Yorkshire to become anti-counterfeit technology hub
GROUNDBREAKING technology developed by Applied DNA Sciences (APDN) has been selected as the sole security platform for a £1m anti-counterfeiting programme based in Yorkshire.
APDN’s SigNature DNA will include protection against conterfeiting and diversion of UK manufactured textiles from ‘fibre to fabric’.
The European Regional Development Fund and Yorkshire Forward funded programme will also help protect products from other industries.
APDN’s Huddersfield-based UK subsidiary, which operates from the Textile Centre of Excellence, will play a key role in the DNA Anti-Counterfeit programme, which promises to generate additional private sector investment of around £2m.
The programme will support pilot studies and commercial scale-up of APDN’s SigNature DNA taggants.
APDN is one of four innovative platform technologies chosen to help accelerate Yorkshire’s expertise in areas of growing market demand and economic importance. The other three technologies are not related to security.
More than 25 commercial partners have already been identified and APDN has already begun co-ordinating supply arrangements with several Yorkshire firms including Addmaster and Nilorn UK.
In addition, capital equipment allocations for a DNA Authentication facility are expected to be around £250,000. It is expected that APDN will rent the entire facility from the Textile Centre of Excellence.
The deal extends APDN’s current collaborations, which formed part of a three year £5.95m contract funded by the European Regional Development Fund and Yorkshire Forward with the Textile Centre of Excellence and Leeds University’s Centre for Technical Textiles.
APDN’s chief executive Dr James Hayward said: “We are immensely proud to be a significant part of this regional development contract that will involve a wide range of potential projects based on our SigNature DNA Anti-Counterfeit Program.
“Our European subsidiary will pursue further business development with OEMS and security integrators, as well as governments, corporations and consumers throughout the region.”
New York-based APDN specialises in DNA security solutions to protect products, brands and intellectual property from counterfeiting and theft.
SigNature DNA is a botanical mark used to authenticate products in a unqiue manner that cannot be copied.
Included in the DNA-dye complex are invisible dyes used by the UK Police to verify DNA-marked notes. SigNature DNA is sprayed onto currency in ATMs or cash transport boxes whenever they are disturbed.
