BIRD Foundation Helps Fund Research Cooperation Between Whirlpool and Hanita Coatings

NAHARIYA, Israel, April 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

Hanita Coatings, a leading converter of PET films and provider of energy efficiency solutions, recently won funding from the BIRD Foundation to launch a joint venture with U.S.-based appliance manufacturing giant Whirlpool Corporation. The companies will be developing a new generation of highly energy-efficient refrigerator insulation, based on vacuum insulation panel (VIP) technology.

The BIRD (Binational Industrial Research and Development) Foundation focuses its activity on searching out promising Israeli technology and bringing it to the attention of American companies, helping to fund joint research projects between the parties.  Hanita Coatings, as the foremost supplier of ultra-high barrier filmic laminates to the vacuum insulation panel industry, was a natural partner for appliance manufacturer Whirlpool in its quest to develop highly efficient, space saving insulation for refrigerators.

"We're convinced that this collaboration will provide an efficient and cost effective way to reduce appliance energy consumption," said Hanita's CEO Oved Shapira.  "The BIRD Foundation has provided Hanita with an exceptional opportunity to develop insulation solutions hand in hand with the leading player in a global market."

About Hanita Coatings 

Hanita Coatings RCA Ltd is a leading provider of engineered films and laminates.  Founded in 1983, and situated in Kibbutz Hanita, Israel, Hanita Coatings' filmic products traditionally service the label and print industry, the appliance market and the field of glass security. Hanita's engineered films increasingly support the clean tech sector, with energy efficient solar control window films to upgrade the performance of glazing, photovoltaic backsheets to protect and enhance PV modules, and high performance vacuum insulation laminates used in the insulation of buildings and appliances.

About the BIRD Foundation
The BIRD (Binational Industrial Research and Development) Foundation works to encourage cooperation between Israeli and American companies in the various areas of technology, and provides free assistance in locating strategic partners from both countries for developing joint products.

The BIRD Foundation supports projects without receiving any rights in the participating companies or in the project itself. The financial assistance is repaid as royalties from sales. The Foundation provides support of up to 50% of a project's budget, beginning with R&D and ending with the initial stages of sales and marketing. The Foundation shares the risk and does not demand that the investment be repaid if the project fails to reach the sales stage.

The BIRD Foundation works in full cooperation with the Chief Scientist's Office at the Ministry of Economy in Israel, and with the U.S. Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
Dr. Eitan Yudilevich, Executive Director, The BIRD Foundation [email protected]  Tel: +972-3-6988300 http://www.birdf.com

About Whirlpool Corporation
Whirlpool Corporation is the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances, with annual sales of approximately $18 billion in 2012, 68,000 employees, and 65 manufacturing and technology research centers around the world. The company markets Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, Jenn-Air, Amana, Brastemp, Consul, Bauknecht and other major brand names to consumers in nearly every country around the world.  Additional information about the company can be found at http://www.whirlpoolcorp.com.

Contact Person: Alison Navon
Company Name: Hanita Coatings RCA Ltd
Tel: +972-4-9859919, [email protected]

http://www.hanitaenergy.com

http://www.hanitacoatings.com

SOURCE Hanita Coatings RCA Ltd