TIDMFIPP
Frontier IP Group plc
30 January 2023
Reach - a non-regulatory announcement
AIM: FIPP
30 January 2023
Frontier IP Group Plc
("Frontier IP" or the "Group")
Portfolio news - Alusid extends product range in collaboration
with global speciality minerals group Imerys
Frontier IP, a specialist in commercialising intellectual
property, notes the following announcement from portfolio company
Alusid (the "Company") that it has successfully collaborated with
Imerys, a world leader in specialty minerals to make floor
tiles.
The collaboration started after Alusid was named as one of two
winners in the Imerys Start-Up Innovation Factory competition
launched last year, from sixty-five companies from around the world
selected to participate. The aim of the competition's first edition
was to enable Imerys to research potential partners to collaborate
on innovation to meet circular economy challenges.
Over the past few months, Alusid and Imerys have run two
parallel trials to make products using Imerys by-products: the
floor tiles, and another to make larger items such as coffee tables
and worktops. Both were successful, and the floor tiles are now
attracting commercial interest, including from a leading retailer.
Frontier IP holds a 38.9 per cent equity stake in the Company.
Imerys generated EUR4.4 billion in revenues during 2021 and
employs 16,300 people.
Frontier IP Chief Executive Neil Crabb said: "We're delighted
with Alusid's success in, first, being one of only two winners from
a global competition organised by a multinational group, and
second, in developing a wholly new product from Imerys'
by-products. Success provides further validation of the Company's
unique technology to recycle industrial waste into premium-quality
tiles and surfaces."
Alusid statement follows:
Alusid extends product range in collaboration with global
speciality minerals group Imerys
Alusid has successfully produced high-quality, hard-wearing
floor tiles made from 100 per cent recycled waste after being named
as one of the winners in the Start-Up Innovation Factory
competition launched by Imerys, a world leader in minerals-based
specialty solutions.
The aim of the first edition of the competition, launched last
year, was to enable Imerys to research potential partners to
collaborate on innovation to meet circular economy challenges on
technical themes, such as recovering and recycling construction
material waste. Sixty-five start-ups from around the world were
selected to participate.
Alusid has been trialling tile manufacture using six Imerys
by-products over the past few months as a continuation of the
competition. An Imerys team, led by Cédric Poilly, Customer
Application Engineer for Ceramics EMEA, provided support . Two
parallel projects were run: one making the floor tiles and the
other larger items, such as coffee tables and worktops. Both proved
successful, and the next step is to scale up the technology for
industrial production.
Made from 100 per cent recycled waste, 90 per cent of which came
from Imerys, the tiles use three by-products in the recipe, with
scope to include additional materials directly produced by Imerys
or from its customers.
The tiles have the same performance as those made from
non-recycled materials, and have already attracted interest from
potential customers, including a leading retail brand.
Benefits include the use and recycling of surplus raw materials
and by-products that would normally go to waste. Alusid's processes
consume less gas to manufacture than conventional tiles with energy
usage potentially cut by more than 35 per cent because of lower
firing temperatures and the use of dry powder granulation rather
than spray drying. Water use is also reduced by up to 75 per
cent.
Alasdair Bremner, Alusid's CEO said: "Working with Imerys on
this project has expanded our available sources of recycled
material and allowed us to create a product missing from our range,
a hard-wearing, high-quality floor tile. Imerys extensive knowledge
and their scale means they have the capacity to help us precise our
business model and ultimately reduce the environmental impact of
tile production. In the initial pilot trial, we had to deal with
some warping and adapting with firing these unconventional
materials. However, the results are promising enough for us to
envision industrial trials. Our aim is to achieve porcelain
stoneware classification on water absorption and breaking strength,
making our tiles as good as tiles made from non-recycled
materials."
Frederic Jouffret, Imerys Vice-President, Performance Minerals
Science & Technology, said: "Working with start-ups through
this challenge was very educational and promising for Imerys. The
challenge itself has created a more structured approach for open
innovation in the future."
Alusid statement ends
ENQUIRIES
Frontier IP Group Plc T: 020 7332 2338
Neil Crabb, Chief Executive neil@frontierip.co.uk
Andrew Johnson, Communications & Investor M: 07464 546 025
Relations
Company website: www.frontierip.co.uk
Allenby Capital Limited (Nominated Adviser) T: 0203 328 5656
Nick Athanas / George Payne
ABOUT IMERYS:
The world leader in mineral-based specialty solutions for
industry, with EUR4.4 billion revenue and 16,300 employees in 2021,
Imerys delivers high value-added, functional solutions to
diversified set of industrial sectors, from processing industries
to consumer goods. The Group draws on its knowledge of
applications, technological expertise and its material science
know-how to deliver solutions based on beneficiation of its mineral
resources, synthetic minerals and formulations. These contribute
essential properties to customers' products and performance,
including refractoriness, hardness, conductivity, opacity,
durability, purity, lightness, filtration, absorption and
repellency. Imerys is determined to develop responsibly, in
particular by fostering the emergence of environmentally friendly
products and processes.
ABOUT ALUSID
Alusid creates beautiful, premium-quality tiles and
architectural surfaces The company creates beautiful, premium
quality tiles and architectural surfaces by recycling industrial
waste ceramics, glass and other materials much of which would
otherwise end in landfill. Tiles are made from a minimum of 95 per
cent recycled content and usually contain more.
The company's Sequel ranges are distributed exclusively by
Parkside Architectural Tiles, the commercial arm of Topps Tiles.
Sequel Vibe was named Wall Tile of The Year in The Tile
Association's prestigious in 2020.
Alusid also makes its own products under the brand name
SilicaStone distributed in the UK by Panaz. Customers include COS,
part of H&M, Christian Dior, Nando's, Harrods, Selfridges,
Amazon UK and Pret-a-Manger.
ABOUT FRONTIER IP
Frontier IP unites science and commerce by identifying strong
intellectual property and accelerating its development through a
range of commercialisation services. A critical part of the Group's
work is involving relevant industry partners at an early stage of
development to ensure technology meets real world demands and
needs.
The Group looks to build and grow a portfolio of equity stakes
and licence income by taking an active involvement in spin-out
companies, including support for fund raising and collaboration
with relevant industry partners at an early stage of
development.
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