The benefits to business that could one day flow from the Centre for Electronic Nano-Systems are potentially huge. Deputy Business Editor Kate Bowman reports.

WHETHER it is helping a manufacturer of motorised children's bikes find a more efficient battery charger, or a logistics company keep track of parts, the North-East Centre for Electronic Nano-Systems - known as Cens - is keeping businesses one step ahead of the competition.

Based in the School of Engineering at the University of Durham, Cens has helped a whole range of companies take advantage of the latest technology.

It can design electronic devices to improve systems that are already in place, or develop something completely new.

Cens project manager Craig Robinson said: "There is a lot of research going on across the North-East in developing new technology. We basically take this cutting-edge technology and transfer it into systems and devices that people can actually use and that businesses can actually sell."

Since setting up in June last year with funding from the European Union, Cens has helped 16 companies so far. Its biggest project was a tracking system for North Tyneside company Global Point Technology.

Using a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, CENS developed the GPT Guardian - a tracking device now fitted to the company's fleet of lorries, tracking deliveries across the country.

Mr Robinson said: "The GPS receiver is the same technology used in an in-car satellite navigation system - but when a car goes into a multi-storey car park, or a warehouse, it doesn't work."

"GPT needed something a thousand times more sensitive, fitted into a device to put in its lorries. They knew what they wanted, but they aren't electronic engineers - so that is where we came in.

"We developed the GPT Guardian that tracks deliveries - saving on invoicing and delayed payments."

The engineering team at Cens includes Peter Hyde, Paul Snowdon, Ee Beng Lam, Tom Parkin and Helen Tilder, with academics Professor Alan Purvis, Dr Simon Johnson and Dr Sherri Johnstone also involved.

Funding of £500,000 will run out at the end of the year, when Cens will apply to the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for financial support until 2008.

Mr Snowdon said: "The funding allows us to give companies five days of consultancy for free. This allows a company to ask us to look at any technology or electronics problem they may have without any financial risk. All we ask for is an hour-or-so of their time.

"Subsequent work can be done at a discount using our ERDF funding. If the problem can be solved in five days, and sometimes it can, then there is no charge at all."

Mr Robinson said: "Projects can take anything from a few days to many months to complete. We need time to gather information, source technology and develop new systems to improve businesses.

"It is important to keep costs down. There is no point developing a baby monitor with a camera that costs £300 to manufacture when you can't sell it for more than £50 in Mothercare, for example.

"Ninety-nine times out of 100, if a project is do-able, if it's physically feasible, then Cens can do it."

Cens is hosting two seminars at the School of Engineering in Durham University. The first, on September 29, between 8am and noon, is about the Component Obsolescent Group and will look at what companies can do if components they use in manufacturing become unavailable.

The second, Envirowise, on October 19, between noon and 4pm, will focus on how companies can reduce waste and increase profits.

For more information, visit www.cens.co.uk