Ilika secures partnership for Scottish solid-state cell manufacturer

Ilika secured an intended manufacturing partnership with Semefab for the manufacture of Stereax thin film solid-state cells on Tuesday.

Semefab, which has produced a diverse portfolio of CMOS, ASIC and semiconductor technologies since 1986, will manufacture the technology at its facility in Fife, Scotland, after confirming that Ilika’s qualified process is compatible with its machinery.

Graeme Purdy, chief executive of Ilika, said: "We are delighted to be working with Semefab, which has a long history of manufacturing MEMS and IC products. Semefab is arguably currently the UK's leading commercial foundry of such devices. This key manufacturing partnership extends Ilika's market reach and advances the company one step closer to a valuable licensing deal."

Stereax is intended to offer advantages over lithium ion batteries, including a smaller footprint for ‘internet of things’ (IoT) sensors, energy dense large format EV cells, fast charging, longer life span, low leakage and reduced flammability.

The AIM traded company said the technology is specifically for "bridging the gap between the IoT space and Electric Vehicles".

Allan James, managing director at Semefab, said: "We believe there is a substantial market opportunity for thin-film microfabricated batteries, which is well-aligned with our current business."

Ilika’s shares were unchanged at 18.25p at 1014 GMT.