How to bring a new technology to industrial scale?

The simplest definition of Commercialization says that this is the process or cycle of introducing a new product or production method into the market. Launch of a new product is usually the final stage of new product development, and which is the most risky part of this process,  the one where the most money will have to be spent for advertising, sales promotion, and other marketing efforts.

Lentikats Biotechnology is a revolutionary biotechnology for the encapsulation of free enzymes or microorganisms into a porous polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) carrier with a unique lentil-like shape. PVA (hydrogel) possesses excellent physical & mechanical characteristics that provide for long-term mechanical stability. Moreover, PVA is biologically un-degradable and has zero toxicity.

Commercialization of Lentikats Biotechnology, a unique proprietary technology for the immobilization of enzymes or microorganisms, has been the main aim of a Czech biotech company LentiKat's a.s since its establishment in 2006. The potential to immobilise any kind of bacteria or enzymes in their free, disintegrated or cross-linked form, is a unique characteristic that makes Lentikats Biotechnology clearly superior to other immobilisation methods. On the other hand, it also creates a vast amount of applications across many fields of the biotech industry, from extremely pure pharmaceuticals and second generation biofuels to waste management.

"There are several factors that make successful projects. In case of a start-up company, the driving factor is, besides an excellent idea at the very beginning of course, the right team of motivated and professional people. Each team member has to strive to finish any project to its successful end. In five years I would like to be leading LentiKat's company with operations on each continent and interesting full-scale co-operations with large international companies. Despite the huge amount of hard work, which is laying ahead of me, I would like to keep myself in healthy condition and my life full of warm relationships and many sport activities" says Ludek Karasek, CEO of LentiKat's company. On 23-24th May 2012 Ludek Karasek will discuss an issue referring how to bring a new technology to industrial scale at BioForum - the Central European Forum of Biotechnology and Innovative BioEconomy (Brno, Czech Republic) during the 'Biotechnology business success stories in Central Europe' panel. His topic "Are we there yet? Lessons learnt from bringing a new technology to industrial scale" will present an overview of how LentiKat's a.s. rose to the challenge of identifying the most effective way to bring this technology from a lab-scale production of a few kilograms in 2006 to a multi-ton production and world-wide sales in 2012. Ludek Karasek will summarise the company's approach, experience and achievements in various industrial fields, such as production of biofuels, pharmaceutical intermediates and lactose-free dairy products or treatment of wastewater to remove nitrogen or persistent organic pollutants.

A sample of successfully commercialised products and their applications will be presented in details. The presentation will be concluded by an introduction of the recent research and development activities being carried out under the European Commission's FP7, Czech governmental funds or private investments.

Upcoming 11th edition of BioForum focuses also on following issues: Business models in Personalized Medicine, Optimizing drug development: Risk/Benefit Relation as a Success Factor, Biosimilars and new biotech products - Market and Development Opportunities in Central Europe, Clinical and preclinical research opportunities in Central Europe. The organizer of BioForum is Bio-Tech Consulting from Lodz, Poland (www.biotechconsulting.pl)

BioForum - Central European Forum of Biotechnology & Innovative BioEconomy
together with accompanying events will be held on
23-24th of May 2012 in the Conference Centre BVV Trade Fairs in Brno (Czech Republic).

more: www.cebioforum.com