Michael G. Szarka, Director, Commercial Development, GreenCentre Canada, spoke at the CEC Chemicals Management Forum in San Antonio, Texas, on May 16, 2012. More information at: http://www.cec.org/chemicals2012
2. Changing Chemistry, Changing The World
• Chemistry underpins our quality
of life;
• However, it is this industry that
presents us with our most
profound sustainability
challenges;
• Unchanged, our continued
reliance on this industry will
challenge the environment and
could affect human health.
• “Green Chemistry” has the
potential to address these issues
and provide economic benefits.
2
3. Green Chemistry
• Green Chemistry is a chemical
philosophy encouraging the
design of products and
processes that reduce
waste, eliminate costly end-of-
the-pipe treatments; provide
safer products; and reduce use
of energy and resources.
3
4. The Challenge
• Many potentially “industry
changing” technologies originate
in the labs of academic
researchers;
• Early stage, Green Chemistry
discoveries are not attractive to
industry at the point where
academic research ends;
• What is required is a “hands on”
approach to commercialization in
close collaboration with industry
4
5. GreenCentre Canada
• GreenCentre Canada is a Centre of
Excellence for Commercialization and
Research (CECR) initially funded with
$23 million from government;
• Working closely with industry and
universities, GCC helps to bridge the
industry-academic gap by
developing, de-risking and transferring
Green Chemistry discoveries;
• We are academia’s gateway to the
global chemical & materials industry
and industry’s portal to Canada’s
premier Green technologies.
5
6. Bridging the Commercialization Gap
From University Labs to Market
Typical stage of university technologies:
• Bench-test proof of utility
• Applications speculative and unproven
• Incomplete material characterization
• Milligrams of sample
• Manufacturing feasibility not studied
What industry wants:
• Field-test proof of utility
• Application development
• Optimization & full characterization
• Hundreds of grams of sample
• Demonstrated scale-up
6
8. Business Model
• Academia – We develop
technologies under an exclusive
license and return 75% of net
proceeds (usually royalties) to
institution;
• Start-Ups and SMEs – We support
commercialization fee-for-service
or partnerships;
• Multinationals – We are engaged
on a fee-for-service basis and
identify potential research
relationships with universities.
8
10. Why Institutions Work with Us
• We have the needed expertise and
resources;
• We are well connected to the
marketplace;
• Real world experience in IP
management and business
development; and
• Scale-up manufacturing.
10
11. Why Industry Works with Us
• One-stop-shop to Canada’s best
chemistry and material science
technologies;
• Technologies are extensively
evaluated before GCC becomes
engaged. (Only the best make it
through screening process);
• One set of IP policies;
• Risk reduction.
11
12. GreenCentre Canada
Three-Year Track Record
• 300 technologies from 44 institutions in our portfolio;
• Actively commercializing 21 technologies;
• Recently created first start-up;
• Currently negotiating first two out-license
agreements.
12
14. ALD Background
• Atomic Layer Deposition
(ALD) allows coating in atom-
by-atom layers to a substrate
• Requires volatile “precursors”
that must deposit from the
gas phase, coat the surface
in a unimolecular layer, then
chemically react to form the
desired coating
• We have a new family of
precursors with the right
volatility, stability, and
reactivity
14
15. Moore’s Law Hitting the Wall
• As IC features
shrink, depositing
conductive layers
becomes more difficult
• ALD can deposit extremely
thin “seed” layers which
can then be electroplated
• Industry estimates the
32nm node and beyond
cannot proceed with
current interconnect
technology
15
16. Changing the Microelectronics
Industry
• GreenCentre paid for
testing and patenting,
synthesized variant
compounds, prepared
commercial samples and
implemented a
commercialization strategy
• Currently in license
negotiations with market
leader for copper “The best candidate for copper
deposition I’ve seen so far” – ALD Equipment
Manufacturer
CONFIDENTIAL
21. Challenges
• Some universities are reluctant to
surrender management of their
technologies (image problem);
• Timeline for development of university
technologies can be >3 years, which
presents challenges for industry and
government who want speedy results;
• Need to be selective means
disappointing many inventors;
• Need to deal with a global industry
requires broad-minded view of “local”
benefits from technology transfer.
21
22. GreenCentre Canada
Overcoming the Gap
GreenCentre represents a comprehensive and
collaborative approach to commercializing Green
Chemistry technologies.
People Infrastructure Network Capital
22
23. Contact
Mike Szarka, Director, Commercial Development
GreenCentre Canada
945 Princess St. W.
Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6
(613)-507-4700 x109
(905)-925-8298 (cell)
mike.szarka@greencentrecanada.com
23