On June 30, 2022, Photonics21 hosted the “Photonics Partnership Annual Meeting” in Brussels. More than 300 guests, including CEOs, heads of research institutions and representatives of the European Commission and EU member states, came to the event. In this frame, Dresden physicist Tim Achenbach represented the Pruuve team and was given a very special honor: the Photonics21 Innovation Award, which is intended to push for more entrepreneurship in photonics. “We are very pleased that we were able to present our idea to the European photonics community and convince the jury with our novel UV sensor. The award is a great honor for us and we would like to sincerely thank Photonics21 and the award committee,” stated Achenbach.

In their project Phosphorescent Response Under UV Excitation – Pruuve – the three physicists are developing UV sensor foils for the precise measurement of the UV dose in industrial applications, such as the sterilization of air, water and surfaces or for the rapid curing of coated surfaces, printing inks, paints or adhesives. The foils are directly attached to the surfaces or components to be irradiated, where they allow optical control of the UV dose. The new technology thus offers a fast and reliable control of the success of UV curing and UV disinfection, thus avoiding unnecessary waiting times and overdosing.

“We are convinced of our versatile Pruuve technology and will develop new applications and products in the coming years,” added Dr Philipp Wellmann. After all, in addition to being used as optical sensors, the foils can also be used as rewritable labels and much more.

Further reading: Reusable UV sensor films – TU Dresden spin-off project Pruuve launched, wileyindustrynews.com, 11 May 2022