Meet Dr Sergey Gordeyev.

What Sergey doesn’t know about nanotechnology, materials science, chemical engineering and physics you could write on the back of a label.

In fact, in some ways that’s exactly what he’s doing for us. Helping us find the people who can manufacture our technology to a specification and a price that makes investing in the UWI Label for your brand a no brainer.

As a manufacturer you’ll gain added value for your product. As an engineer or scientist buying expensive and potentially volatile glues, solvents, coatings or reagents protected by a UWI Label you’ll have more faith in your processes as your materials will be guaranteed not to be past their peak performance.

Now, you don’t need to be a brain surgeon to see the value in that.

It’s called a brand wheel, and here it is.

It’s super clear what UWI is all about; reducing risk and taking hidden costs out of the production process. And the benefits are multiple;

• Removes human error
• Improves compliance
• Reduces downtime/reworks
• Reduces carbon footprint
• Reduces waste
• Reduces worry
• Enhances quality assurance
• Foolproof
• Simple visual indicator
• Improved stock management of expensive consumables

We like to think these are 10 good reasons to contact us to see what UWI can do for your business.

As Handy walked through The Wicklow Mountains just outside Dublin he got lost and asked a passing local the way to Davy’s Bar.

“Sure, it’s easy” the local replied “Just keep going the way you are, straight ahead, and after a while you’ll cross a small bridge with Davy’s Bar on the far side. You can’t miss it.”

“Yes, I’ve got that, straight on to Davy’s Bar.”

“That’s right. Well, half a mile before you get there, turn to your right up the hill.”

Handy walked off satisfied by the instructions until he realised he had no idea which of the many roads to the right he was to take as the instructions were completely illogical.

It’s the same with current ‘use within’ instructions on packaging. You need to know when the metaphorical right turn was before measuring the half mile left to go and there’s simply nothing out there right now to achieve that. With the UWI Label in place as you open the container, breaking the UWI Label seal you ostensibly “turn right” thereby setting the timer and, lo and behold, half a mile later you have arrived at your destination.

On opening the fridge to prepare Adam’s mouth-watering snack I noticed the mayonnaise was half finished and catching my eye was a warning. “Once opened refrigerate and use within 28 days.”

“When did I open this? Was it even me?” I thought. I couldn’t recall and I wasn’t going to have an inquisition to find out.

But I’d read about the risk of Salmonella poisoning, especially for young children and the elderly, only a few days before so I wasn’t prepared to take the risk.

“Adam. You’re on cheese on toast instead.” I said as I reluctantly reached the conclusion that it was safer to throw the half-consumed jar of possibly tainted, possibly perfectly good, mayo into the bin.

What a waste I realised. Or was it? It might have been a very sensible precaution. But it got me to thinking that there must be a better way.

That’s when my idea of a label that activates on opening the jar grabbed me. The label would at first be green (meaning good) until the 28 days expired and it would turn red (meaning bad) indicating that it should be binned.

The concept has never changed, but the mayonnaise will have to wait for now. We’ve got bigger fish (planes actually) to fly.