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Portable Analytical Instruments (PAI) business, part of Thermo Fisher Chemical Analysis Division, hosted a biotechnology trade delegation from Lithuania at  PAI Center of Excellence in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, on September 20. The delegation was visiting Boston to participate in the BioPharm America conference and meet with scientific companies across the metropolitan area. Participants included business leaders and university officials from throughout Lithuania, many of whom have worked closely with Thermo Fisher for several years. Visitors from Vilnius University, for example, partnered with the company to develop its Mobile Bioclass, which travels to schools in Lithuania and provides students the opportunity to conduct hands-on biotechnology experiments.

Thermo Fisher’s Director of Global Government Relations, Rick Jenkinson, worked closely with the Lithuanian Embassy in the United States to coordinate the Tewksbury event. The visit further strengthened relationship between Lithuania and Thermo Fisher, where the Company opened our Molecular Biology Center of Excellence in Vilnius in 2012. Thermo Fisher invested $13 million in the new site, which expanded its global biosciences business and broadened its presence in our country.

In recognition of Thermo Fisher's investment and growth, the Vilnius site earlier this year was nominated for the Secretary of State’s Award for Corporate Excellence. Thermo Fisher also was recently named the most innovative U.S. company in Lithuania by the American Chamber of Commerce.

“Our biotech delegation to Boston signals Lithuania’s continued commitment to partnering with industry leaders such as Thermo Fisher Scientific to drive investment and innovation in the country,” said Justina Krutulyte, Head of the Economic Section at the Lithuanian Embassy in Washington, D.C. “Thermo Fisher has been a strong supporter of Lithuania and we look forward to creating even closer economic and scientific ties in the coming years.”

The delegation was hosted by Lisa Witte, Vice President and General Manager of PAI, and David LeBlanc, President of the Chemical Analysis Division. David provided the delegation with an overview of the company and the division’s operations, while Lisa followed up with an in-depth look at our range of portable instruments and the markets that PAI serves.

“We were honored to host the biotech delegation to our Portable Analytical Instruments Center of Excellence to demonstrate another part of our innovative technology portfolio,” said Lisa. “We value opportunities to make connections to better serve the European market, and the delegation gave us an important opportunity to further strengthen our ties to that region.”

Lisa’s business overview was followed by product demonstrations of several of our Thermo Scientific portable instruments, including:

• Niton XRF Analyzer: used to detect lead in toys and other consumer goods

• TruNarc: used for the rapid and accurate identification of suspected narcotics

• TruScan: offers rapid and accurate identification of raw material and can be used to determine whether pharmaceuticals are chemically authentic or counterfeit

• microPHAZIR AG: the newest portable analytical instrument is used to quantify nutritional values of animal feed and is used primarily by feed manufacturers

Following the product demonstrations, delegates toured the Tewksbury facility, where they viewed the research and development and manufacturing areas and also learned about the lean processes.

 

Source: Thermo Fisher Scientific

Photo by Alessandra Cugno.