| Posted: March 15, 2007 |
Three grants to advance fuel cell technologies with nanotechnology |
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(Nanowerk News) Connecticut's Mott Corporation, Mystic MD and GenCell will each receive $65,000 in seed money to advance fuel cell technologies and nanotechnology using novel approaches. The competitive award was modeled after the federal SBIR program.
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The Connecticut Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Office, an initiative of the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology, Inc. (CCAT), has awarded three winners in its State-funded, pilot SBIR program designed to promote emerging nanotechnologies and new product development by small businesses in Connecticut. The grants are funded by the Connecticut Development Authority and the Governor’s Office for Workforce Competitiveness.
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The winners are Mott Corporation – Farmington, CT; Mystic MD – New London, CT and GenCell Corporation – Southbury, CT. Each company will receive $65,000 in seed money to advance Fuel Cell technologies and nanotechnologies using novel approaches. Mott Corporation is a well-established (1959) manufacturing and technology company, Mystic MD is an entrepreneurial, nanotechnology start-up, and GenCell has been in business seven years developing a "manufacturing friendly, multi-platform fuel cell stack architecture."
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This competitive award was modeled after the national SBIR program in which federal agencies identify problems or “topics” that can be solved by small businesses and entrepreneurs through advanced research for the development of innovative, next-generation products.
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The Office for Workforce Competitiveness (OWC) had designated the CT SBIR Office at CCAT to develop and administer this program, to provide resources and to assist in a process to connect small nanotechnology companies with other industry and university resources to help in the development of innovative technologies.
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The topic for the pilot was the “Nano-structured Catalysts/Reformers for Fuel Cells to Reduce Cost, Increase Efficiency, Improve Reliability and be Resistant to Poisoning for Military as well as Commercial Fuel Cell Applications in Unmanned Vehicles.”
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To apply for the $65,000 State grant, the companies had to be a US-owned (at least 51%) Connecticut small business (500 or fewer employees) and put together a compelling proposal designed to prove feasibility of their concept. All proposals were reviewed and scored by an external review board comprised of technical consulting firms, a large defense contractor and a CT University – bringing together government, business and industry. Like the federal program, the competitive, State-funded SBIR development effort will last 6 months.
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