Sonomax signs MOU with ETS for $750,000 Industrial Research Chair

Jun 9 2010

Sonomax Technologies Inc. (SHH:TSX Venture) signs a memorandum of understanding with the École de Technologie Supérieure (ETS) of the Université du Québec to create a five-year renewable $750,000 Industrial Research Chair to conduct unprecedented development of advanced in-ear technologies.

"This financial commitment will be leveraged by the government and ETS. It will give us a long-term cost-effective way to outsource costly and time-consuming, labour intensive R & D into the very capable hands of the university and its highly qualified research students," said Mr. Laperle, President and CEO, Sonomax Technologies.

The Sonomax Industrial Research Chair will be led by former Sonomax Chief Technology Officer and present ÉTS professor Dr. Jérémie Voix and will include a team of researchers supported by students in electrical and mechanical engineering.

The Chair's objectives will be to ensure a long-term strategic investment in the development of Sonomax's acoustical and electro-acoustical technologies, dubbed Sonomax Inside Technology(TM), to combine all existing in-ear features (hearing aid, hearing protector, cell phone and music player) into one "bionic ear".

This research will give Sonomax a commanding lead allowing the company to mature its products and technology and to overcome some of the barriers in hearing protection and communication earpieces in the consumer, industrial, military and medical markets.

It will also give the company an access to a pool of highly-skilled graduates in this field of study.

ÉTS will gain a base of intellectual property in the development of emerging technologies that will provide Québec companies with a high-value technology transfer enhancing and sustaining Quebec's ability to innovate and compete globally on a level playing field.

Sonomax has been collaborating with ETS since 2001 with Dr. Jérémie Voix's past involvement in the breakthrough development and maturing of SonoPass(TM), fielding an attenuation measurement system for hearing protection devices as well as acoustical filtering and the programming of digital signal processing.

The award winning research (ETS 2007 Award for Excellence) resulted in the development of an intelligent, instant custom-fit hearing earpiece. Sonomax's in-ear technology supersedes the capabilities of all existing earpieces and addresses the gamut of problems encountered in the industrial workplace and reduces the risk of noise-induced hearing loss.

This has fuelled Sonomax's reputation for innovation in the hearing protection industry. SonoPass was recently sold to Minnesota-based 3M Innovative Properties Company for $2.5 million (US).

"Chairs such as the Sonomax Industrial Research Chair helps attract and retain the best researchers in the country to our university and creates a rewarding academic experience for both industry and educational institutions," said Dr. Jérémie Voix, Professor, ETS.