Seren Photonics, a recently formed spin-out company exploiting the high brightness LED processing technology developed by Dr Tao Wang at the University of Sheffield, has appointed Dr Godfrey Ainsworth as non-executive chairman. The announcement was made by Fusion IP, the commercialisation company with exclusive rights to develop intellectual property generated by research carried out at the University of Sheffield, which owns a 48 per cent stake in Seren Photonics.
Dr Ainsworth has extensive knowledge and experience in the compound semiconductor industry, drawing on a 20-year relationship with IQE, where he has been chairman since 1999. With a market capitalisation of approximately £80m, IQE is an AIM-listed compound semiconductor epitaxial wafer manufacturer with three manufacturing plants in the UK, two in the USA, and one in Singapore. IQE has recently increased its focus on nitride based products through the acquisition of NanoGaN from Bath University, UK.
Dr Carl Griffiths, managing director at Seren Photonics commented: 'We are thrilled to have someone with Godfrey’s depth of experience heading up the board. One of Seren Photonics’ key business strategies is to secure license deals with key GaN manufacturers. Having a chairman with a proven track record at successful, large scale negotiations in this area is a major asset. We look forward to working closely with Godfrey and bringing Seren Photonics’ technology to market.'
Dr Ainsworth said: 'I have been very impressed with the quality of the IP portfolio and spin-out companies in the Fusion IP Group, and Seren has the potential to be a huge success. I am therefore delighted to become Seren’s chairman at this important time in their development and help drive through the commercialisation process. The solid state lighting sector is about to undergo explosive growth and we believe that Dr Wang and his team has what could be a hugely exciting technology, capable of significantly improving the efficiency of LEDs.'
