DRESDEN, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--From basic patents to successful products – Technical University of Dresden (TUD), the TUD Institut für Angewandte Photophysik (Institute for Applied Photophysics, IAPP) and Novaled GmbH have been honoured by the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft (German Physical Society, DPG), the largest professional association of that kind, for their particularly successful, sustainable technology transfer. The “Technology Transfer Award” will be presented for the first time ever at the 80th annual meeting of the DPG in Regensburg on 7 March." The DPG award honours these three institutions because they succeeded in developing scientific findings in the field of technologies and organic materials for the commercial production of Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs) in an outstanding way," the DPG jury explained their selection.
Novaled GmbH, spin off from TUD IAPP, has specialised in improving the performance of OLEDs, organic solar cells and other organic electronics with great international success. The company is the sole supplier of doping materials for the mass production of OLED displays. In fact, Novaled PIN OLED® technology has become a quasi-industry standard. The Dresden technologies and materials can be found today in most of the world’s smartphones, tablets and televisions using an OLED display.
"The Technology Transfer Award is a great confirmation of our work," said Novaled Founder and CSO Dr Jan Blochwitz-Nimoth. Novaled is a good example of the success of the "Dresden model" followed by TUD when forming spin-offs: For reasonable pricing, successful scientists are given the rights to the know-how they developed at the university. The patents as well as further assistance from the university network offer best chances of finding investors and bringing product ideas to market.
In the case of Novaled, the technologies were developed at the IAPP at TUD. The researchers doped certain layers in OLEDs with materials and increased device performances. The company that resulted from this approach, Novaled, has gone on to develop further technologies and materials and was able to increase the originally purchased 5 basic patents to more than 500. The company was so successful that it has grown from 4 founders to 140 employees in 2014 with revenues of 42.3 million euros (2014).
"I am extremely happy about this award," said Professor Karl Leo from IAPP at TUD. "It shows once more how much long-term oriented basic research pays off and can lead to very successful applications". The TUD scientists had already planted the seed for the award-winning technology transfer in the 1980s. After the reunification of Germany, Professor Leo and his research colleagues were able to revive and accelerate their research on organic electronics. The result has been a number of spin-offs from the TUD, including Novaled GmbH in the year 2001.
About Novaled
Novaled is a leader in the research, development and commercialization of technologies and materials that enhance the performance of OLEDs (organic light-emitting diodes) and other organic electronics. Novaled offers OLED product manufacturers a unique combination of proprietary technology, materials and expertise, and is currently the only company in the OLED industry licensing and selling organic conductivity doping technology and materials for use in the commercial mass production of display products. Novaled has developed strategic partnerships with key OLED producers throughout the world and, with a broad portfolio of more than 500 patents granted or pending, has a strong IP position in OLED technologies, structures and materials. Novaled is headquartered in Dresden. Since 2013 Novaled belongs to Samsung. www.novaled.com
