Carl Zeiss has opened its Advanced Imaging Centre Singapore, a world-first that offers customers the opportunity to view and experience the full range of the company's micro and nano imaging systems
Minister for community development, youth and sports and second minister for information, communications and the arts, Vivian Balakrishan, commended Carl Zeiss for giving Singapore's economy a jab in the arm with the opening of the Imaging Centre: "Singapore is proud to host this first and only Advanced Imaging Centre in the world that will offer the complete range of Carl Zeiss imaging solutions.
"It will be an importance piece of infrastructure to support the R+D efforts of companies here which could then lead to further possibilities in the future", said Balakrishnan, who was the guest-of-honour at the inauguration ceremony.
According to board member of Carl Zeiss and president and CEO of Carl Zeiss SMT, Hermann Gerlinger, the opening of the S$30-million-dollar facility at the German Centre reflects Carl Zeiss's commitment to expand its business in Singapore and Asia Pacific.
Previously, customers had to travel to multiple Carl Zeiss facilities in Germany in order to trial the equipment before purchase.
"Carl Zeiss is very pleased to be working closely with Singapore's Economic Development Board (EDB) to further strengthen its footprint in Singapore and Asia Pacific".
"Our company is world-renowned for its state-of-the-art imaging solutions that are highly critical for the industrial, bioscience, and life science sectors to develop quality products and successful medical research.
"Singapore, with a strong foundation in engineering and biosciences, is therefore a strategic location for Carl Zeiss to grow its business in Asia Pacific and bring its solutions closer to its customers in the region," said Gerlinger.
"By showcasing Carl Zeiss's leading edge technology and customer support in advanced micro and nano imaging solutions, the Advanced Imaging Centre will truly take customers on a journey from the micro into the nano cosmos.
"Given the rapidly growing investment that industrial and bioscience companies in Asia Pacific are pumping into advanced precision imaging tools in the recent years, this new facility will attract corporate visitors to Singapore from many countries in this part of the world".
Used by leading companies and research institutions around the world, Carl Zeiss's products provide engineers, scientists and medical researchers the ability to "see" and identify the most minute component of any substance or element.
For example, the newly introduced LSM 710, family member of the confocal laser scanning microscope is said to define new standards for sensitivity and flexibility.
The system provides high-resolution images of the fluorescent structures in living animals as well as in thick tissue specimens.
In addition, Carl Zeiss's laser capture microdissection system employs contact-free laser cutting and catapulting technique to ensure specimens are contamination-free, and are pure extraction of biomolecules and living cell material - an important foundation for successful biomedical research.
On the nanotechnology front, Carl Zeiss's NVision 40 represents a powerful tool for 3D nano-scale high-resolution imaging, analytics and manipulation.
This tool comprises a high resolution scanning electron beam column, a sophisticated gas injection system and a Gallium-ion column for sample preparation and manipulation.
With these capabilities, NVision 40 offers never-before-seen imaging and analytical possibilities that are required by the semiconductor industry, telecommunication, automotive and aerospace industries, as well as the mechanical engineering and plastics production sectors.
