FAST-RESPONSIVE and LONG-LASTING TRANSPARENT PHOTOCHROMIC FILMS

Photochromic materials capable of undergoing reversible colour changes upon irradiation of light have potential revolutionary applications as optics and electronic devices, information displays and as smart materials. Due to technical limitations it has been so far a niche technology in most markets and currently 80% of their current commercial use is in the ophthalmic sector.
Our fast responsive photochromic films based on nanoencapsulation of the photochromic dyes, provides the speed, transparency, and other technical requirements, which have been hindering the widespread use of photochromatic materials.
Our product responds to a real demand for a functioning fast photochromatic technology by the growing number of consumers of photochromic products. Long-term, unprotected exposure to sunlight can lead to vision problems, which include age-related conditions such as macular degeneration, cataracts, and other eye dysfunctions. Eye care professionals recommend photochromic lenses to prevent these diseases. In the case of sports eyewear the demand for a photochromic technology capable of fast responses to changes in lighting conditions that works effectively in either cold or hot temperatures is driving intense R&D investment and competition among market players. Fast responsive glasses, helmet face shields and car front shields also increase safety in driving when passing from dark to shining situations or the other way around. By adapting the technology to the standard regulation, Futurechromes technology could contribute to the driving safety.
Over the course of this Phase 1 SME Instrument, our objective was to perform a feasibility study to define our product manufacturing strategy and to validate the viability of our product in the target end-user markets. The overall conclusion of the project work has been that our technology is feasible to enter the sports eyewear and motorcycle helmet visor application markets, and we have developed business planning to support this.

At FutureChromes we have used the six months of this Feasibility study to advance the planning for the industrialisation of our product, to increase our understanding of application areas and key stakeholders and to improve our Business Planning.
We analysed the different application areas that we could target and selected two that present the best balance between potential for market success and technology readiness and closeness to the product requirements. For these application areas competitors were anaylsed and stakeholder mapping completed in order to identify the needed actors to reach the market.
End user as well as potential Industrial partners were then contacted with questionnaires and direct feedback used to advance our understanding of the market needs. This has led to inputs for the specifications being used to develop our technology as well as initial discussions with needed industrial manufacturing partners.
For communication, direct telephone, emailings and google forms contact and promotion of our offering was made with both potential end users and industry. We also communicated in the press, publishing a press release.
Our manufacturing strategies were reviewed, leading us generating a process and pricing overview compared to existing competing solutions. Moreover, regulatory requirements that we will be needed for future market entries were identified as well as the standardisations process needed to obtain them.
On the business planning side our product roadmap was revised, with high level steps towards our goals. The needed resources (human, suppliers, facilities and financial) were detailed. Market sizes for our application areas were calculated along with product development and organisational costs. Finally, overall Profit and Loss predictions were calculated.
The final result of this project is a Business plan providing steps for our exploitation that shows that by 2025 we predict that FutureChromes will be a functioning organisation with strong order books and revenues supporting our structure.
This project has been disseminated through the presentation of information and our results to both potential end users to Original Equipment Manufacturers (who will supply the end users) and to the glass manufacturing industry (who will supply the OEMs).

During the six months of the feasibility study we were able to confirm the competitiveness of our technology in terms of fast responsiveness and fatigue resistance, compared to current products. This means we are progressing past the state of the art of existing Photochromic materials (those capable of undergoing reversible colour changes upon irradiation of light) and providing a potentially high-impact technology that could have a huge impact to the society.
Facing an ageing population is one of the major challenges for European ophthalmology, with more than 30 million EU citizens above 65 suffering from some sort of adult related visual disorder and huge associated costs of €20 billion per year ($35.4 billion per year in the US). Experts claim that protection from direct UV light is one of the main prevention measures and, if the widespread use of photochromic lenses could reduce these diseases even by a few %, dramatic savings could be achieved through the use of ChromicGlass.
Fast responsiveness will also reduce the risks while riding a moto, driving cars or doing sports (skiing, cycling) in sudden sunshine/dark conditions. The reduced risk of accidents of obvious benefit for the society.
Finally, photochromic smart glasses for buildings and vehicles should help in reducing the costs related to the use of air conditioning due to the selective filtration of sunlight that produce heat. These materials might have also economic and environmental advantages.

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ChromicGlass (FAST-RESPONSIVE and LONG-LASTING TRANSPARENT PHOTOCHROMIC FILMS)

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