Frontier IP Group Plc (LON:FIPP) has attracted the attention of the UK’s Department for International Trade (DIT) as it brought its commercialisation efforts to Portugal.
In early October, the company was presented with the ‘New to Market Award’ at the DIT Business Awards.
READ: Frontier IP's success in Portugal recognised by the DIT
The awards recognise UK companies who have achieved success in Portugal.
Portuguese portfolio gathers steam
The award followed the company’s first successful spin-out in the country in August with NTPE, a company that is developing technology to print electronic circuits on paper.
WATCH: Frontier IP announces first Portugese spin out with paper electronics company
The tech has been developed by professors at the Universidade Nova de Lisboa Faculty of Science and Technology and reflects Frontier’s modus operandi of taking innovative tech developed at universities around the world and bringing it to market.
READ: Frontier IP spins out Portuguese green chemicals firm Des Solutio
More recently, the company spun-out its second Portuguese venture Des Solutio, a firm which develops more environmentally friendly solvents to replace toxic ones such as ethanol that is used in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.
From recycled stone to fruit-picking robots
In addition to its Portuguese ventures, the company’s portfolio is a smorgasbord of technologies that cover a wide range of sectors, including;
• Alusid – Develops SilicaStone, a stone substitute made from recycled industrial waste
• Nandi Proteins – Researches technology to improve the functional properties of proteins used in food-making such as eggs and whey
• The Vaccine Group – Makes vaccines for animals to prevent them from passing on illnesses to humans such as Ebola, SARS, AIDS, Marburg, and swine and bird flu
• Tarsis Technology – Develops tech that allows controlled delivery of active ingredients using metal-organic frameworks
• Porexpert – Provides software to help model porous structures and test their properties
• Pulsiv Solar – Develops technology to increase energy efficiency in solar farms as well as power converters for TVs, mobile phones and other electronics
• Exscientia – Uses artificial intelligence to automate the design of pharmaceutical drugs
• Cambridge Simulation Solutions – Provides methods of simulating and controlling complex discontinuous processes, such as how neural transmitters work in the brain
• Amprologix – Aims to introduce new classes of antibiotics to help combat antimicrobial resistance to treatments
• Molendotech – Provides a rapid assay to screen water for faecal contamination and other harmful bacteria without the need for laboratory testing
• Fieldwork Robotics – Develops robot technology to harvest fruits and vegetables
Progress across portfolio
Since August, the company has seen progress across several of its portfolio companies, with The Vaccine Group receiving a £50,000 grant to develop an anti-mastitis vaccine for cows.
Following this, Molendotech clinched a deal to develop water tests for G’s Group, one of Europe’s leading fresh produce companies.
READ: Frontier IP hails new partnership for investee company, Molendtech
The robots are also on the march, with Fieldwork having secured a collaboration agreement with Hall Hunter Partnership, a UK-based soft fruit grower, to test a raspberry harvesting robot.
Hall Hunter grows 14,000 tonnes of raspberries, strawberries, blackberries and blueberries and counts major supermarkets such as Waitrose, Marks & Spencer and Tesco among its customers.
Blue-chip expertise on board
For a company focused on innovation, it seems fitting that Frontier has secured the services of Matthew White, the former head of innovation at AB Sugar, as its commercialisation director.
READ: Former AB Sugar innovation head joins Frontier IP as commercialisation director
AB Sugar is a division of FTSE 100 ingredients maker and Primark owner Associated British Foods plc (LON:ABF), and operates 24 plants across 10 countries.
With shares trading around 65p, Frontier carries a market cap of £24.8mln.