Innovator in solid-state battery technology, Ilika (AIM:IKA), announced on Tuesday that it would reopen its Stereax pilot line at the University of Southampton.
The company said that until the 15 June, it had closed the facility as part of its push to protect its staff and customers, and to observe the UK Government’s directives to avoid non-essential travel.
Following on from its prediction on the 9 June, the company announced on Tuesday that the Stereax pilot line facility for miniature cells would reopen shortly. It said that it was deploying similar measures at its Stereax facility to those at its Romsey-based HQ, which include risk assessment, ‘enhanced’ cleaning and hygiene procedures and social distancing.
Ilika stated that it would communicate with its customers regarding the measures it had put in place, and how these would impact on delivery times of evaluation samples. It continued, stating that it was pleased to announce that it had not received any order cancellations, and that its expectations for the FY21 remained unchanged.
The company’s HQ remained open during the lockdown period, for the employees who needed access to its Goliath large format cell development facilities.
The group stated that it had not any potential COVID-19 related sickness since March.
Responding to the update, Ilika CEO Graeme Purdy commented,
“Our proactive approach to managing the operational risks posed by COVID-19 have been successful to date. We intend to remain vigilant to the risks and are working with our customers, partners and suppliers to ensure we implement our business strategy as effectively as possible. I would like to thank our staff, partners, advisors and shareholders for their continued support.”
Following the update, the company’s shares rallied 5.61% or 2.75p, to 51.75p per share 16/06/20 13:22 BST. This is up from the June nadir of 36.50p seen at the start of the month, and down from the 57.00p high on the 11 on June.