BTG Announces OLED/PLED Technology Development Collaboration with Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

WEST CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 21, 2003

Collaboration to jointly develop and to commercialize

a light-emitting polymer technology for flexible displays

BTG (LSE: BGC), the global technology commercialization company, today announced a collaboration agreement with Taiwan's Union Chemical Laboratories (UCL) of the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) to jointly develop and to commercialize a patented light-emitting polymer technology for flexible organic/polymer light-emitting diode (OLED/PLED) information displays.

The portfolio of patents and patent applications, licensed to BTG by The Ohio State University (OSU), covers devices, fabrication processes, and materials designed to enable the production of OLED/PLED information displays with enhanced performance and extended product life. Under the collaboration, BTG and ITRI will each contribute know-how, technical staff experienced in OLED/PLED technology, laboratory facilities and specialized equipment, and funding for development of the technology. The initial development project will begin at the MicroMD Laboratory at OSU, where a team of researchers from both BTG and ITRI will work in the chemistry laboratories and clean room facilities to develop the technology into initial functional prototypes. Further development of these prototypes will then continue under joint collaborative efforts at ITRI UCL in Hsinchu, Taiwan.

The light-emitting polymer technology uses OSU's new OLED/PLED device concept, referred to as Symmetrically Configured A/c Light-Emitting (SCALE). SCALE can host a variety of organic materials, including small molecules and polymers - the two predominant organic display platforms used by manufacturers today. This SCALE technology, invented at OSU by a research team led by Dr. Arthur Epstein, Distinguished University Professor and Professor of Physics and Chemistry, will offer a longer lifetime for displays, lower picture degradation over time, and a more efficient use of pixels (two colors can be extracted from one pixel). SCALE is also compatible with existing manufacturing processes, and BTG believes that if used in roll-to-roll manufacturing, SCALE will have the strong potential to enable cost-effective mass production of OLED/PLED displays on ultra-thin flexible substrates. Displays using ultra-thin flexible substrates will ultimately enable a next-generation of product concepts to be designed that could allow manufacturers to place displays on curved surfaces (such as dashboards) and could allow users to simply roll up the display after use.

OLED/PLED displays are poised to replace liquid crystal displays (LCDs) in mobile phones, PDAs, laptop computers and TV sets, due to their relatively low power consumption, high brightness and contrast. According to DisplaySearch, the worldwide leader in flat panel display market research and consulting, OLED revenues will rise to $3 billion in 2007, a compounded annual growth rate of 88 percent (OLED Technology Report).

"We are excited about this collaboration, which combines all efforts of research, development and commercialization from various partners," said Dr. Wu-Hsun Cheng, Vice President of ITRI and General Director of UCL. "We expect that this unique technology will make a strong impact on the future display markets."

"We are pleased to have an outstanding R&D organization like ITRI working with us on the development of this light-emitting polymer technology," said Anthony V. Lando, BTG's Chief Operating Officer. "We believe ITRI's reputation and experience in the OLED/PLED markets will accelerate development and the penetration of future products resulting from this technology."

About BTG

BTG finds, develops and commercializes emerging technologies in the life and physical sciences. These innovations are protected by a strong portfolio of intellectual property that BTG develops and enhances. BTG then captures the value in these technologies through licensing and venturing activities. From the origins of its business in 1949, BTG has commercialized major innovations such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), recombinant factor IX blood-clotting protein, Campath(R) (alemtuzumab) and Multilevel Cell (MLC) memory. BTG is quoted on the London Stock Exchange under the symbol "BGC" and operates from offices in London and Philadelphia, with representation in Tokyo. BTG operates through wholly owned subsidiaries, BTG International Ltd. and BTG International Inc. in the UK and USA, respectively. Further information on BTG can be found at www.btgplc.com.

About The Industrial Technology Research Institute and Union Chemical Laboratories

The Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) is a high-tech R&D organization with over 6000 employees, most with advanced degrees. It was created in 1973 to focus on the technology needs of Taiwan's industrial development. With particular focus on Microelectronics & IT; Energy; Machinery & Automation and Biomedical & Materials, it operates through a network of 15 divisions and centers. ITRI has international offices in Europe, USA and Japan. Website www.itri.org.tw

Union Chemical Laboratories (UCL) has over 400 scientists, focusing on industrial chemical and material research and development. UCL's core technologies include catalysts, polymers, fibers/textiles, chemical engineering, specialty chemicals, opto-electronic chemicals and nano materials. Website www.ucl.itri.tw/eng

About The Ohio State University

The Ohio State University is one of America's leading research universities, with annual research expenditures of more than $400 million. Highly respected nationally and internationally, Ohio State offers many world class programs, as well as more than 170 majors, and 11,000 courses. The university's annual research expenditures exceed $400 million annually, making it one of the top public research universities in the country. Through its emphasis on teaching and research, the university provides students with opportunities to work with some of the world's leading scholars in a variety of unique environments - from laboratories with state-of-the-art facilities to co-op and internship opportunities in the community. The MicroMD Laboratory at The Ohio State University supports the development of R&D programs in private industry, government labs, and universities throughout the State of Ohio and beyond, with emphasis on emerging new technologies MicroMD is located in the Science Village on the West Campus of The Ohio State University.