Industrial implementation of a step-change technology to measure fluorescence (FLUO)

Polimi role:
Coordinator

Scientific coordinator:
Dario Polli

The “FLUO” proposal aims at bringing to the market a revolutionary device to measure fluorescence of a large variety of samples. Fluorescence is the property of molecules to emit radiation after being illuminated by an excitation light (usually in the ultraviolet). Fluorescence is a powerful analytical tool employed in many fields such as life science, biology, biobiotechnology, pharmacology, medical diagnostics, food industry, chemistry, photovoltaics and environment safety. Different chemical species can be uniquely identified with high sensitivity and specificity, in a non-destructive and non-invasive way. Spectrometers for measuring fluorescence already exist in the market, but they present drawbacks such as large footprint, high costs, long acquisition times and low sensitivity. Our ground-breaking patented technology, based on an ultrastable interferometer, overcomes all these issues, thus paving the way to many scientific and industrial applications. We have already initiated the customer identification and discovery process and we have received many positive feedbacks from potential customers. The “FLUO” project has two main goals. (1) We aim at pushing the Technology Readiness Level of the products to the ultimate maturity required to approach the market, corresponding to TRL9. A first working prototype has already been realized and tested; we will realize two second-generation prototypes that will be technically validated in the scientific and industrial sectors. (2) We will unleash the innovation potential of the approach, developing an exhaustive exploitation plan, based on a detailed market analysis and a profitable financial plan. We will benchmark our instrument against the competitors’ ones and sign commercial agreements with strategic partners. In the framework of the lean start-up approach, we will draft a first version of a Business Model Canvas and Business Plan in the view of the foundation of a start-up company towards the end of the FLUO project.

Program: Horizon 2020

Subprogram: Pillar I - Excellent Science

Call: ERC-2018-PoC

Topic: ERC-2018-PoC

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