September 12, 2005: (TORONTO, CANADA and AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS ) VisualSonics Inc. is pleased to announce the opening of its European Sales Operations in the Science Park, Amsterdam. This office - - including a new in vivo imaging suite - - will be the foundation to allow VisualSonics to demonstrate its technology to its growing roster of current and prospective customers across Europe.
"The growing demand for our Vevo 770™ micro-imaging technology in Europe and the high level of scientific expertise of our prospective customers demands that we establish a local facility to provide detailed in vivo demonstrations", says Tom Little, CEO of VisualSonics. “With a state-of-the-art facility such as the Science Park, we are able to access high-speed networks, share advanced preclinical services, be in close proximity to Schipol Airport - - and be centrally located to serve our European customer base. Matched with a progressive and extremely commercial-friendly business environment, we feel that Amsterdam and the Science Park were excellent choices for our new location and foothold for our European expansion”.
“The Science Park was developed to support the demands of fast-growing biotech and research-based companies such as VisualSonics”, says Mr. Laurens Jan Brinkhorst, Minister of Economic Affairs for the Netherlands, who will attend the opening of VisualSonics’ European Office along with a delegation including Alderwoman Ms. Laetititia Griffith. “We believe that the Science Park and the city of Amsterdam are excellent choices for international companies to develop their European head-offices. The environment for technology-reliant businesses is extremely amicable, the available infrastructure and human resource base is plentiful, the location is central, and the networking and local markets are extremely progressive.”
VisualSonics has over 200 Vevo instruments installed worldwide at the world’s leading academic sites and pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
About VisualSonics
VisualSonics Inc. (www.visualsonics.com) is the leading manufacturer of high-resolution in vivo imaging systems for small animal research. VisualSonics’ Vevo 770® high-resolution imaging system provides real-time visualization and measurements in small animals down to 30 microns. Because of the non-invasive nature of the technology, longitudinal studies of the same animal can be performed. This high-resolution imaging technology is being successfully applied to phenotypic-based research applications such as developmental biology, cardiovascular research, cancer biology, neurobiology and preclinical drug discovery.
About Science Park, Amsterdam
The Science Park Amsterdam (www.scienceparkamsterdam.org) has established a reputation as the home of a number of important knowledge-based institutions. These include the Faculty of Science of the University of Amsterdam and internationally renowned research institutes like the National Institute for Nuclear Physics and High Energy Physics (NIKHEF), the Institute for Atomic and Molecular Physics (AMOLF) and the National Research Institute for Mathematics and Computer Science (CWI), as well as SARA Computing and Networking Services. The park also houses more than 80 innovative companies primarily in the medical devices, biotechnology, and IT industries.
For more information, contact:
VisualSonics Contact:
Tom Little
President and CEO
VisualSonics Inc.
Toronto, Canada
Tel. 416.484.5010
Email tlittle@visualsonics.com
Science Park Contact:
Hans van der Hooff, Ph.D.
Marketing Director
Science Park Amsterdam
Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Tel. + 31 20 5257806
Email hvandenhooff@amsterdamscience.com