Our Stakeholders
The Fluence Microfluidics Centre is a centre of expertise, serving clients worldwide, for the development of microfluidics enabled products and processes and “skills”/training/ that builds on the proven track record of Epigem in polymer microengineering innovation. In the first two years, since Fluence was established in 2006, over 50 companies and 25 Universities have been supported and 18 students have been assisted with their skills development.
Fluence is one of a group of centres comprising the UK’s micro and nanotechnology network of facilities managed by the Technology Strategy Board . The Technology Strategy Board is a business-focused organisation dedicated to promoting technology-enabled innovation across the UK. Fluence is aligned to the key application areas identified by the Technology Strategy Board – medicine and healthcare, environmental stability, energy generation and efficiency, creative industries, transport, high value services and the built environment (see more under markets, applications and future visions).
In 2006 Epigem was contracted by the UK Government’s Department of Trade and Industry and the North East of England Regional Development Agency, OneNE to supply MNT (Micro and nanotechnology) services to industry and Universities worldwide. Fluence is part of the OneNE’s Strategy for Success – an ambitious programme to exploit the region’s technological strengths in Energy, Process Technologies and Health Sciences and Healthcare, as well as a commitment to design and product innovation.
At the same time Epigem became part of INTEGRAMplus, an integrated project within the European Community sixth framework programme, under the Information, Society and Media Directorate, to provide Integrated MNT Platforms and Services. Epigem delivers the R&D services it supplies through Integramplus and collaborative research projects through the Fluence centre. Collaborative research projects are the vehicle used by Epigem to continually reinforce the experience it offers to users of Fluence and also the mechanism for building a network of complimentary experts that are part of the supply chain of Epigem.
Fluence is initially a 5 year programme that started in February 2006 and is an £8 million investment in MNT with £4 million invested by central and regional government and £4 million in matching funds from industry including the owner and operator of the facility Epigem Limited. The investment was supported by both large companies and start up companies that Epigem had previously served and continues to support through the Fluence centre [Logos of original industrial stakeholders].
The name Fluence was chosen as it is the trademark of Epigem’s microfluidic tool kit that was originally developed within a Foresight Link collaborative project called “Laboratory on a chip (LOC)”. The tool kit met the requirements for a microfluidic process development tool that enables processes to be built up by linking together in series or parallel the unit operations required. The tool kit was commercialised immediately after completion of the LOC project. It is appropriate that the Fluence brand be used for the full range of services now available to support the product and process development activities of Fluence’s partners.
