North American processable and nanostructured conductive polymer manufacturer Fibron Technologies (Ingelwood, California / USA; www.fibrontech.com) has established a wholly owned subsidiary, Finano (Helsinki / Finland), in order to expand its footprint in Europe. The new Finnish office has also been tasked with developing advanced manufacturing capabilities for the group.

“The Helsinki area is a very rich resource for expertise in conducting polymer technology and therefore a very appropriate place for us to set up our regional operations,” says Fibron CEO Christian Behrenbruch. Indeed, the group has reportedly established several technlogy collaborations with leading European chemistry and materials science companies during the past 18 months.

One of the first acts of the new Finano subsidiary was to enter into a binding purchase agreement to acquire the assets of Panipol (Porvoo / Finland), a researcher and manufacturer of conductive polymers.

Founded in 2008 by scientists from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA; www.ucla.edu) and The Aerospace Corporation (El Segundo, California / USA; www.aero.org), Fibron has developed several advanced organic materials based on conducting polymer technology that can be used across a wide array of applications, from energy to consumer electronics.

A study published last year by consultancy IDTechEx (Cambridge / UK; www.idtechex.com) asserts that the global market for printed organic electronic and electric devices, currently worth about USD 1 bn, will reach USD 310 bn in 2030 – for more information, see Plasteurope.com of 27.07.2010.