Luxembourg / Flensburg, October 11^th, 2022 – Secop GmbH, a global leader in advanced cooling solutions for mobile battery-driven applications, commercial and medical cold chain refrigeration, and B Medical Systems, a global leader in vaccine cold chain solutions and a leading manufacturer of medical cold chain solutions have announced a joint development agreement to develop solutions for a new generation of medical transport boxes to safely store and transport vaccines, biospecimens, and other temperature-sensitive specimens at ultra-low temperatures even in locations with tropical ambient conditions.

The COVID-19 pandemic, the rise in the adoption of mRNA technology, the development of several extremely temperature-sensitive vaccines, the growing prominence of Cell & Gene Therapy (CGT), and more, have resulted in an ever-increasing demand for reliable ultra-low temperature medical cold chain solutions.  In their cooperation, SECOP and B Medical Systems aim to offer a reliable and effective active medical cold chain solution through an active transport unit designed with a cascade compressor system, specifically designed to reach ultra-low temperatures even in tropical ambient conditions. Under this agreement SECOP and B Medical Systems will conduct a series of development and testing exercises, applying SECOP’s decades of experience in efficient mobile cooling compressors and B Medical Systems’ expertise in developing innovative and reliable solutions for medical  transportation boxes.

“Secop engineering team have conducted intensive development and testing activities to prove and optimize an innovative cooling unit powered by a cascade of battery driven compressors optimized for medical applications and able to achieve, maintain and guarantee with a proven reliable design ultra low temperatures down to -86°C, the temperature range required for new generation mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines, even at ambient temperature of 43°C. This development agreement with B Medical Systems is a significant step forward for SECOP Group, both companies can bring together skill sets and technologies that will support the successful development of a truly breakthrough product that can support a sustainable cold chain evolution and contribute to improve storage and delivery of vaccines worldwide.”, said Jan Ehlers, Chief Executive Officer at Secop GmbH.

“The ability to reliably transport vaccines and temperature-sensitive specimens at ultra-low temperature is becoming ever more crucial. The Joint Development Agreement (JDA) is a significant step in our journey towards providing this next-generation of ultra-low medical cold chain equipment. By bringing together Secop’s legacy in compressor technology and B Medical Systems’ expertise in developing innovative medical cold chain solutions, I am confident that we will be able to soon provide the market with a convenient and reliable solution for the safe storage and transport of small volumes of vaccine, pharmaceuticals and samples at ultra-low temperatures”, said Luc Provost, CEO of B Medical Systems.

Engagement between Secop’s and B Medical Systems’ research and development teams on joint development activities under the agreement is now underway and both companies aim to conclude the development and testing phase in the near future to deliver this new ultra-low cold chain solution.

About Secop Group

Secop is the expert in advanced hermetic compressor technologies and cooling solutions for commercial refrigeration. Secop creates and supports high performance static and mobile cooling solutions for leading commercial refrigeration businesses around the world.Secop Group design and manufacture hermetic compressors and electronic controls for refrigeration solutions in three major business segments: Stationary Cooling, Mobile Cooling and Medical Cold Chain.

Secop’s “Stationary Cooling” business segment (AC-supply compressors for static applications) provides compressors for light commercial applications in food retail, food service, merchandisers, and special applications and also for selected residential applications. Secop’s “Mobile Cooling” business segment (Battery-Driven DC-supply for mobile applications) is the global leader in high-performance hermetic DC compressors, for automotive, trucks, recreation vehicles, portable boxes, and other mobile applications. Secop’s “Medical Cooling” business segment develop cooling solutions for storage and transportation in medical cold chain applications. With years of experience in developing compressors and cooling units for medical transport boxes, solar driven fridges, Bio-Medical and ULT fridges Secop can exploit a wide knowhow to support partners in optimizing the new generation of green and efficient medical cabinets.

The group has production sites in Slovakia and China as well as research centers in Germany, Austria, Slovakia, China and the USA. Secop has belonged to the ESSVP IV fund since September 2019, advised by Orlando Management AG, a leading investor in industrial businesses

For more information about Secop Group, please visit www.secop.com

“Safe Harbor Statement” under Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Some statements in this release are forward-looking statements made under Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees but involve risks and uncertainties, both known and unknown, that could cause Azenta’s financial and business results to differ materially from our expectations. They are based on the facts known to management at the time they are made. These forward-looking statements include but are not limited to statements about the expected benefits of the Secop Group and B Medical Systems joint development agreement. Factors that could cause results to differ from our expectations include the following: unexpected delays or difficulties in technology development, and other factors and other risks, including those that we have described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to our Annual Report on Form 10-K, current reports on Form 8-K and our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. As a result, we can provide no assurance that our future results will not be materially different from those projected. Azenta expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any such statement to reflect any change in our expectations or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statement is based. Azenta undertakes no obligation to update the information contained in this press release.