NEWS | Wednesday, 26 March 2008

Gateway to new markets

Mark Causon talks to Lawrence Attard of TechnoTrend Applications Ltd, a start up company at KBIC

Technotrend Applications Limited is a young company engaged in the development, manufacture and marketing of specialty analytical products, specifically targeting various industries including food, beverage, pharmaceuticals, water treatment, etc., as well as regulatory and research laboratories.
With an equipment grant of €12,000 provided through ME’s StartPlus scheme, Lawrence explained, his research and development oriented company also benefited from 75% financing guarantee through the European Investment Fund’s access to finance programme for SME’s. The company has applied for Community Trademark (CTM) Registration for its brand, Zymospec, with the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (OHIM) in Alicante, and is currently preparing for certification to ISO 9000.
Mr. Attard explained to me that the company intends to participate in specialized fairs, and he augured that more financing be offered to new companies for this essential gateway to new markets.
Lawrence described how their R&D effort has produced 5 test kits of which 4 are enzymatic, and all in a relatively short time and with minimal resources. His eyes sparkled when he explained to me all the research work that went into perfecting the crucial stabilization of the various enzyme solutions. He described it as an achievement and a dream come true, but also a cause for satisfaction when clients comment favourably on the performance of the kits. He sympathizes with scientists who find it impossible to turn their ideas into reality, cannot move to the next stage of production unless they find the support that Lawrence and his colleagues found through ME’s funding schemes. In the face of fierce competition from emerging economies, knowledge and its management alone can guarantee a rosy future, and I am sure that there are many local scientists who dream of earning a living through research and technological development.
During a small tour around their laboratory, housed at KBIC also through the StartPlus scheme, Lawrence explained to me how the latest addition to the product range, the Zymospec Hygiene Testing Kit, is a self-contained screening test for surface hygiene which requires no culturing, plating, incubation or colony counting steps. Based on a chemical reaction that occurs in minutes and at ambient conditions, the kit is ideal for use on all surfaces such as worktops, door handles, wall and floor tiles, food handling equipment. The kit is extremely easy to use, is formulated to detect biomolecules that are strong indicators of improper cleaning or microbial contamination, and it is aimed primarily at food handlers such as catering establishments, and food processors and manufacturers.
Thanks to ME’s schemes, Lawrence and his team can look forward to developing many new products through their research, and to produce and market quality test kits. He stressed with pride that all Zymospec kits are made to exacting standards using fine grade chemicals, and are backed by full technical and operational support, offering economical substitutes to more traditional methods, but without compromising on accuracy and reproducibility.

TechnoTrend Aplications Ltd are found at Kordin Business Incubation Centre, Industrial Estate, Kordin, Malta - Tel: +356 2398 0158, Mob: +356 7920 1011, or on their website www.technotrendapplications.com .