Successful cooperation follows speeddate @ the Lifetec Business Cafe!

 When?
Validus Technologies and PathoFinder met at the Lifetec Business Cafe on September 3rd, 2009 and started a successful project from this date! Together Validus and PathoFinder agreed to start a project to realize a secure package for the valuable diagnostics of PathoFinder and to ensure traceability of every product throughout the whole supply chain.

 Who?
PathoFinder was founded six years ago to develop and commercialize a new generation of innovative molecular diagnostics, with special emphasis on infectious diseases. As opposed to regular diagnostics, which test only one pathogen per test, PathoFinders’ diagnostics kits can simultaneously detect and differentiate of up to 25 pathogens in a single assay. PathoFinder was awarded with multiple innovation awards, among which the LIOF Innovation Diamond.

 Who?
Validus Technologies was founded in 2007 as a spin off of the University of Technology Eindhoven to research and develop optical security features based on liquid crystal technology and ink jet printing. Validus’ security labels offer high end security based on a digital production process. This allows security materials, which are currently only used in repetitive patterns, to carry variable data and thus be even more secure. Validus’ security labels offer four different levels of security in a single ink layer. Validus was awarded with multiple innovation awards, e.g. the New Venture award, the Technopartner label and the European Young Entrepreneurs award Innovact.

 The question?
PathoFinder is becoming successful in exporting their products worldwide, which also complicates the needed cold chain logistics, lengthens arrival times and augments the number of hands through which the product passes, before it is in the hand of the end user. “Diagnostics is all about trust in the accuracy of your products. This accuracy is guaranteed by a perfect quality product the moment it leaves the production facility in Maastricht, but how to ensure the integrity in the supply chain until the package is delivered to the client? And how to retrace every step of our diagnostics kits around the world in case of an irregularity?” These were the questions Rob Janssen, sales and marketing manager at PathoFinder, had at the speeddate @ the Lifetec Business Cafe. Mariëtte Koekoek, business developer at Validus Technologies, thought she could answer these questions with the Validus high end security label with an unique traceability number for every single diagnostics kit.

 The solution!
As of 2010 all PathoFinder products are labeled with the Validus 4 level security label the moment they leave the production facility. This allows both the client and PathoFinder to check the security label at any time in the supply chain. This is being done in both visible and invisible ways. Visible for anyone for example is the colour shift of the ink on the label and if the label has been opened (tampered with) or not. There are additional invisible security levels which can be verified to further thwart or identify any security breaches which may occur. “This label solution guarantees the integrity of our products and shows our clients we care to invest in security to give our products the best possible care” says Rob Janssen. “PathoFinder is an excellent case for our security labels as their need fits  exactly what we can offer!” says Mariette Koekoek. “Innovative high value products such as PathoFinder’s, should be protected against any intended or unintended risks during the logistic process to ensure at all times the end user gets what he expects!

Sample PathoFinder kit with Validus security label, colour shifting ink green appearance