Bac2
5 August 2008

Fuel cells material company, Bac2, helps propel Millbrook Campus to regional finalist in Enterprising Britain Awards 2008

Southampton, UK, August 5, 2008: The South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) has selected Southampton University’s Millbrook Technology Campus as one of the twelve regional finalist for the Enterprising Britain Awards 2008. The awards, run by the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR), are based on a competition to find the most enterprising place in the UK – a location where enterprise has helped transform a community and led to improved economic prospects for the area. Fuel cell materials company, Bac2, was selected for a company case study to support the awards entry, which was a collaborative effort between the University of Southampton, SETsquared Partnership and Incubator, NXP, Solent Skill Quest, Solent Synergy and Southampton City Council. The judges described the Millbrook Technology Campus as "a shining example of how enterprise and innovation can bring social regeneration and opportunities that will impact on a community for years to come."

Bac2 represents the perfect example of transforming innovation into enterprise. Dr. Graham Murray developed the company's conductive polymer, ElectroPhen, as part of a research programme while at Southampton University. The SETsquared incubator then gave support in getting the company established, including providing office space at the university. Bac2 moved to the Millbrook Technology Campus in June 2007 and now has worldwide customers for its fuel-cell components made from ElectroPhen. Fuel cells are environment-friendly power sources whose only waste product is water vapour.

Peter Jones, entrepreneur and panel member of BBC2's television show, Dragon's Den, visited Bac2 as one of the judges for the national finals and said: "Enterprising Britain is a great opportunity to celebrate some of the enterprise success stories around the UK. It raises awareness of those people who really have made a difference to their communities and helped to create a more dynamic enterprise culture for everyone."

The national winner will be announced in London in October and will then go forward as the UK’s entry for the European Enterprise Awards.

Editors' notes:

Bac2 Ltd
Bac2 is the developer of ElectroPhen®, an electrically conductive plastic that will make a significant contribution to the early adoption of clean energy from fuel cell stacks. Fuel cells are technically proven sources of clean energy for our planet, but adoption is presently limited by cost. Bac2 is in the process of developing ElectroPhen® commercially and has patents pending in Europe, America and Japan. ElectroPhen® is made from readily available low-cost constituents, can be pressed or moulded to complex shapes, and is robust enough for harsh environments. By comparison, competitors produce composite plates using electrically insulating resins to bind together conductive particles such as graphite. In addition to its role in fuel cells, Bac2 will find an increasingly wide range of applications for ElectroPhen in electrical and electronic industries.

Bac2, Millbrook Technology Campus, Second Avenue, Southampton, S015 0DJ
james.lewis@bac2.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0) 1865 331413