCO layer is critical for effective current collection and transparency to minimize light losses. Now the developed process based on Beneq’s proprietary nAERO® aerosol technique has been fully integrated with the high-quality heat treatment line for flat glass CHF Pro™ by their strategic partner Glaston. The result TFC2000™ is a novel continuous offline production concept for high-quality TCO coated glass for the solar industry and other potential applications such as low emissivity coatings for energy windows.

Savo-Solar’s SOLARCO development project done within the Tekes Functional Materials Programme has resulted in high-performance and high temperature resistant absorption coatings which are key enablers for novel solar-thermal collectors.

Pirkka Palomäki, F-Secure nominated as CTO of the Year 2011

Technology Academy Finland, in cooperation with Spinverse, has named Pirkka Palomäki, F-Secure's Chief Technology Officer, as CTO of the Year 2011. Palomäki has played a significant role in turning F-Secure into a global technology leader in the data security sector.

Spinverse’s Managing Director, outlines the possibilities that Russia once again offers for Finnish companies. The long period of silence following the collapse of the Soviet Union – which also plunged the Finnish technology industry into a major crisis – is at an end. The column was originally published in Kauppalehti on 28th February 2011.

Calls for Contributions That Solve Grand Challenges

For the first time EuroNanoForum and Nanotech Europe will be joining forces to create the largest European nanotechnology event of 2011. EuroNanoForum is a biannual event organised by the European Commission. Previous EuroNanoForum and Nanotech Europe events have each attracted 700-1000 participants - enabling experts to communicate their work to the whole European nanotechnology community.

Cathode ray tubes have dominated the display industry for over 70 years but the demand for better quality devices has promoted technology development. Consumers call for suitably priced displays with improved features. Nanotechnology, an emerging approach to upgrade flat displays, improves the performance and quality while taking environmental aspects into account. It also provides novel features such as foldability and flexibility.

Matryoshka going nano?

Canatu, a spin-off from Aalto University (since 2004), is developing cost-effective manufacturing of transparent flexible conductive films based on carbon nanomaterials needed for touch screens, sensors and solar cells. Their R&D project done within the Tekes Functional Materials Programme aims to provide a superior alternative to indium tin oxide (ITO), which is brittle and difficult to process and based on scarce natural resources.

The Annual Seminar of the Tekes Functional Materials Programme arranged by Spinverse in Helsinki on October 20th, 2010 gathered together the Finnish Materials Society. Among several discussion themes, the importance of life-cycle thinking and material and energy efficiency was raised up as a topic connecting the participants of several branches of industry and academia. Including these aspects already as part of the research and development phase is becoming more and more crucial for the competitiveness of the industry.