Cascade Technologies

The history

The development of the technology started in 1999 when an Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) grant was awarded to University of Strathclyde Physics and Applied Physics to carry out research into the use of Quantum Cascade Lasers for gas sensing applications. During the research, Erwan Normand identified that a commercial opportunity existed, which led to the identification of the IP. The patent was applied for in April 2002 in the UK and was extended in April 2003 to gain worldwide coverage.

The people

Jim Cooper - Chairman

Jim has Chairman and Chief Executive experience with both large and small companies. He has significant experience in growing shareholder value in businesses and, through his involvement as Non-Executive Chairman in a number of ventures has led merger and acquisition activities for many years. He has been involved in many engineering sectors and also life sciences. Jim led the sale of First Engineering Ltd. to Porterhouse and EJ Stiell Group Ltd. to McAlpine. He is a Non Executive Director with VCT 2 and 3 of Aberdeen Asset Management and sits on the Board of the Co Investment fund of Scottish enterprise.

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Iain Howieson - BSc.(Hons), Ph.D. - Managing Director

Iain received a 1st class honours in Applied Physics from the University of Strathclyde in 1993. He continued there, as a PhD student and a Post Doctorate, developing novel laser based gas sensors within the Atomic and Molecular Spectroscopy Group. In 1997 he moved to the National Physical Laboratory, where he worked as a consultant/lead scientist for the Centre of Optical and Environmental Metrology developing instrumentation for balloon and aircraft platforms. In 2000 he joined the start-up Quantum Beam, as a senior optical design engineer, developing free space optics for the telecom industry, where he was involved in significant IP generation. He has extensive experience in the design and development of laser based instrumentation for gas sensing. His work in this field has been internationally recognised at the highest level with the award of the prestigious Allen prize from the Optical Society of America (OSA) in 2002.

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Erwan Normand, MPhys - Chief Technical Officer

Erwan moved from France to the United Kingdom in 1995 where in 1998 he received a Master of Physics and Applied Physics from the University of Portsmouth. He subsequently spent two and half years participating in the development of methane gas sensors based on near infrared diode lasers at the National Physical Laboratory (Teddington, UK). During his current PhD research project on QC Lasers for gas sensing applications, Erwan developed, in collaboration with Prof. Duxbury and Dr. Langford, a novel technique, which led to the patent application GB0208100.8 being filed in April 2002. Erwan has also completed a post-graduate course in technology entrepreneurship at the Hunter Centre and is member of the Strathclyde Entrepreneurial Network (SEN).

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Gerard Cassels - Finance Director

Gerard an experienced Finance Director of both private and listed companies, and has worked both in Europe and the US. Between 2005 and 2008, he was Group Finance Director of Gaming VC SA, a Luxembourg registered, AIM listed, on-line gaming group. Prior to that he held similar roles in NMT Group PLC, the medical device design, development and licensing company, and Inveresk PLC, the niche specialty paper and board manufacturer. Gerard started his career at KPMG in the corporate finance department and is a qualifed chartered accountant.

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Richard Cooper - BSc(Hons), CEng - Sales Director Industrial

Richard is an academically and professionally trained manager with 25 years experience in international manufacturing and project management and experience of company set up. He has been involved in diverse operations including capital projects, the repair and overhaul of complex (Rolls Royce) jet engines for military and civil use as well as medium volume vehicle production. He has undertaken many personal initiatives to improve business effectiveness, requiring strong analytical skills and a variety of facilitation and management techniques in unionised and non-unionised environments. Mr Cooper received his engineering degree from Strathclyde University in Glasgow in 1979. He set up Scotland's first Medical Device sterilisation company and subsequently ran his own consultancy company. In his consulting role he helped companies with organisation development, acted as a production manager and carried out equipment engineering work in the production of optical crystals in the photonics industry. He sits on the Scottish board of the Bio Industry Association and is a Director and Vice Chairman of Medical Devices in Scotland.

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Simon Nicholson - Sales Director Defence

Simon is an academically and professionally trained manager with 11 years experience in national and international Sales, Business Development and Sales Account management, 7years in national and international Product Marketing and Management and 4yrs in Applications and Design, within the electrical, electronic and technology industry sectors. He has worked for a number of blue chip companies including Samsung and Toshiba in management roles within their Corporate Sales, Business Development, Sales Account Management and Product Marketing departments.He has experience in OEM Account management as well as Channel partner management within the Distributor, Value Added Reseller (VAR) and Agent network, across the Industrial, Medical, Marine/Subsea, Aerospace, Defence and Homeland Security market sectors. He has undertaken numerous personal and business initiatives to improve business efficiencies and processes, which in doing so required strong interpersonal, analytical skills and a variety of management techniques. Mr Nicholson received his HND in Electrical and Electronic engineering from the University of Derby in 1986.

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