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Highlights
• Entered into fuel cell power
supply joint product development with leading Asian Original Design
Manufacturer (‘ODM’),
• Strong interest from other
ODMs,
• Developed and demonstrated
direct methanol fuel cell systems powering notebook computers,
• Excellent progress on platinum
free, second generation ‘Alkaline technology’ with several patent
applications made,
• Continued to operate well
within budget, with strong cash reserves.
Chairman’s Statement
I am pleased to report that CMR
has made good progress over the first half of 2008, building on the direct
methanol fuel cell (‘DMFC’)
systems which we have demonstrated powering notebook computers to
potential customers throughout
Asia and at major trade shows in Tokyo, Shanghai and Atlanta. CMR’s
demonstrator was noted as the
only system shown powering a notebook at all of these shows, winning
praise from industry observers
as “the only functioning demonstrator to be found [at the show]” and
“It was an impressive display,
and was the closest thing I’ve yet seen to a functional laptop fuel
cell.” (Source: Fuel Cell Today,
Event Report, Tokyo Fuel Cell Expo. 2008).
At the world’s leading fuel cell
event - FC Expo in Tokyo - CMR showcased its new 25 Watt DMFC,
demonstrator powering a working
notebook computer. It was the only working demonstrator on display at
this challenging higher power
level and drew significant attention and interest from visitors and trade
press alike. Also, in line with
CMR’s progress towards commercialisation, CMR accepted an invitation
from the Intel Corporation Extended
Battery Life Working Group to participate in its Spring Developer’s
Forum in Shanghai and also to
demonstrate to attending delegates the 25W fuel cell.
Following the highly positive
response to these shows – as well as the continuing direct approaches to
OEMs and ODMs – CMR expanded
its business development activities, adding operations in China and
Taiwan to the existing Japanese
operation. CMR’s position as the leading DMFC expert was recognised
by the signing of a Memorandum
of Understanding with a leading Asian ODM to develop a hybrid Lithium-
Ion Battery DMFC Power Charger
for notebook computers. I expect to be able to announce more
agreements of this kind in due
course.
Whilst our primary focus is on
developing fuel cell systems products to our customers’ specifications,
we
continue to develop alkaline
DMFC technology. This has the potential to replace platinum – used in
today’s fuel cell catalysts
- with other materials which are cheaper annd have less price volatility.
We have
made a number of significant
patent applications in this area. This is a longer term programme, but
will
enable the Company to offer
a ‘one stop shop’ where customers can get first generation ‘acid technology’
based products as well as an
integrated road-map to lower cost, high volume future generation products.
Economic trading conditions
are challenging for our target customers, many of whom have moved away
from developing their own fuel
cell system towards finding external suppliers to provide them with
integrated system solutions.
The Company is well placed to do this – we have developed capabilities
in
relevant skills and have always
had a very strong ‘customer needs’ focus. As a leading member of Intel's
Extended Battery Life Working
Group – whose mission is to realise the power usage ‘holy grail’ of an
eight hour working day away
from mains electricity – and having senior management with a strong
background in consumer electronics,
the Company is well able to understand and respond to our
customers’ needs.
Collaboration amongst fuel cell
companies is essential to bring together all of the complex elements
needed for a complete fuel cell
system as well as to develop improved technologies which can reduce the
price and improve the performance
of subsequent product generations.
To this end, during the period,
we have entered into a new agreement with Acta S.p.A. to accelerate the
development of platinum-free
alkaline membrane fuel cells. Our existing DTI-funded development
partnership with Johnson Matthey
Plc and Accelrys Software Inc. to identify and develop better fuel cell
components is producing excellent
results.
The Company’s finances are tightly
managed and CMR continues to operate well within its budget. We
currently anticipate that our
cash reserves are sufficient for planned operations until 2010. At 30 June
2008, assets totalled £8.3m
(June 2007: £10.3m), of which £7.5m was held in cash and short
term
deposits (June 2007: £9.6m).
In accordance with the dividend
policy disclosed at the time of the IPO, the Board is not recommending
payment of a dividend.
Finally, once again, I would
like to thank all our staff for their commitment, innovation and hard work
that
has produced the sustained progress
that is central to the success of the business and I look forward to
reporting on their continued
success throughout the rest of the year.
Tim Curtis
21 August 2008
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