In a bid to extend support to biotech innovator companies in Malaysia, laboratory technology company, Eppendorf, recently said that any company supported by BiotechCorp under its BioNexus scheme will be able to avail preferential prices and free maintenance support from the designated Eppendorf network in Malaysia. This incentive is crafted to support the laboratory set-up of new BioNexus companies and is also open to existing BioNexus companies until end of 2012. The support will be in the form of additional benefits to top up the fiscal incentives, grants and guarantees endowed by their BioNexus status.

"The idea came about when Dr Mohd Nazlee Kamal, CEO of BiotechCorp, asked if there was anything Eppendorf could contribute to enhance the support provided to BioNexus companies," says Ms Shim Yok Lam, managing director, Eppendorf South & Southeast Asia. BiotechCorp will contact the companies qualifying for the incentive and they will be handed their incentive vouchers from Eppendorf Asia Pacific soon after that.

Eppendorf develops, produces and distributes systems for use in the life-science research laboratories worldwide. Its product range includes pipettes, dispensers and centrifuges as well as consumables such as micro test tubes and pipette tips. In addition, it also provides instruments and systems for cell manipulation, automated devices for liquid handling, complete equipment for DNA amplification and biochips.

The thought behind Eppendorf's decision to extend such a kind of support is that at the start-up phase, one of the biggest costs for any biotech company is getting instruments for the laboratory. The problem is bigger if the company is small. At this stage, these companies need to consider carefully between costs and reliability of results. Eppendorf says, given the nature of its activities and reach in Malaysia and product range, its support for BioNexus companies needed to be broad-based, practical and simple to lower the acquisition costs of high-quality instruments, especially for laboratory start-ups.

"Due to the high requirement for reliability of results, we included leach-free consumables, set-up support, training, and maintenance services into the start-up packages. This program also allows interested BioNexus companies to access our educational programs for specific laboratory techniques," says Ms Shim.