Opcon acquires option for unique technology
Opcon acquires option for unique technology Opcon's subsidiary, Opcon Autorotor AB, has acquired an option for the exclusive licensing rights for a key component in the air system used in a fuel cell car engine. An agreement signed with NFO Drives AB gives Opcon the option rights to the company's inverter and know how. "With this agreement Opcon now has the intellectual property rights for all of the strategically important sub-systems required for a complete air system used in a fuel cell car engine," says Sven G. Oskarsson, Opcon's CEO. Opcon Autorotor is today a market leader in the development of air systems for mobile fuel cells, i.e. fuel cells used in vehicles such as cars and buses. Fuel cells generate energy from a reaction between hydrogen and oxygen and the only emission is water. Fuel cells are expected to become the power source of the future for vehicles and in recent years the pace of development in this area has increased significantly. Opcon Autorotor AB is involved in most of the best-known fuel cell development projects throughout the world. Originally it was Autorotor's successful double screw compressor concept that attracted the interest of carmakers. This concept has been developed further and other systems have been added. "The aim is to offer a complete air system in which each part is optimised for the process. That is the solution that are customers are asking for," explains Sven G. Oskarsson. The air system for a fuel cell engine has four key components: compressor, heat exchanger, electric motor and inverter. The Opcon Group already owns technology and property rights for the compressor, heat exchanger and electric motor, tailored for this type of air system. By signing the current option, Opcon now has access to the fourth key component, the inverter, as well as NFO's know how within fuel cell applications. Opcon Autorotor AB has co-operated with NFO Drives AB since 2000 in the STEM project, which is supported by Sweden's energy authority. The first stage of the STEM project, in which another company, AB Kompositprodukter, also participated, resulted in the development of a world class air system. The second phase of the project is currently under way where the aim is to optimise the air system and its components. "The acquisition of option rights is part of our strategy of securing rights to the inverter technology that has so far proved the best choice when adapting it to our air system and level of performance," says Sven G. Oskarsson. .......................................... For further information, please contact: Sven G. Oskarsson, CEO, Opcon AB, tel +46 532 611 30, mobile +46 70 625 81 21 Roland Ärlebäck, Managing Director, Opcon Autorotor AB, tel +46 8 448 44 46, mobile +46 70 549 04 52 Lena Karlsson, head of information, Opcon, tel +46 532-611 36, mobile +46 70-326 74 03 ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by Waymaker http://www.waymaker.net The following files are available for download: http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2003/09/08/20041001BIT22260/wkr0001.pdf