Sony DADC BioSciences Receives Löhn Award

The Steinbeis Foundation (Germany) has awarded their 2011 Löhn Award to Sony DADC BioSciences for the transfer of highly dynamic variothermal (HDV) technology to Sony DADC in Anif, Austria.

This annual award, in honour of Professor Dr Dr h.c. mult. Johann Löhn, who was instrumental in the technology  transfer aspect of  the Steinbeis Company, recognises outstanding projects that see the transfer of competitive technology and knowledge between science and business, along with effective collaboration and management skills. Sony DADC’s project focused on lowering the production costs of complex microfluidics and lab-on-a-chip
technologies to maximise potential of their use within the bioscience and pharmaceutical industries.

Working with Watlow Plasmatech (Austria) designers and manufacturers of thermal solutions and the Steinbeis Transfer Centre for Plastics, Sony DADC BioSciences have been able to refine the manufacturing process for these plastic chips by controlling the temperature – highly dynamic variothermal (HDV) – during the injection moulding process. This solution was also said to be capable of being transferred into a large-scale production environment.

“We are proud of the work we have achieved with Watlow and Steinbeis and very honoured to receive this award in recognition of our collaborative partnership and technological advancements,”  said Dr Christoph Mauracher, Senior Vice President at Sony DADC BioSciences. “By addressing the central challenge of chip manufacture through our collaboration, we are now closer to beingable to offer it as a commercially viable solution for the industry.”