The fruits of nearly a decade’s worth of research by two Cambridge scientists were unveiled last week when a new e-reader they have designed premiered at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Professors Sir Richard Friend and Henning Sirringhaus, both of the Department of Physics at the Cavendish Laboratory, have invented QUE (pronounced “Q”), an e-reader that is being touted as the next big idea in the electronic reading device market.

While the current e-reader market has catered largely to leisure reading, QUE aims to be the first e-reader for business professionals. It is even being marketed as a “proReader” rather than an “e-reader”.

Being the size of a regular sheet of paper, QUE features the largest touchscreen in the industry, and allows its users to interact with their business documents in various formats such as PDF or Microsoft Office.

The reader is also equipped with Wi-Fi capability, which will allow users to connect to the “QUE store”, an online platform that will feature electronic versions of latest books, magazines, and periodicals ready to be downloaded.

Although these features are available in other e-readers currently on the market, what differentiates QUE is its innovative use of plastic electronic technology, developed at Cambridge. The technology means that the device is shatterproof, extra thin and lightweight, measuring just 1/3 inch thick and weighing about 450 grams.

QUE will be available to consumers in the United States beginning in mid-April. The least expensive model will retail for $649 (about £400), and can reportedly hold up to 35,000 documents. The next biggest size, which holds nearly 75,000 documents, is priced at $799 (about £495).

The device has thus far generated mostly positive reviews, with the online technology reviewing website “Geek with laptop” calling it “cool but pricey”. A release date for the United Kingdom has not yet been announced.

QUE traces its roots back to 2000 when Professors Sirringhaus and Friend, along with Cambridge alumnus Stuart Evans, formed Plastic Logic, a company that attracted the attention of investors from all over the world. Plastic Logic now aims to create an entire range of products, using its proprietary technology in plastic electronics.

Cavendish Laboratory has a long and illustrious history of giving birth to start-up companies and industry-relevant innovations. Last month, 1Spatial, the first Cavendish Laboratory “spin-off” company celebrated its fortieth year in business. 1Spatial was created in 1969 by Cambridge scientists who had designed a machine that used lasers and mirrors to scan images. Today, the company is an industry leader in geospatial software and solutions.