Two of the North East's high tech initiatives, including a printable electronics pilot plant, are to merge.

They are the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI), and the Centre of Excellence for Nano, Micro and Photonic Systems (Cenamps).

"It is a question of: could we do better together?" Nigel Perry, CEO of the combined operation, told Electronics Weekly. "They were separate by dint of history, and natural evolution has put these two together."

CPI and Cenamps, both government-funded private companies with links to universities and business, were two of five centre's of excellence set up four years ago by Government-funded agencies in the North East.

Between the two of them, Perry claimed, they have so far generated £250m worth of economic activity and created 1,000 jobs.

Nigel Perry, CEO of the newly combined CPI and Cenamps.

The new entity, also to be a government-funded private company known as CPI, will have 70 scientists and continue to work on four basic technologies: printable electronics, advanced processing, functional materials, and low carbon energy.

Activities on these four are spread unevenly across four sites: The Wilton Centre in Redcar which includes bio-tech and nano materials the €30m Printable Electronics Technology Centre (PETeC - see box below) soon to be completed in Sedgefield, an atomic layer deposition facility within the University of Newcastle, and a business centre in Gateshead that handles knowledge transfer and work related to the European enterprise network.

This last facility may be moved to one of the other three sites. "It will become obvious whether to keep four or three locations," said Perry. "Will it be necessary to have an office in the north of the region? At this point the answer is yes."

CPI was recognised as an example of best practice for its approach to market led-innovation in last month's Government white paper 'Innovation Nation'.

PETeC

PETeC is being set up as a pilot plant for roll-to-roll printable plastic electronics production. "The building should be complete by the end of the third quarter this year and the equipment is on order," said Perry. "We already have early equipment at Wilton that enables us to make organic transistors." Business is lined-up for PETeC when it is finished, claims Perry. "I can't name the companies, but we have got commercial contracts with companies that are part of the Technology Strategy Board initiative, and commercial contracts outside the TSB," he said.

An artists impression of the North East's 3,500m2 Printable Electronics Technology Centre PETeC, currently under construction, which will open later this year.