This group of European and US companies are working out how to commercialize new ooportunites arising from recent advances in carbon based nanotechnology such as graphene and carbon nano-tubes.

1. Centre for Business Innovation
(CfBI)
Nano-Carbon Enhanced Materials
(NCEM) Consortium

2. About CfBI..
• In the 1990’s our team used to run a UK Government
‘Think-Tank’ where we developed the consortium formula
to deliver ‘collaborative advantage’ for the benefit of the
UK
• Since 2000, as a private enterprise and without subsidy, we
deliver the same service across Europe and (increasingly)
the USA for the exclusive benefit of consortium members
• We do not hold IP or sell consultancy! All we do is manage
blue-chip consortia around fast moving areas of technology
or business process on an annual subscription basis

3. CfBI ‘Live’ Consortia (2013)
• Open Innovation meets Big Data
• Microfluidics
• Inclusive Design
• Nano-Carbon Enhanced Materials
• Social Media for Business
• Cyber-Security
(We are currently scoping new consortia around ‘Industrializing Carbon
Capture’, ‘Flow Chemistry’, ‘Smart Grids’ and ‘Raising Finance’)

4. Consortium Members
(2013 extract)

5. What do CfBI consortia ‘feel’ like?
…Cambridge
Zurich
Berlin
Salzburg
Eindhoven
Milan
Boston
Brussels
San Francisco
Barcelona
Toulouse….

6. Consortium Membership Benefits Include..
• Accelerated Learning / Horizon Scanning
• “Know Who”
• Engagement with Regulators / Policymakers
• Assembling groups to bid for projects
• Finding and getting to know Customers / Suppliers
• Benchmarking / Site Visits
• Setting Standards / Advocacy
• Influencing the agenda of the Consortium
• Sharing the programme costs with 7-10 other organisations..
• Doing some deals on the side with leads you have found in the Consortium
“Doing more with Less”
(You get more hands on influence and privacy than going to conferences, you pay
less than you would to consultants / outsourced service)

7. Recent Successes..
• The NCEM-1 consortium won a Euro3million FP7
project to develop “Ultrawire” .. With improved
properties compared to pure copper
• The OI-3 consortium developed a benchmarking
system (which was later published in a peer reviewed
academic journal)
• The MF-4 consortium proposed standards for
interconnecting microfluidic devices to promote
‘plug and play’
• The ID-1 consortium developed improved interfaces
for member products (opening up new market of
older consumers)

8. Nano-Carbon Enhanced Materials (NCEM)
• The 1st Nano-Carbon Enhanced Materials (NCEM-1) consortium
started in April 2012 by the Centre for Business Innovation Ltd
(www.cfbi.com) in order to provide the consortium members a
unique insight into carbon nanotechnologies and an
opportunity to address commercialisation challenges.
• The consortium leader Dr Bojan Boskovic, from Cambridge
Nanomaterials Technology Ltd (www.cnt-ltd.co.uk), is an expert
in nano-carbon commercialisation.
• The 2nd Nano-Carbon Enhanced Materials (NCEM-2)
consortium started in July 2013 and it is open for new
members.

9. 1st Nano-Carbon Enhanced Materials
Consortium Participating Organisations

10. NCEM Members
• University of Cambridge (UK)
• Nokia Research Centre (UK)
• ST Microelectronics (Italy)
• International Copper Association (USA)
• Nexans (France)
• Bosch (Germany)
• Codelco (Chile)
• National Grid (UK),
• Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
• Arup (UK)
• Statnett (Norway)

11. NCEM Activities – EC FP7 UltraWire Project
• The NCEM consortium is very much in the centre of the
ultra-conductive copper (UCC) development, especially in
Europe. Last year we used the NCEM consortium as
vehicle to prepare and win funding from the European
Commission for the FP7 UltraWire project.
• EC FP7 Project Proposal Title: Ultra Conductive
CopperCarbon Nanotube Wire
• Total EC contribution €3.3M
• 14 partners
• Start - 1st October 2013
http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/rcn/108893_en.html

12. About NCEM
• Malcolm Burwell from International Copper
Association commented after the 1st NCEM consortium
meeting: “We all felt that the value obtained from the single
meeting that we just had justified the yearly fees on its own.”
• Dr Kyle Kissell, Technology Director from NanoRidge in
Houston, Texas commented after the 2nd NCEM
meeting: “I believe that consortia like this are a critical step
towards bridging the gap between extraordinary science and
product commercialization. We feel privileged to be invited to
speak to a group that is interested in DOING something as
opposed to just TALKING about something. The connections
we created during the two days of interactions will be crucial
for the success of our products and our company.”