700254ATG The Agile FoundryClosedGRD Proof of MarketInnovate UKThe aim of project The Agile Foundry (TAF) is to combine microfluidic synthetic methodologies with state-of-the-art digital dispensing technology thus creating tools that enable rapid, highly versatile, nanostructured ink formulation and printing to take place on one device eliminating the need for shipment and storage of intermediates. In the first instance this technology will target synthesis of metal nanowire-based conductive inks tailored for production of transparent conductive sheets for applications in touch sensitive panels, organic light-emitting diodes and solar cells. In comparison to the current industry standard, - Indium Tin Oxide (ITO), the use of TAF technology will lead to a substantial reduction in fabrication cost and time and, critically, allow the manufacture of flexible electronics. Crucially, combining the functional ink synthesis and its dispensing on a single device yields a unique set of advantages inaccessible by other manufacturing techniques: • The performance of the functional ink is maintained at optimum and not continuously reduced in solution • The performance of the inks matches pure materials and is not compromised by addition of excessive amounts of surfactant as long term storage is not required • Materials normally prone to oxidation such as copper and aluminum can be utilized The market for transparent conductive layers is large enough by itself to underpin this business. Further downstream, the versatility of the manufacturing process will be employed in order to explore additional opportunities. These include: formulation of functional inks for laying copper and aluminium tracks for applications in printable electronics, enhancement of Li-ion battery performance and fabrication of electrodes for flexible batteries as well as a range of applications in the smart textile industry.