Business Weekly - Cambridge, UK

Kidde has been working for two years with Owlstone on the evaluation of its FAIMS (Field Asymmetric Ion Mobility Spectrometry) technology for use in fire detection systems.

“Kidde is a world leader in the production of advanced systems for safety detection, prevention and protection,” said Bret Bader, CEO of Owlstone Nanotech. “We believe our continuing collaboration with Kidde will lead to a new wave of detection systems incorporating FAIMS technology that alert people to fires, fumes and other dangers at the earliest possible moment, reducing the number of injuries and deaths caused by fires.”

Max Allsworth, senior research physicist at Kidde, said: “We were pleased with the progress of testing to date.”
Kidde Fire Protection Services is the amalgamation of three prestigious names in UK fire protection: Fire Protection Services, Autronica Industrial and Norsen.

UTC Fire & Security is a £2.3bn business that employs more than 43,000 people in 25 countries, itself a subsidiary of UTC, whose revenues for 2006 reached $47.7bn (£23.3bn).

It entered the fire and security industry in July 2003 with the acquisition of Chubb and expanded this presence in April 2005 with the acquisition of Luton-based Kidde, when the business unit rebranded as UTC Fire & Security.