ITRI Wins R&D 100 Awards for Fifth Year in a Row

HSINCHU, TAIWAN--(Marketwire - Oct 30, 2012) - ITRI (Industrial Technology Research Institute), Taiwan's largest and one of the world's leading high-tech research and development institutions, will accept six 2012 R&D 100 Awards in Orlando, Fla., on Nov. 1, 2012. ITRI was selected as a winner for the fifth consecutive year, collecting six awards for the following advanced technologies in their respective categories:

• Lignoxy™, lignin-based polymer technology (Materials Science category);
• TEMM, thermoelectric material and module technology (Materials Science category);
• aePLASMA™, atmospheric environment plasma coating technology (Thin Film and Vacuum Technologies category);
• SideLighter™, optical microstructure-based concentrator photovoltaic technology (Energy Technologies category);
• Light&Light™, A19 LED light bulb technology (Electrical Devices category); and
• AVA-Clamp™, clamp-on voltage and current metering technology (Electronic Instrumentation category).

"ITRI is proud to receive recognition by R&D Magazine for its six innovative technologies," said Dr. Pei Fang Liang, division director of Green Energy and Environment Research Lab, ITRI. "The six technologies this year are all high-value, innovative technologies that aim to meet human needs and provide greater convenience to create high value-added industries. ITRI's consistently strong performance in the R&D 100 Awards over the years confirms that Taiwan's scientific and technological strength has reached a world-class standard and displays the Institute's vitality and capability in technological R&D and innovation for all the world."

Lignoxy™ LBP (Lignin-based Polymer) technology replaces petroleum-based plastics with a bio-based alternative. With Lignoxy™ it's now possible to manufacture a BPA-free coating, in particular those used in food packaging and plastic products such as canned-food containers and plastic utensils. It prevents release of harmful Bisphenol-A hormones into the environment, meeting strict waste sanitation standards.

TEMM, thermoelectric materials & module technology, recycles waste industrial heat at temperatures ranging 100-300°C (212-572°F) to produce electricity. The primary function is to produce a bismuth telluride-based nano-composite, and to assemble highly reliable thermoelectric generator (TEG) modules through the unique bonding technology of solid liquid interdiffusion. This technology has been used in a heating furnace wall for hot-rolled steel, and it will further expand to industry applications such as steelmaking, metal processing, petrochemicals, cement, incinerators and automobiles to recovery waste heat.

aePLASMA™ solves the opto-electronics industry's challenge of balancing environmental-protection and cost issues to produce metal-oxide coatings. These coatings are widely used in tablet PCs, touch panels and solar energy devices, among other industry applications. aePLASMA™ works quickly, under normal atmospheric pressure and temperature conditions, simply using air with metal ions in an aqueous solution to apply a transparent conductive film (TCO) coating on glass surfaces. This technology coats large-size glass plates more quickly and efficiently than conventional, expensive methods that require implementation in closed chambers under controlled temperatures.

SideLighter™ is the first low-cost, high-performance, transparent, concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) solar panel to be used for dual purposes -- for energy generation and as a structural panel or window. The compact physical size of the solar cells costs 93 percent less to produce than current photovoltaic cells, contributing to a 46-percent reduction in building CPV solar panels. Its increased effectiveness helps achieve grid parity more quickly.

Light&Light™ is the first A19 all-plastic LED light bulb technology with an illumination angle of 330°. It is break-resistant and weighs less than 100 grams -- half of the competing LED light bulb. It uses less than 10 watts to produce the same light as other 60-watt incandescent light bulbs. Its price is 10-20 percent the cost of competing LED light bulbs. Light&Light™ can save 85 percent on light bulb power consumption.

AVA-Clamp™ is a low-cost, easy-to-use clamp-on voltage and current meter technology measuring the amount of power used by a typical household or commercial appliance such as a microwave, television or industrial machine. This micro-electromechanical system (MEMS)-based metering technology is a convenient way to monitor and manage energy. Users can save up to 10 percent on their energy bills by learning the energy consumption of their devices.

ITRI has applied for one patent for Lignoxy™, 12 for TEMM (4 granted), 69 for aePLASMA™, 14 for Light&Light™, 13 for SideLighter™ and 11 for AVA-Clamp™. ITRI is in the process of licensing these technologies in Taiwan. Interested companies can contact ITRI at (408) 428-9988 or 0800@itri.org.tw for more information.

Recognition for Outstanding Technology Innovation
ITRI has received numerous awards in consecutive years since 2008. For example, in 2011, the institute received six prestigious international awards: The Excellent Organization, Solar Industry Awards in the U.K. for Solar Radome, two R&D 100 Awards, two Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Awards, and the Silver Award for The Society in Information Display's (SID) Display of the Year Awards. In 2010, the institute received five prestigious international awards: two for the Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Awards, including one Overall Gold, and three R&D 100 Awards.

Over the past 50 years, the R&D 100 Awards have identified and recognized the 100 most significant and revolutionary technologies newly introduced to the market. Past winning technologies include the liquid crystal display (1980) and HDTV (1998). An R&D 100 Award serves as a mark of excellence to industry, government and academia and confirms the technology is one of the top innovations of the year. This year's winners will be honored at a ceremony the evening of Nov. 1, 2012, in Orlando, Fla.

About ITRI
Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) is one of the world's leading technology R&D institutions aiming to innovate a better future for society. Founded in 1973, ITRI has played a vital role in transforming Taiwan's economy from labor-intensive industry to a leader in high technology. Over the years, ITRI has accumulated over 17,000 patents, cultivated more than 70 CEOs, and incubated 174 innovative companies, including numerous well-known global semiconductor leaders such as TSMC and UMC.

ITRI focuses on the fields of Information and Communications; Electronics and Optoelectronics; Material Chemical and Nanotechnology; Medical Device and Biomedical; Mechanical and Systems; and Green Energy and Environment. In recognition of its forward-looking and multi-disciplinary R&D innovation, ITRI has been honored with prestigious international awards, such as the Wall Street Journal's Technology Innovation Awards and R&D 100 Awards, since 2008. In addition to its headquarters in Taiwan, ITRI has branch offices in Silicon Valley, Tokyo, Berlin and Moscow in an effort to extend its R&D scope and promote opportunities for international cooperation around the world. For more information please visit http://www.itri.org.tw/eng.