SMART funding will help Biofortuna to expand its automated Lyo bead production system for diagnostic devices that test for conditions such as cancer.
Biofortuna, a company based in Deeside, North Wales, has secured £225k SMART Flexible Innovation Support from the Welsh government to develop its pioneering BeadBot system, with the aim to help it scale and achieve its ambitions for international growth.
Photo courtesy of Welsh government
The Beadbot system automates the production of ‘lyophilised’ or freeze-dried reagent beads, which are used in diagnostic devices that test for such conditions as cancer.
Currently, production output is limited by a bottleneck in the complex packing process, which must be undertaken by qualified scientists. The plan is to use the government money to address this and improve productivity.
That will, in turn, help Biofortuna to expand its customer base in the growing Lyo bead market, the growth driven in part by the increasing shift towards point-of-care testing. The hope is to make the company a leader in developing and manufacturing Lyo beads, building on £4.7m in export contracts already secured with Welsh government support.
This Biofortuna project is just one of 140 initiatives to receive SMART funding as part of a £20m programme launched in 2023 to invest in cutting-edge research and innovation to improve people’s lives.
Rebecca Evans MS, Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, says: ‘We are committed to fostering a culture of innovation which will improve the lives of people across Wales. This includes building a Welsh economy based on the industries and services of the future. This pioneering processing system from Biofortuna will boost productivity significantly and positions the company to increase its share of a rapidly growing global market, protecting skilled jobs and creating the need for new ones.
‘It also further strengthens Wales’ reputation for excellence in the dynamic life sciences and advanced manufacturing sectors.’
Dr Nick Leaves, Chief Operating Officer at Biofortuna Limited, adds: ‘The Welsh government’s SFIS support will help us significantly increase our manufacturing capacity, accelerating market penetration in a rapidly growing and essential segment of the diagnostics market. This is great example of what can be achieved when Government and Industry work together.’
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