STRATHCLYDE University has agreed a major research partnership with a Californian company at the cutting edge of sensor design and manufacturing.

The university said that Los Angeles-based Pressure Profile Systems Inc would make an investment worth in the region of £300,000, over five years, to support the partnership and advance academic research at Strathclyde.

PPS helps companies develop products that “harness the sense of touch”, with its technology used for medical devices, robotics, ergonomics, automotive applications, and industrial and consumer electronics goods. Its customers include Apple, Microsoft, and Google.

A spokesman for Strathclyde University said that applications for the sensors included radiation-free breast imaging.

The university said that, during the first 12 months of the partnership, three co-funded Doctor of Philosophy or Engineering Doctorate students would be recruited to work on sensor-based projects, jointly with PPS and Strathclyde.

It added that the second phase of the partnership would see it expand into other research fields, including biomedical engineering, design manufacture and engineering management, and materials research.

Jae Son, founder and chief executive of PPS, said: “We are thrilled about our new relationship with the University of Strathclyde.”

He added: “We envision this as the first step in a much stronger partnership where we plan to establish a talented team of researchers to investigate technology transfer opportunities from our joint research and enable the commercialisation of new, cutting-edge, PPS tactile sensing-based products that make positive impact on the world."

The research will be carried out at Strathclyde University’s £89 million Technology and Innovation Centre.

Strathclyde professor Anthony Gachagan, said: “Our collaboration with PPS empowers the University of Strathclyde to offer some of its brightest researchers exposure to cutting-edge innovation, knowledge exchange and internationalisation opportunities, while PPS takes advantage of collaborating with a high-calibre, industrially-focused research university.”