Haydale funds new professional chair in Swansea

Graphene and nanomaterials commercialisation company Haydale Graphene Industries announced on Monday that its wholly-owned subsidiary Haydale Limited has funded a new professorial chair appointment within Swansea University's Welsh Centre for Printing and Coating.

The AIM-traded firm said the WCPC is one of the world's leading centres for research and development of printing and coating processes.

Professor Tim Claypole MBE, founder and director of WCPC, has been appointed as the Haydale Supported Chair in Advance Manufacture by Printing.

Haydale said Claypole took up the role on 1 July.

The company has existing links with the WCPC, and said the new appointment will provide it with a dedicated ink and coating service capability, to assist the company in developing and commercialising their inks together with ongoing research, formulation, and rheology.

Additionally, the University's College of Engineering will appoint a new professor to provide additional leadership capability in the area of functional coatings, Haydale’s board said.

“I am pleased that we are sponsoring this chair which is a natural progression of our existing relationship with the WCPC,” said Haydale CEO Ray Gibbs.

“We have already achieved good results with our graphene based inks and derivatives of it such as the patent applied for pressure sensor.

“We anticipate that this appointment will assist us in the commercialisation of our graphene enhanced conductive inks as Tim has a worldwide reputation in the ink, printing and coating world,” Gibbs added.

Claypole said the WCPC is focused on collaboration with industry, and the development strengthens its relationship with Haydale, which has been built up over many years.

“This new chair reinforces our position as a world leading centre for advanced manufacture by printing, working with companies who are at the leading edge of technology,” Claypole explained.

“Our relationship with Haydale is helping the WCPC engage with industry Worldwide, especially in Asia and South America, as well as in Europe.”