R & D Facility Focused on New Market Sectors

In-Vitro diagnostics company EKF Diagnostics has opened a Special Projects Laboratory at its UK Headquarters in Cardiff, which will be focused on developing new applications for its range of products with a view to entering new market sectors. This new laboratory brings the total number of EKF’s worldwide R&D facilities to five, with 25 research staff working at two sites in Germany and two in the USA.

EKF’s Cardiff-based laboratory complements and supports EKF’s other global R&D facilities by focusing on product application development and some aspects of data support. The two new research scientists based there will also investigate how EKF products can bring benefits to new markets beyond healthcare and diagnostics, such as the veterinary, food and brewing industries.

The new laboratory will provide diagnostics sales support through product comparisons and new technology evaluations. Its regulatory support work will include data generation for new territory registrations across the world, as well as claim support for existing products where more data may be required.

“Our new Cardiff-based lab is already assisting our other R&D teams globally, freeing them up to dedicate their time to EKF’s new product development and realisation pipeline,” said Dr Gary Dowthwaite, Special Projects Coordinator, EKF Diagnostics. “For example, they are working on a project to obtain data from animal species using our new Lactate Scout 4 analyser. This will enable EKF to enter the veterinary testing market, as raised lactate levels are indicative of an underlying health condition in small animals.”