Glasgow-based Novosound, which has developed a technique to mass-produce printable ultrasound sensors, has received a £1 million grant from Scottish Enterprise to help it scale up its R&D activities and create highly skilled jobs.

It was the first spin-out company from the University of the West of Scotland, raising £1.5 million through its seed investment round in April 2018.

Founded by Dave Hughes and Richard Cooper, it has revolutionised ultrasound technology, replacing conventional sensor materials with a flexible piezoelectric thin film.

Dr Hughes said (www.novosound.net): “The global opportunity for Novosound is enormous, with the ultrasonic market now valued at $45 billion and growing at over 10% every year.

"This funding will allow us to scale up and significantly accelerate our R&D and production activity.

As well as bolstering our existing R&D team, it allows us to create 17 new jobs for technical people with STEM skills, which we are looking to fill in the coming months.

“While ultrasound is best known for its use in hospitals around the world, it is also the ‘go to’ tool for non-destructive testing in numerous sectors including oil and gas, aerospace, and nuclear.

"While the current sensor technology can only operate at low temperatures, meaning that refineries have to be shut down to allow testing to be carried out, our technology works efficiently at high temperatures.”