The first permanent exhibit from MADE, a group within the Materials KTN, is now open. Completed at the end of March 2007, the display of smart materials forms part of the Materials Resource Centre at 1 Carlton House Terrace (MRC@1CHT), the London headquarters of IOM3. The Centre includes a range of items including printed electroluminescent lighting, a thermochromic iron and a ski jacket (pictured) that uses a quantum tunneling composite to control an iPod without wires.

The focus of the next few months will be to expand MRC@1CHT to hold even more interesting materials, along with products and components made from them. If you have any suggestions as to new items that should be displayed, contact Sumeet Bellara, tel: +44 (0)20 7451 7300, email: sumeet.bellara@iom3.org.

Notes for editors

MADE is the Materials and Design Exchange group within the Materials KTN (Knowledge Transfer Network). The Materials KTN is a partnership between business, research and technology organisations, designers and universities to provide UK manufacturing and services with additional resources to compete in global markets. The Materials KTN incorporates groups related to metals, plastics, packaging, ceramics, technical textiles, design, composite materials, smart materials and materials for transport.

It is free to join the Materials KTN, registration can be undertaken online at www.materialsktn.net.

For more information about the Materials KTN, visit www.materialsktn.net or contact Robert Quarshie (Operations Director), tel: 020 7215 1563, email: materialsktn@iom3.org, or Bernie Rickinson (KTN Management Group), tel: 020 7451 7367, email: Bernie.Rickinson@iom3.org.

Further information