4DS - Anything but Charting, page-31326

Their PRIMARY goal has always been a lock stock buyout, as they assessed once the IMEC development process is complete, there's not a lot they can do as a tiny R&D business to advance the tech to a final product. It would require an entity with the resources of Micron, Samsung, Intel et al to do that. As an analogue, think of an exploratory miner that has proved up a resource and produced a bankable feasibility study - they need the likes of a Rio Tinto, BHP to come along and get the project to production as they have the expertise and cash to do so.

The alternate goals were licensing of the IP, but then whoever licenses the IP would have to accept competitors being able to access the IP - something that grant exclusive rights would in effect be a buyout of the company.

Taking all the way to a final product would require a complete company restructure, massive equity injection (ie. massive dilution to existing shareholders), aggressive hiring of staff and would take years - absolute last resort.

The alternate goals have always been flagged but seen as less preferable, as they assess someone will want to buy this and keep exclusivity to at least have the protection of a head start under patent protection.