A Cardiff University scientist is exploring new applications for sunlight-activated self-cleaning technology, which is currently being used in reusable period pads.
Dr Isla Gow, a research associate at the Cardiff Catalysis Institute, has spent 8 weeks identifyingpotential partners for the technology while building an understanding of how to reach the market, as part of Innovate UK's Innovation-to-Commercialisation of University Research (ICURe) programme.
The UK's leading early-stage research pre-accelerator programme, ICURe gives researchers the chance to take their first steps into the world of business, by exploring opportunities to turn ground-breaking research into investment-ready spin-out companies and license agreements.
The programme is delivered over four stages – Engage, Discover, Explore and Exploit – with projects progressing through each stage based on their commercial potential.
Dr Gow is part of the team behind SunPad, a self-cleaning period pad which harnesses the energy of the sun to kill bacteria, remove stains, and neutralise odours.
Developed with support from the Gates Foundation, the technology is being studied internationally in low- and middle-income countries, including Nepal and Kenya.
"Menstruators have more products to choose from than ever before and are better informed to make empowered choices about what products to use," explains Dr Gow.
"There's also increasing awareness of the positive environmental and economic impacts of using reusable period products, leading to more widespread use in high-income countries."
Through our market discovery with ICURe, we've identified that the main concern people have over switching to reusable products is hygiene. This is a space where we see SunPad making a commercial impact by helping consumers overcome this barrier.
While the focus of the project team has been on assessing SunPad's effectiveness in menstrual hygiene, in both high- and low-income settings, ICURe also gives the team a chance to explore other applications for the technology such as healthcare, sportswear and outdoor structures including shop canopies and marquees.
As part of the Discover stage of the programme, Dr Gow attended Performance Days – a trade show geared towards functional fabrics – in Orlando, Florida.
"Now that SunPad has progressed from a concept to a prototype and a pilot study is underway, our next milestone is proving there is a market for the technology," she said.
"The trade show was a great opportunity to carry out some of this initial research and to think about where we might take the product next. It was really interesting to discuss with vendors already in the market.
"That experience and the opportunity to access ICURe's training and mentorship to better understand how to communicate the benefits of our technology and how it can help different market sectors has been invaluable."
While the ultimate goal of the research remains achieving social impact through the delivery of a self-cleaning reusable menstrual pad, we also recognise the commercial potential of SunPad technology, which ultimately could help to support our humanitarian aims.
With the Discovery stage of the programme now complete, Dr Gow recently pitched to an advisory panel for the opportunity to progress to the next stage – Explore.
Following her pitch, the panel recommended that SunPad apply for the next stage based on the evidence of commercial opportunity of the technology.
SunPad project lead Dr Jennifer Edwards, a Reader in Cardiff University's School of Chemistry, added: "Isla has been instrumental in steering SunPad through different tiers of laboratory testing to ensure it is safe for use.
"Not only that but she was also part of the core team that prepared over 560 of the pads ready for our field study in Nepal. She therefore has a comprehensive understanding of the product and its underpinning technology, which she can bring to this next phase of the project, where we are looking for ways in which it can be used beyond our original menstrual health application."
I'm excited to see where this journey takes Isla and the wider project team, so we can better understand together where our self-cleaning technology can make a difference.
