TIDMFIPP
Frontier IP Group plc
01 February 2021
REACH
AIM: FIPP
1 February 2021
Frontier IP Group Plc
("Frontier IP" or the "Group")
Frontier IP supports technology to eradicate detectable TCA from
natural cork stoppers
Frontier IP, a specialist in commercialising intellectual
property, notes the following release from the world's leading
producer of cork products, Corticeira Amorim ("Amorim"), announcing
a breakthrough technology to remove the major cause of cork taint
in wine from natural corks. The move is a result of collaboration
with the Group's partner university, NOVA University of Lisbon -
NOVA School of Science and Technology ("FCT NOVA").
Frontier IP supported the Centro de Fisica e Investigação
Tecnológica ("CEFITEC") research unit of FCT NOVA in engaging with
Amorim to commercialise the new technology. The Group played an
important role in negotiating the terms of the commercial
agreement, including the licensing terms.
FCT NOVA's technology, branded "Naturity" by Amorim, removes the
leading cause of the unpleasant tastes and odours found in corked
taint, a chemical compound 2,4,6- trichloroanisole ("TCA") as well
as other volatile compounds from natural corks. Naturity is based
on a process that combines temperature, water and pressure without
affecting the performance and integrity of the cork.
Amorim has separately developed a second technology able to
reduce TCA from micro-agglomerated stoppers. These are made from
tiny granules of cork bound together with specialist food-binding
agents. Natural corks are made from a single piece of cork.
The technology was invented by Professor Orlando Teodoro, an
expert on vacuum processes, and Professor of Engineering Physics at
FCT NOVA.
Frontier IP and FCT NOVA announced their partnership to maximise
the value of the university's research in September 2016. Under the
terms of the agreement, Frontier IP receives an equity stake in
companies created by FCT NOVA, as well as a share of the licensing
revenue generated. Since the agreement was signed, three spin out
companies have been created in other fields.
Neil Crabb, Frontier IP Group Chief Executive Officer, said: "It
is encouraging to see this technology coming to market with the
world's leading producer of cork products. More generally, we are
pleased with the strong progress being made with FCT NOVA and look
forward to reporting further developments from our partnership,
both in terms of portfolio companies and future industrial
collaborations."
Professor Orlando Teodoro, FCT NOVA, said: " The technology is a
notable example of Engineering Physics which aims to transfer
standard technologies in research labs to the industry, solving
real problems or improving industry competitiveness and innovation.
The outside view we brought to the problem was the key to its
solution. "
Amorim statement begins:
Amorim reveals breakthrough technologies to eradicate detectable
TCA
-- The world's greenest, most efficient anti-TCA technologies
are launched simultaneously for both natural whole corks and
technical cork stoppers
Amorim, the world's leading producer of cork products, announced
today the launch of Naturity and Xpür, technologies designed to
remove detectable TCA from natural corks and to create a new
segment of micro-agglomerated stoppers, respectively.
Research for the patent-pending Naturity technology began in
2016 with the NOVA School of Science and Technology, and is based
on the principles of thermal desorption through a proprietary,
non-sequential use of pressure, temperature, purified water and
time. No artificial elements are used in the process, which
facilitates the extraction of 150+ volatile compounds, including
TCA. Launching in USA and worldwide, Naturity expands
non-detectable TCA performance in the natural cork product segment,
while further strengthening the operational deliverables of NDTech,
the advanced screening service that individually analyzes and
removes any natural cork with more than 0.5 nanograms per liter
(ng/L) of TCA*.
Extensive bottling trials with various wineries have yielded
exemplary results in measuring the treatment's impact on cork
performance, with additional third-party validation trials to be
conducted as soon as possible with the Geisenheim Institute in
Germany and the Campden & Chorleywood labs in the UK.
Another development announced today is Amorim's Xpür technology,
developed to expand the non-detectable TCA performance for
micro-agglomerated stoppers. Xpür improves upon the conventional
supercritical CO2 application developed several decades ago,
reengineering and upgrading the concept with 21st-century
technology. Amorim's new, innovative take on the system uses only
25% of the energy and just 10% of the CO2 previously required.
Furthermore, Xpür achieves results of TCA reduction levels to
0.3 ng/L in treated micro-agglomerated stoppers, while leaving the
physical-mechanical properties of cork intact. As a result,
Amorim's range of micro-agglomerated corks features the highest
possible percentage of cork and do not require additional chemical
solutions to maintain cork's natural properties, namely the
all-important compressibility and expansion rates.
Xpür will be employed in the treatment of technical stoppers
Neutrocork Premium and QORK - the latter employing an innovative
binding agent made using 100% polyols from vegetable origin, and
which is expected to reduce the amount of single-use plastic
stoppers in the world by several million units.
Commenting on this important landmark, António Amorim, Chairman
and CEO, noted that: "These technologies come as a result of robust
financial investments, time, and dedication to R&D from our
team. Despite the obstacles of 2020, we were able to fulfill the
promise we made to have non-detectable TCA performance for all the
cork stopper segments by the end of the year. This is our
commitment to our 30,000 customers around the world - to guarantee
the quality and consistency of their products and ensure that
consumers' preference for cork will only grow stronger."
Amorim statement ends
ENQUIRIES
Frontier IP Group Plc T: 020 7332 2338
Neil Crabb, Chief Executive neil@frontierip.co.uk
Andrew Johnson, Communications & Investor M: 07464 546 025
Relations
Company website: www.frontierip.co.uk
Allenby Capital Limited (Nominated Adviser) T: 0203 328 5656
Nick Athanas / George Payne
ABOUT CORTICEIRA AMORIM
Corticeira Amorim is the world's largest cork processing group
with annual sales topping 780 million euros. Founded in 1870, the
company currently has dozens of business units distributed across
five continents. It exports numerous products to more than 100
countries and has a diversified network of 30,000 customers. With
strong sustainability credentials and a negative carbon footprint,
Corticeira Amorim provides a set of solutions, materials and
applications to some of the world's most technological, disruptive
and demanding activities, such as the aerospace, automobile, wine
and spirits, construction, sports, energy and interior and product
design. www.amorimcork.com
ABout frontier IP Group
Frontier IP unites science, finance and industry to build
businesses based on outstanding research. It identifies strong
intellectual property and accelerates its development through a
range of commercialisation services. A critical part of the Group's
work is involving relevant industry partners at an early stage of
development to ensure technology meets real world demands and
needs.
The Group looks to build and grow a portfolio of equity stakes
and licence income by taking an active involvement in spin-out
companies, including support for fund raising and collaboration
with relevant industry partners at an early stage of
development.
ABOUT FCT NOVA
The NOVA School of Science and Technology (FCT NOVA) is one of
the three largest and most prestigious schools of Engineering and
Sciences in Portugal.
FCT NOVA, with about 8000 students, is located in one of the
best university campuses, and is distinguished by a culture of the
excellent teacher-student relationship and intense academic life.
It conduced to a scientific performance that allows the school to
integrate the main technological international university networks
and participate in key consortiums with European and US
universities.
FCT NOVA hosts CEFITEC, which is the Center for Physics and
Technological Research, as one of its research units. CEFITEC's
research is focused on Experimental and Engineering Physics in
topics of surface science, vacuum metrology, optics, solid state
sensors and molecular physics.
The Innovation, Research & Impact Strategy Office (IRIS)
cooperates with Frontier IP supporting the research &
innovation cycle of FCT NOVA scientific community, from the idea to
its market application, fostering sustainable knowledge generation
to increase the School's societal and economic impact.
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