Welcome
A meeting was held on January 21, 2009 to plan the formation of a consortium of companies interested in advanced capacitor technologies. Topics of interest to this consortium include:
- Advanced materials including micro and nano structures
- New ultracapacitor design technologies
- Next generation electrochemical capacitors
- Advanced capacitor manufacturing processes
- High-energy density capacitors for automotive applications
- Low inductance capacitors for advanced electronic packaging applications
- New capacitor requirements for energy storage and power conversion
- New capacitor specification and test procedures
- Capacitor reliability and safety
Member companies will collaborate with Clemson researchers to investigate relevant new technologies, develop novel designs and explore new market applications.
Purpose of the Consortium
In a difficult economic climate, it is important for companies to remain competitive while controlling research and development expenditures. Advances in electronic materials and devices drive a rapidly changing market environment for capacitor manufacturers. It is difficult and relatively expensive for a small to medium size company to keep up with the technological advances that impact the market for their current products and the roadmap for their future products. Entering a new market or developing a new product just a little later than the competition can have a serious impact on a company's viability in that market.
The goal of this consortium is to help companies achieve and maintain a leadership position in the capacitor industry without investing millions of dollars in privately funded research. With a relatively modest investment in the pooled resources of the consortium, companies will benefit from research that is relevant to the design, construction and marketing of their products.
Member companies will collectively determine research topics and will have the opportunity to be involved in the research as it progresses. All member companies will receive quarterly reports on the progress of all projects. All member companies will have the right to obtain a royalty-free license to intellectual property resulting from this research, including new capacitor designs and new capacitor manufacturing techniques.