Archer Materials Ltd (ASX:AXE) has outlined its growth in developing innovative deep materials technology as well as in materials discovery during an update to investors.
In a presentation, chief executive officer Mohammad Choucair highlighted the company’s aim, which is to build an industry-leading materials company by developing commercial pathways that maximise shareholder value from assets at various stages of the materials lifecycle.
This includes various execution priorities over the course of the next 12 months such as building the CQ quantum computing chip, patenting printable graphene biosensors, integrating anode materials in lithium-ion batteries and monetising its mineral exploration tenements.
Regular discussions
As the company continues to grow, Archer staff are more regularly engaged in discussions with supply chain constituents and potential development and commercial partners across various materials technology industries.
In a recent interview with Proactive Choucair said: “As a materials technology company we go end to end with materials, we find materials and we make materials and then we use them for developing deep-tech.
“We focus on a number of different areas in the materials lifecycle and all are equally exciting.”
Printable graphene-based biosensors
In the lithium-ion batteries realm, Archer is concentrating on establishing partnerships with highly resourced organisations to identify performance trade-offs using new materials and licensing the intellectual property rights associated with their efficient early-stage discovery.
Archer's strategy in developing printable graphene-based biosensors includes filling strong patent applications for prosecution in Australia, the US and Europe to protect intellectual property rights.
Establishing commercial partnerships with highly resourced organisations with existing global distribution channels as well as developing commercial prototype in-vitro diagnostic biosensing devices are also a goal.
CQ Quantum Technology
According to BCG, Goldman Sachs and the CSIRO, value for investors in the multi-billion dollar quantum computing economy is expected to increase rapidly as the commercial viability of quantum hardware matures.
Archer maintains a competitive advantage in the current stage of its CQ quantum computing technology.
Patent applications are undergoing international prosecution in Europe, the US, Australia, China, Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea.
It intends to develop a qubit processor chip that can be directly sold and the intellectual property rights to the chip technology licensed.
Broad portfolio
As well as the primary focus of materials technology, Archer has interests in exploration for tech metals.
Choucair said the company had a broad portfolio of tenement interests for a diverse range of minerals in Australia, having sold more than $11 million in assets since 2012 including to BHP Group Ltd (ASX:BHP).
Elements and projects explored by Archer include:
- The Eyre Peninsula Graphite Project in South Australia;
- The North Broken Hill Project in NSW with cobalt, tin and tungsten identified;
- The Blue Hills Copper-Gold prospect in South Australia;
- Jamieson Tank Manganese Project and The Ketchowla Cobalt-Manganese Project; and
- The Albion Downs Nickel Project in Western Australia.
The company’s commercialisation pathway in exploration involves managing several exploration projects to locate ore bodies that may be mined and provide the necessary data to potential development partners.