Olympus unveils major expansion in Paris immunoassay R&D center and new combined manufacturing and R&D clinical chemistry facility in Japan

OLYMPUS LIFE AND MATERIAL SCIENCE EUROPA GMBH ??Diagnostics, today announced that their immunoassay R&D centre in Paris is to double in size in preparation for market launch of the new AU3000i immunoassay analyser, whilst an entirely new facility in Japan will double manufacturing capacity for clinical chemistry systems.

The Paris R&D facility will grow to 550m2 and employ up to 30 highly qualified and industry experienced staff working on both assay and system development for the AU3000i immunoassay system. This new facility, fitted with the latest in testing and analysis equipment, will enable Olympus to deliver on its comprehensive launch schedule for assays starting in Summer 2006.

In a 29 million Euro investment programme, Olympus will also double its capacity to produce clinical analysers with a new 15,000m2 manufacturing, research and development facility scheduled to open in Mishima, Japan, in 2007. The new Mishima facility, located at the base of Mount Fuji, will serve the rapidly growing worldwide market for Olympus analysers. In addition to increasing manufacturing levels for Olympus' diagnostic systems, the new facility, to be located at Nagaizumi, in the Shizuoka prefecture, will also incorporate a new global research and development facility. R&D efforts for the company's diagnostic instruments product line have been co-located with manufacturing since 2000. The Olympus line of analysers includes the AU400, AU640, AU2700 and AU5400 chemistry analysers, along with the AU3000i immunoassay analyser.

According to Dr Helmut K?hler, Executive Managing Director, Olympus Life and Material Science Europa GmbH: ??hese two investments will ensure we are able to firstly meet the high expectations for our entry into the immunoassay market with the AU3000i and secondly in response to growing demand for our chemistry systems in Europe. Already the Paris team have handed over the first assays to our manufacturing facility in Ireland and early indications are that they will set new standards in terms of performance and lot-to-lot consistency. Meanwhile our colleagues in Japan continue to produce chemistry analyzers that have become a byword in the industry for quality and reliability.?