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Sydney gets R&D centre dedicated to authentication and traceability solutions

NISS technologies, maker of next generation secured optical code technologies, officially opened its new Research and Development Centre in Sydney last week.

Located in Lane Cove West on the city’s North Shore the centre will be dedicated to the continued development of authentication and traceability solutions for use in an increasing number of applications including personal identity protection, brand protection, and the traceability of goods.

NISS Technologies’ parent company, Swiss-based NISS Group is the creator of NANO-ID, a unique physical mark which is placed onto host objects. Representing a digital identification this mark is optically authenticated by a reader and is used to prevent counterfeiting.

This technology is most easily used to prevent counterfeiting of things like access cards ID cards, and passports but has further applications for things like authentication of surgical instruments.

The new facility will use the latest developments in scientific fields including nanotechnology, polymer science, microfabrication, optoelectronics systems, advanced reading algorithms, and cryptology.

The facility will help leverage NISS’ broad experience in integrating its systems into customer’s production facilities and supply chain networks.

Representatives from industry, Government and Academia were on hand for the official opening.

NISS Group CEO Richard Batistier emphasised the importance that those three sectors had on the Group’s presence in Australia and the successful opening of the R&D Centre.

“The collaboration between universities, the private sector and the Government [makes] a perfect trio,” he told Manufacturers’ Monthly.

He said that a young company like his which has only been around for about three and a half years needs input from engineers and skilled researchers and added – “Then you need the private sector having the real market needs and customer requirements that need to be addressed.”

And, he added that, without government support, it would be very difficult to remain competitive.

Government support for NISS Technologies has been in the form of Ausindustry’s R&D Incentive Scheme which has helped the company’s rapid growth.

The University involvement in NISS has been mainly in the form of the number of scientists and PhDs from Macquarie University who now work for the company.

“[Macquarie Uni] did support us at the very early stage but this was more a collaboration,” said Batistier.

Asked if the R&D Centre could have been located in Switzerland, Batistier answered yes but added that Australia was an attractive option because of “the structure and the closeness between the universities, the private sector and the government.”

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