The breakthrough has already been made with the science of the technology. The 'breakthrough" I think you are alluding to is the completion of the commercialisation of the chip, which IMEC is currently undertaking. The patents were filed long ago and were pending - now the one just announced is a real live enforceable patent, and there are still 3 more pending. So now no one can copy that specific technology included in the patent - which by reading through it, seems to be the guts of the reram technology they have developed. It is a significant development
However Jim Dorrian said in his interview earlier this year that 12 months would be the outside time frame in an ideal world, but it is very hard to tell how long it would take - could be much quicker - but he refused to be pinned down to a time frame for completion of the chip. He was being conservative. He also said that it is just a process, and he doesn't expect any roadblocks or issues, if anything it would be faster because 4DS has already completed certain steps of the process that IMEC will not have to do or factor in.
Re-watch the interviews - it is fascinating to see his understanding of the technology and absolute belief in its potential applications.
They key I got out of it was that they have already been speaking to several major players who could potentially buy the technology, and they are watching closely with interest as to when commericalisation is complete. This is imporatnat becuase these big companies pay big money for technology once it is live, provable, viable and COMMERCIAL. The commercial part is the big one - that means there is a cookbook or instruction manual that exists that once put into a chip fabrication facility anywhere in the world will then be able to mass produce the chip. That is the point IMEC is getting 4DS to, and that is the point where the big players will buy it out for a big $ value - not usually before that point in time. They want a 'market ready' product where they can just flick the switch to produce on any fab.
We are getting close to that point in time - and in fact, any day now, it is possible, but more likely within the next 3 months, that 4DS announces that the chip is commercially viable and manufacturable via this 'cookbook'
That is when the good stuff begins - but again, the most likely scenario is that there will be an offer for the technology before that time, especially by Western Digital as the most likely suitor, due to their their long standing agreement with 4DS - they will have the inside running.
But of course 4DS will not be bound to sell to them, but will wait for other interest and offers which will inevitably come.
I don't think investors realize that the difficult part was to get the science of the technology developed and working, which 4DS has already done, and got patents for. Then the other big hurdle was to get someone with a $10 billion chip manufacturing facility to provide the blueprint for production commercially. These places don't grow on trees and it was a MASSIVE coup for 4DS to get IMEC to do this.
Join all the dots and realize that it is only a matter of time - so a case of WHEN not if - this product will work commercially. As soon as IMEC completes this process, we will have ground breaking storage technology available on a large commercial scale - that no-one has ever seen or developed before, with massive global storage applications to whoever wants it - and that will be worth billions.
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