Ziccum
Ziccum awarded 10 MSEK Eurostars funding for 3D-modeling and Digital twin project (MFN)
Ziccum AB has been awarded non-dilutive funding of 10 MSEK by Eurostars for a joint application with the Institute of Computational Physics (ICP) at the School of Engineering at Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW). The project (application # 2,199 LaPaSim) is to apply 3D-modelling to Ziccum’s ambient drying system for biopharmaceuticals, LaminarPace, resulting in a digital twin. International competition for the funding was intense, and the proposal was one of the highest-ranked applications.
On September 14th, 2022 Ziccum and ZHAW announced their joint Eurostars application for funding towards a project applying 3D-modelling and developing a Digital twin of LaminarPace. Ziccum has now received notification that the project has been awarded the maximum 10 MSEK in funding. The project begun in June 2022 and will run over three years, where Ziccum is engaging the Research Area Multiphysics Modeling and Imaging team of ICP at ZHAW’s School of Engineering, led by Prof. Dr. Gernot Boiger, for advanced 3D-modeling.
The project is accelerating the industrial development, tech transfer and scaleout of LaminarPace as a unit of pharmaceutical production. As an ambient drying technology, LaminarPace uniquely is drying biopharmaceuticals by mass transfer instead of heat transfer, avoiding heat stress as well as mechanical stress to the delicate active ingredients – thus enabling high yields, thermostability and processing benefits.
Competition for the Eurostars funding was intense. The joint proposal was praised for its quality and strong business plan by the Eurostars evaluation team who pointed out the “very tough international assessment the applications go through”. The joint proposal was one of the highest-ranking projects.
The successful application is a firm validation of Ziccum’s sharpened strategic focus, technology development ambitions and new business plan. This plan encompasses critical technology optimization and the offering of new formulation and technology licenses to pharma, biotech and drug manufacturing partners.
Ziccum CEO Ann Gidner: “We are indeed happy and proud to have been awarded this grant, thanks to a high-ranking proposal developed in close collaboration with the ZHAW expert team. It is an excellent validation of our strategic focus and newly developed business plan. We used no external agency to produce this proposal - it was the product of our combined internal expertise. We look forward to moving ahead together on this important project.”
Ziccum Chairman Fredrik Sjövall: “I congratulate Ann and our team for their outstanding proposal and focused technology development. This is also a welcome financial reinforcement for Ziccum. This project is at an exciting stage in development, and I look forward to seeing it move ahead.”
About ICP and ZHAW
The Research Area Multiphysics Modeling and Imaging team of the ICP at at the School of Engineering at ZHAW is made up of 20 simulation experts, physicists, mathematicians and engineers led by Prof. Dr. Gernot Boiger. The team has carried out projects modeling particle flow across industries including pharmaceuticals, aerospace, energy, automotive and more.
About Eurostars
The Eurostars organization specializes in projects that partner SMEs such as Ziccum with larger companies, universities and research organizations. It funds R&D collaborations across 37 member countries. Eurostars is co-funded by the EU Horizon 2020 Framework Programme and EUREKA, the world’s largest public network for international cooperation in R&D and innovation.
The above is information that Ziccum is obliged to make public pursuant to EU Market Abuse Regulations (MAR). The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact persons set out above, on 2022-12-16 at 20:00 CEST.
For more information about Ziccum, please contact:
Ann Gidner,
CEO Ziccum
Mail: gidner@ziccum.com
Mobile: +46 722140141
Fredrik Sjövall,
Chairman of the Board, Ziccum AB
Mail: sjovall@ziccum.com
Mobile: +46 706 45 08 75
Ziccum’s Certified Adviser is Erik Penser Bank AB
About Ziccum
Ziccum is developing new thermostable versions of vaccines and biologic materials for licensing to vaccine providers, developers and manufacturers in the global pharmaceutical industry. Ziccum’s patented drying technology, LaminarPace, is unique. It formulates next-generation biomolecules at room temperature as particle-engineered powders that are thermostable and also highly suitable for novel administration routes. LaminarPace has formulated biomolecules from mRNA to proteins, peptides, antibodies, lipids and enzymes - and worked successfully with a range of excipients, adjuvants and antigens. Ziccum is listed on the Nasdaq First North Growth Market.
This information is information that Ziccum is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact persons set out above, at 2022-12-16 20:00 CET.