On October 26, 2020, the Department of Defense (DOD), in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), awarded Tecan a $33 million contract to establish U.S. based industrial production capacity of disposable pipette tips for COVID-19 testing.
The surge in COVID-19 diagnostic testing has created an unprecedented demand for disposable pipette tips, a key component in fully automated diagnostic testing systems. This investment will enable Tecan to establish production capacity in the U.S. Tecan will begin production increases in October 2021, ultimately producing up to 40 million tips per month.
This effort has been led by the DOD’s Defense Assisted Acquisition Cell, in coordination with HHS and the Department of the Air Force’s Acquisition COVID-19 Task Force. The award was funded through the Health Care Enhancement Act (HCEA) to expand the industrial base for critical medical resources.