Isothermal Systems Research Inc., the Liberty Lake-based maker of technology that cools electronics, has formed a strategic alliance with London-based Smiths Aerospace to develop jointly products and programs for both the military and commercial markets.


Smiths Aerospace is a big aerospace equipment and systems company with worldwide revenues of $2 billion and more than 10,000 employees, and ISRs alliance with the British giant will focus on airborne electronics, ISR says.


Avionics customers demand higher-performance computing systems using more power in smaller volumes, says Glenn Good, of Smiths Flight & Vehicle Systems division. This creates increased heat buildup which affects reliability, and eventually (causes) failure.


ISR has developed a technology, called SprayCool, that dissipates heat rapidly with a fine mist of dialectic fluid, which cools electronic components as it evaporates.


The two companies, which have been working together for more than a year, plan to complete their first jointly-developed products by the middle of next year, ISR says.


The strategic alliance wont result in increased employment at ISR in the short term, but ISR hopes the alliance will do so in the future, says ISR spokesman Karsten Olson.


Separately, ISR recently was ranked as the 13th fastest-growing technology company in Washington state by Deloitte & Touche LLP. That ranking on Deloittes Technology Fast 50 Program was based on ISRs 812 percent increase in revenue from 2000 to 2004, the company says. ISR posted $32 million in revenue, last year.


In preparation for expanding its commercial division, ISR recently leased the remainder of a 28,000-square-foot building in which it already was leasing about 14,000 square feet. The building is located just northeast of its 48,000-square-foot headquarters building.


About 200 of the companys some 260 workers are employed in Liberty Lake, says Olson.