According to Novelda officials, they are the only company that has succeeded in developing radar transceivers that are extremely fast, highly precise, and run on very low power. (Photo: Sverre Jarild) |
Norwegian
company Novelda has recently developed silicon chips which measure just
2 x 2 mm, but contain nearly two million transistors and 512 radars
that simultaneously sense and transmit information. Unlike conventional
radar devices, which must be placed several meters away from the object
to be measured, Novelda’s can be located directly on the object. This
capability opens up opportunities for product development in a variety
of applications.
“We
often meet leading technology experts and major multinationals that can
scarcely believe such a product is available,” says Dag T. Wisland, CEO
of Novelda AS. “Actually, we are the only ones who have succeeded in
developing radar transceivers like these.”
With
just 20 employees, Novelda operates in Oslo and in a Telemark County
village 140 km to the west. The firm develops high-performance
nano-electronics that pave the way for new, advanced radar technology.
“We
have customers located all over the world who are developing
applications based on our technology,” explains Chief Marketing Officer
Aage Kalsæg. “In the health care sector alone, our sensors are used in
solutions being developed for monitoring heart rate, taking wireless ECG
readings, and measuring fluid in the lungs.”
“Some
of the other exciting development projects are snow depth radars that
combine GPS with water content measurement, as well as radars that can
penetrate walls and rubble and find people trapped in collapsed
buildings. The possibilities are endless.”
Novelda’s
path – from start-up company in 2004 to technological market leader –
has been an arduous one. Since international competitors invest heavily
in trying to capture the lead, Novelda has to keep working to ensure
continuity in its research. A critical component of this has been the
company’s contact with the Research Council of Norway and its programmes
such as User-driven Research-based Innovation (BIA) and Core Competence
and Growth in ICT (VERDIKT), as well as with EUREKA’s Eurostars
Programme with its funding and support specifically dedicated to SMEs.
“We
are a company with a high level of R&D activity,” explains CEO
Wisland. “The opportunities presented to us through the Research
Council’s funding schemes have been crucial to our innovation efforts
and our competitiveness in the international arena. The funding has
enabled us to bring our product to market – without breaking our backs
along the way.”
Novelda
has received funding from the Research Council of Norway and is also
the project manager for a Eurostars project involving partners from
Denmark, Finland and Sweden.
