Corporate Spotlight

Innovator's Focus on Rapid Inventions for Global—And Local—Markets

In fact, the diversity in age, sex, race and ethnicity of the innovators inside is comparable to that of representatives from the United Nations. It is truly a different world. It is the future of global commerce.

About SCD

When you reach office #236, you enter a venture named Surface Chemistry Discoveries, Inc. (SCD). There sits Shahri Naghshineh, principal of the firm, with two associates, working at creating and marketing non-solvent based, low-cost surface preparation products to the various niche industries such as integrated circuit (IC) and liquid crystal display (LCD) fabrication. Technology products rely on circuitry and chips to make the world go ‘round. Surface cleaning and surface preparation products simply improve the production yield for the clean tool vendors, plating chemical suppliers and semi-conductor fabricators who produce thin film technology devices.

Optimism is the code word at SCD. Born in Iran , educated in England and America, and a resident of the United States for almost 30 years, inventor Shahri Naghshineh is an engineer by training, but a visionary, marketer, educator and philanthropist at heart. Enthusiastically, he reflects on the way of the world and America's role within it. “The USA economy re-invents itself; it's opportunistic; it's the place where more ideas are funded with venture capital than anywhere else,” he says. “He or she who owns the idea owns the profit. This is where technology and marketing come together for value-added ROI.”

Surface Chemistry Discoveries is Shahri's third specialty chemical venture. And, it is the one where a commitment to the environment is a part of the product development for market appeal. “We use environmentally-friendly components whenever possible and practical,” says Shahri. “We assist our customers in the proper use of our products to minimize chemical use and waste generation and develop aqueous, concentrated formulations that can be diluted with water at the point of use.”

Shahri believes that the creation of successful products, innovative products, is an integration of original idea, R&D and marketing. “Disruptive products are looking for a market,” he says, “but, products that build in sustainability serve markets first with product solutions. The successful product – such as those offered by Dell and Google – market from the inside, keeping an eye on the competition, knowing when and how to differentiate.”

Prior to the launch of Surface Chemistry Discoveries in 2005, Shahri started two ventures, ACT Inc., which was purchased by Ashland Chemical in 1994 and is now part of Air Products, and ESC, Inc., established in 1998, which was acquired by ATMI, Inc. in 2003. He co-invented six US and associated international patents in the field of surface cleaning chemistries that have been successfully commercialized and received in 2003 the NE PA Ben Franklin Innovation Entrepreneur of the Year award. He guest lectures at Lehigh University and other entities and serves as a mentor and consultant to inventors and entrepreneurs.

About Fab Lab

Most recently, one of Shahri's proudest achievements is the voluntary and philanthropic support he lended to the establishment of Northampton Community College's Rapid Prototyping Lab in 2007 – otherwise known as the “Fab Lab” – at the Fowler Family Southside Center in Bethlehem.

The Fab Lab, or fabrication laboratory, is a small scale version of a mass production factory. While the lab can't be used to crank out thousands of assembly line products, it can be used by individuals to create everything from arts and crafts to engineering and architecture models. It takes digital files and turns them into a product.

Naghshineh believes that one day Fab Labs will be as common as the personal computer. To give the community a head start in this new technology, he donated the equipment, valued at $25,000, to the College. At a Fab Lab Open House on Tuesday, September 25, Shahri spoke about his decision to donate this piece of technology. “It is a dream come true to enable people and businesses to create and secure more jobs and careers for the people in the local community,” he said. “This is the right location in the right educational establishment to bring this training tool to the community where it is needed most.”

"Shahri Naghshineh is one of those visionaries who not only visualizes great things, but actually makes them happen,” says Dr. Paul Pierpoint, NCC vice president. “His concept of bringing advanced manufacturing rapid prototyping technologies into the reach of regular ordinary people in order to help them unleash their own creative energies is amazing. The Fab Lab he has established at NCC's Southside Center is going to help transform this town into a technology-savvy community where innovation and creativity are the norm."

(Back to top)
Home page