OREANDA-NEWS. March 16, 2016. It is not unusual for highly innovative technologies used by Siemens in a particular product to also have applications in areas that are not part of the Siemens portfolio. In addition, sometimes inventors at Siemens develop a technology originally focusing on a specific core business area at a Business Unit that, for strategic reasons, for example, does not end up becoming a Siemens product.. In other words, there’s often a lot of potential for external commercialization of Siemens technologies with the help of the Siemens Technology Accelerator (STA). In such situations, STA will sell or license technologies, or else establish a start-up.

This is how Pyreos Ltd. in Scotland came into existence. The story of the company, which was established in 2007, illustrates how it can often take quite some time to get from an idea to a market-ready product. Originally, researchers at Corporate Technology had developed pyroelectric infrared sensors that they then patented. The sensors are much smaller and less expensive than previous models on the market, and are also much more resistant and reliable in rough environments.

A high level of investment was required to implement the technology. STA began looking for additional investors for Pyreos, as well as for a suitable location for the start-up, both of which were eventually found in Scotland. After years of hard work to firmly establish the company, success has been attained, as Pyreos is currently in discussions with several customers who want to use the new infrared sensor for, among other things, the spectrometric analyses of fluids. The company now has 30 employees who specialize in spectrometry, gas measurement technology, and gesture recognition systems.