GES is a fully-owned subsidiary of the University of Manchester that supports entrepreneurial academics with the commercialization of graphene-enabled technologies and the formation of new start-up companies.
In collaboration with our strategic partner SES RFID Solutions GmbH, leading developers and manufactures of advanced RFID technology, we have realized early-stage demonstrators of screen-printed RFID antennas using a graphene ink. The ink formulation has been developed "in-house" by the academic team of Prof. Zhirun Hu at the University of Manchester. This ink is non-toxic, sustainable, low-cost, screen-printable, flexible and achieves the electrical conductivity requirements for NFC applications. Screen-printed graphene antennas can operate across the MHz to GHz frequency range in devices using both conventional Si chips and next-generation flexible chips. This graphene antenna and chip platform aligns with RFID market roadmaps to find more sustainable, eco-friendly and cheaper approaches. This technology can replace bar codes and is suitable for the packaging market, including agri-food and pharmaceuticals where improved traceability and anti-counterfeiting measures are key drivers. Moreover, next-generation Si chips, meet the required specifications of flexibility, recyclability and film thickness to open up new markets for wireless tagging in the trading/playing cards market. In this talk, we will also address the challenges and opportunities for scaled-up manufacturing.
Martin graduated from the University of Sheffield with an Honours degree in electronic engineering in 1983. He moved to Germany in 1984 and founded SES RFID Solutions in 2003. He serves as the CEO with responsibility for global business and new technology with particular focus on IoT and connected devices.
SES RFID Solutions is an industry leader in the design and manufacture of cutting edge electronic components and systems for automotive tire identification and sensing (WIRETX) plus ultra thin eco-friendly inlays (ECO-FLEX) for cards, labels and smart packaging.
The WIRETX products use patented UHF RFID tags that are embedded into tires for product identification from point of manufacture until the end of life. The ECO-FLEX inlays utilise an innovative flexible plastic NFC chip developed together AUO of Taiwan and printed antennas to produce ultra thin inlays on thermo-plastic or paper substrates.
