Sarnoff Enters Into Multi-Year Agreement with ExxonMobil to Develop Company’s Nanomaterials for Non-Petrochemical Markets; Executives From Both Companies Give NWN Their Perspectives About This Strategic Partnership
Sarnoff Corporation will work with ExxonMobil Research & Engineering Company (EMRE) over the next five years in identifying commercialization opportunities for EMREs materials for non-petroleum markets. ExxonMobil’s proprietary nanomaterials are among the first ever created and have already been commercialized by the company for its own use.Sarnoff Corporation will work with ExxonMobil Research & Engineering Company (EMRE) over the next five years in identifying commercialization opportunities for EMREs materials for non-petroleum markets. ExxonMobil’s proprietary nanomaterials are among the first ever created and have already been commercialized by the company for its own use. “ExxonMobil’s nanomaterials were created back in the late 1980s, and were the first ones produced by self-assembly mechanisms at the 2-10-nm scale,” notes Dr. Tom Degnan, Lab Director for Catalyst Technology and R&D Computing at ExxonMobil. “It is these nanomaterials that are the basis for the multi-year agreement with Sarnoff.”
Currently, ExxonMobil uses its proprietary nanomaterials for its own undisclosed applications in areas such as catalysis and separations. “Being able to have precise control at the nanoscale has large applications for our business,” Dr. Degnan tells NWN. Dr. John Riganati, Vice President, Strategy, for Sarnoff Corporation, is enthusiastic with regards to the potential of nanotechnology for the market. “Nanotechnology is meta disciplinary—forming a new way of looking at the world…it is transformational,” observes Dr. Riganati.
Although there are currently two projects that have been selected for further exploration, Sarnoff and ExxonMobil continue to search for startup projects, said Dr. Riganati. “This is an open process, and we are not limiting ourselves to the ideas that we (Sarnoff and ExxonMobil) have for the applications of these technologies. We are welcome and open to ideas from others without disclosure limitations.” Adds Dr. Degnan, “We are taking our IP asset and allowing others to identify and explore applications outside of our own business.”
To date, Sarnoff has received hundreds of project plans, and Dr. Riganati notes that projects that were not selected were “dropped [primarily] because of the business case, not because of technology reasons.” A strong business plan is key because “Sarnoff is looking to take this IP and make a difference by moving it into the marketplace in a substantive manner.” We are using the Stage-Gate model, explains Riganati, in order to bring a startup project from concept to commercialization in an efficient and structured manner.
Why did both companies enter into this partnership? According to Dr. Riganati, “We found their business model complimentary to ours.” He adds, “Proximity to the researchers at ExxonMobil was also key, making it easier for researchers to communicate; there is a lot to be said for locality, particularly in the early stages of a project.” Dr. Degnan tells NWN, “[Sarnoff’s] reputation for innovation was very important, their knowledge and experience in working with various materials, and their ability to take something that we [ExxonMobil] discovered and be able to develop for additional applications.”