Hitachi High-Tech and QIAGEN Partner to Advance Diagnostics

Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation (Tokyo, Japan) and QIAGEN N.V. (Venlo, The Netherlands) have entered into a long-term strategic collaboration involving initiatives to deliver important advances in molecular testing.

Under terms of the agreement both companies will bring their unique strengths to the collaboration: Hitachi High-Technologies brings its leadership in industrialized instrument development and manufacturing technologies, especially for life sciences and in vitro diagnostics (IVD), while QIAGEN brings its leadership in molecular sample-to-insight solutions for life sciences and clinical diagnostics.

Initial projects involve developing new automation systems based on PCR and NGS (next-generation sequencing) technologies. Both parties agreed that the collaboration could be expanded in the future to involve co-commercialization of products in specific geographic markets. Further terms of the collaboration are confidential.

“QIAGEN and Hitachi High-Technologies share much the same corporate culture such as customer focus as well as a commitment to technology and quality leadership,” said Yasukuni Koga, head of Medical Systems Sales and Marketing Division, Hitachi High-Technologies, “We believe those are crucial for the collaboration to achieve a meaningful position in the rapidly changing and highly competitive markets of in vitro diagnostics and life sciences, applying genetic engineering. Moreover, developing a co-commercialization collaboration with distribution and customer service in specific geographical regions would be highly accepted by customers of each company.”

“This new strategic partnership with Hitachi High-Technologies will form a very powerful platform to create new molecular testing solutions. Hitachi High-Technologies is a recognized leader in industrial automation and has a proven track record of innovation as well as a significant presence in the Asia-Pacific region,” said Thierry Bernard, senior vice president, head of Molecular Diagnostics Business Area, QIAGEN, “Combining the NGS-related and other molecular know-how of QIAGEN with the instrumentation expertise of Hitachi High-Technologies will enable us to bring innovative automation solutions to customers all over the world and across the continuum from basic research through to routine molecular diagnostics.”

Related Links:
Hitachi High-Technologies
QIAGEN N.V.