The University of Limerick, Ireland, has struck two license agreements worth more than US$1 million for micro cooler technology developed at its Stokes Institute. The technology is used to cool devices in the computer and electronics industries. U-Limerick granted Sunnyvale, CA-based Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) a development license to customize the micro cooler technology for its next-generation products. In addition, the university signed a worldwide, non-exclusive license with Asia Vital Components (AVC) — the world’s largest supplier of coolers for central processing units and microchip modules — to make and sell the micro cooler. Initially, the deals involve up to 50 million units. Future volumes could eventually exceed hundreds of millions of micro coolers, generating additional licensing revenue for the university.
The licensed technology combines a new fluidic phenomenon with specially arranged cooling surfaces. The innovation offers improved performance, reduced energy consumption, lower noise, and reduced manufacturing costs, enabling the development of smaller, quieter, and more energy-efficient products. “In terms of personal electronic devices of all kinds, the world is moving towards smaller sizes and greater power efficiency,” says Steve Huang, director of sales at AVC. “The team at Stokes Institute [has] designed a cooling technology that can make a huge impact on the ability of manufacturers to deliver these attributes at reduced cost.” Because the agreements are non-exclusive, the university expects to cut additional deals to bring the micro coolers to other industries. “It’s a license on a small part of our technology in this space,” explains Edmond Walsh, PhD, MASME, senior research fellow at the Stokes Institute. “This has allowed us to understand how the industry works — the suppliers and the supply chain. We’ve kept the high-value stuff, and we hope that may lead to a spinout in the future or higher value licenses with other players.”
Sources: Business and Leadership and The Irish Times