September 2017

16 BUILD / September 2017 , Voyage into the Unknown FluidFM® is the technology to control liquids in the femtoliter scale and tomanipulate objects, invisible for the human eye. To find out more about this exciting technology, we interviewed Business Development Manager at Cytosurge, Edgar Hepp to learnmore. The company was recently included in the 2017 Tech Revolution Awards, whichmotivates them to become evenmore passionate about what they do. The first ground- breaking FluidFM® publication, led to the formation of the Cytosurge company in Zurich. In the ensuing years, a group of experts developed and commercialised the FluidFM® technology with focus on life sciences, biology and physics. In parallel, research effort was dedicated to a promising new adaption, which finally lead to totally new technology - direct printing of sub - and micrometre 3D metal objects. The overall aims of the company can be summed up as follows: • Cytosurge aims to be a leading and innovative supplier of specialised equipment, with a focus on life sciences, biology, cell research and direct printing of sub- and micrometre 3D metal objects; • Cytosurge strives to provide solutions to enable scientists and researchers, to go beyond existing knowledge as well as physical boundaries; • In parallel to the focus on science and research, the industrial scale development of the 3D printing technology, in collaboration with well-known industry partners, takes place. As the interview kicks off, Business Development Manager at Cytosurge, Edgar Hepp provides us with some interesting background about how long the company has been established and the changes he has seen during this time. He also reveals the company’s approach when dealing with a new client or project. “Cytosurge AG was founded as an ETH Zurich spin-off, in 2009. The company successfully develops and distributes new generations of scientific measuring instruments and robotic systems, based on the patented FluidFM technology. Originally, the focus for the FluidFM® technology was on cell and bio science applications, like bacteria adhesion force measuring or living cell injection/ extraction and many other revolutionary applications. “In 2016, the company opened a new business unit, focused on the development of the revolutionary micro 3D printing process for metal components and distribution of the in-house developed FluidFM µ 3Dprinter.” “CYTOSURGE AG’s approach is to be as close as possible to our customers, to understand their needs as well the experiments they want to conduct. Especially, as the micro 3D printing technology opens a complete new manufacturing possibility, it is mandatory to understand what customers want to achieve and how we can support them in the most optimal way.” On being selected in the Tech Revolution Awards 2017, Edgar is keen to offer us his warm thoughts on what this means for him and his colleagues. As the award recognises the work of the team, he also tells us the crucial role that they play in the company’s success. “It is an honour to be selected for the ‘Tech Revolution Award 2017’ and it is a great feeling to get such a response from media and magazines. All the efforts we have put into the development of our technology, the countless nights and hours we have optimised the equipment to fulfil the customer needs have paid off. Added to that, this award recognises the company’s intrinsic drive to just perform better than expected, so yes, it is a good feeling! “To get an award from an industry with a focus on another field means, we developed a technology which has fascinated some and has provided inspiration to cross the technology boards to others. This matches the company’s philosophy exactly, which is to think out of the box, take new paths and dig into the unknown. We hope our technology will also be inspiring for other young High-Tech companies, to keep on going, to overcome the existing limits and go beyond. CYTOSURGE AG takes this award as a motivation to stay on the path we have chosen and as a boost to become even more passionate about our work. “CYTOSURGE AG’s goal is to be a successful company, fostering a fantastic environment to work in. As a company, we have a team which can be described as heterogeneous, where experienced seniority meets ambitious and well educated young specialists. The culture of the company is a continuous challenge, which we are all actively working on. Each employee is encouraged to participate within the continuous Culture at Cytosurge program, which aims to actively build a culture we can all identify with. The open environment we foster, along with a great deal of freedom, promotes natural self- responsibility.” On what sets the company apart from others, Edgar provides us with a very clear response and adds how innovative solutions help to maintain their success. “Cytosurge is using the unique and patented FluidFM technology, in all its systems. This technology enables us to conduct multiple experiments, or to print microscopic 3D metal objects, something that is surely not possible with other technologies. 1708BU02