Domino Printing Sciences to Build Factory in China

Domino Printing Sciences has laid a foundation stone for its new £19m factory in Changshu, China.

The laying ceremony for Domino Printing Technology (Changshu) was attended by the Domino Asia-Pacific management team, leaders of the Changshu Economic Development Zone and representatives from the construction party.

The new 286,937 sq. ft. (26,667 m2) construction area is located in the Changshu Economic & Technological Development Zone.

Domino plans to build three production lines, including ink production, ink jet printer assembly testing and Thermal Transfer Overprinting (TTO) assembly testing. The firm expects the factory will have an annual output of 14,000 labelling devices and 2,500 tons of ink.

Headquartered in Cambridge, UK, Domino Printing Sciences has ten production facilities across Asia, Europe and the US.

The Chinese market is an integral part of the firm’s overall vision for its future development, it said. With this location for our new factory, we will be able to serve the Asia Pacific region more effectively Johnny Tan, General Manager at Domino Printing Technology (Chang Shu), said in his speech during the ceremony: 'Domino’s development strategy is to strengthen its relationships with its customers, and the regional manufacturing base is a key part of this strategy.'

China is one of Domino’s biggest regional markets and to support its development strategy, the firm chose Changshu for the new factory, which is close to its Shanghai headquarters, he said.

He added: 'With this location for our new factory, we will be able to serve the Asia Pacific region more effectively, especially the Chinese market, by improving the efficiency of productions and logistics.'

The lion eye dotting ceremony brings to life the fact that the lion symbolizes courage and joy, and shows that Domino is heading towards greater heights in its future development in China.

Wang Gang, Vice-Chairman of the Changshu Economic & Technological Development Zone, wished Domino a smooth and successful completion of the construction of the new factory. He then performed the lion eye dotting ceremony with Domino’s CEO for the Asia Pacific Region, Xiang Min.

Domino China has had a presence in Beijing since 1995. It said a rapid growth in sales has made it the preferred ink jet printer supplier in the region.

In May 2002, Domino established its Asia Pacific headquarters in Shanghai. Since then, the company has invested in 48,420 sq. ft. (4,500m2) of production space, providing improved service to customers in China, as well as products and technical support services to the Asia Pacific region.

Rachel Hurst, Group Operations Director at Domino Printing Sciences, concluded: 'Domino is constantly looking into growing markets abroad and China has proven to be a region worth investing in.

'With the launch of the new factory in Changshu, we will be able to introduce new products to the Chinese market, while also providing the high level of service that has become synonymous with the Domino brand.'

GSK, Verily to Set Up Bioelectronics Joint Venture

GSK and Verily (formerly Google) Life Sciences LLC plan to establish a joint venture, Galvani Bioelectronics, to enable the research, development and commercialization of bioelectronic medicines. This new scientific field uses miniaturized, implantable devices to treat various illnesses. The devices work by modifying the electrical signals that pass along nerves in the body, including the irregular or altered impulses that occur in individuals with chronic illnesses. GSK has been active in this field since 2012, and has evaluated bioelectronics treatments for such chronic diseases as arthritis, diabetes and asthma.

Galvani Bioelectronics will be headquartered within GSK’s global R&D center at Stevenage in the UK, with a second research hub at Verily’s facilities in South San Francisco. It will initially employ around 30 expert scientists, engineers and clinicians, and will fund and integrate a broad range of collaborations with both parent companies, academia and other R&D companies.

Kris Famm, GSK’s vice president of bioelectronics R&D, has been appointed president of the new company. Famm has pioneered work in both large and small molecule drug discovery and worked for a decade developing and delivering R&D strategy with a recurring focus on emerging technologies. He has co-designed and led GSK’s exploration of bioelectronics. A seven-member board, chaired by Moncef Slaoui, GSK’s Chairman of Global Vaccines, will also be appointed and will include Andrew Conrad, CEO of Verily.

“Many of the processes of the human body are controlled by electrical signals firing between the nervous system and the body’s organs, which may become distorted in many chronic diseases. Bioelectronic medicine’s vision is to employ the latest advances in biology and technology to interpret this electrical conversation and to correct the irregular patterns found in disease states, using miniaturized devices attached to individual nerves. If successful, this approach offers the potential for a new therapeutic modality alongside traditional medicines and vaccines, said Slaoui.

The deal is expected to close before the end of 2016. GSK will hold a 55% equity interest in the new company and Verily will hold 45%.

The University of Minnesota Opened its Nanotechnology Building

$84.5 million Physics and Nanotechnology Building in April 2014. The 144,000 sq. ft. facility is the home of the University College of Science and Engineering’s School of Physics and Astronomy, as well as the Minnesota Nano Center.

The building includes 43,000 sq. ft. for 40 modern and highly flexible physics laboratories and laboratory support space. Nanotechnology research compromises over 15,000 sq. ft. of the building, and this includes a 5,000 sq. ft. cleanroom facility containing two Class 10 bays and three Class 100 (ISO Class 5) bays.

The facility accommodates about 200 faculty, post doctorate and graduate students, and visiting researchers. Over 100 researchers throughout the University will also use the nanotechnology facilities in this building, along with around 250 people from business and organizations across the country.

The building is the home of the Minnesota Nano Center, where researchers study exciting new nanotechnology applications such as implantable devices that automatically administer drugs inside the body. The MNC is composed of two main facilities, located in Keller Hall as well as the Physics and Nanotechnology building.

The PN facility offers two new specialized labs to support interdisciplinary research in bionanotechnology and nano-and micrometer-scale materials. Tools included in the facility include integrated circuits, advanced sensors, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), and microfluidic systems.

Building is to make a significant impact in increasing interdisciplinary research, as well as to solve world challenges with breakthroughs that will advance research and educate the next generation of high-tech workers throughout Minnesota. RFD served as the laboratory planner and Architectural Alliance was the local architect for this project.

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