SmartKEM gets Chinese patent allowance

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North Wales based SmartKem has received patent allowance in China for its semiconductor material. The company’s truFLEX platform can be used for manufacturing flexible displays and electronics and China is seen as a key future market.

Steve Kelly, SmartKem’s CEO, said: QSuccessful collaboration is crucial in helping China to become a key stakeholder and competitor in the global OLED display industry.

“Our patent allowance places SmartKem in an excellent positon to consolidate and strengthen our existing position within the Chinese display sector with our ground-breaking semiconductor platform.”

According to the company, analysts predict that $28.7billion will be invested in OLED production across South Korea, Japan and China in the near future. Samsung is said to hold approximately 90% of the OLED market at the moment, but strong competition is beginning to emerge from China, where manufacturers are building OLED facilities, rather than LCD plants as they look to newmarkets for rigid and flexible displays.

Kelly added: “These are exciting times. This shows how far organic semiconductors have come … and emphasises the enabling nature of materials innovation and its position in enabling the growth of the flexible display industry.”

With patent allowance, the applicant needs only to pay an appropriate fee for the patent to be issued.