Canterbury Scientific is driven by a core principle – quality science, quality products. The Christchurch company is committed to enhancing diagnostics and improving patient care with cutting-edge tools. CEO Clive Seymour outlines their approach.
In a nutshell, what does Canterbury Scientific do?
We design and manufacture the tools that are essential for diagnostics, ensuring instruments run correctly before testing patient samples. This makes us a crucial part of the diagnostic control process, helping labs and manufacturers prove their systems operate safely and efficiently. While our primary focus is on diabetes testing, we also develop products for hemoglobinopathy analysis, such as beta thalassemia and sickle cell.
What’s your point of difference?
Our journey began in the 1980s with a key insight: the tools used to test glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels weren’t working as well as they could. Professor Robin Carrell, Dr Morris Owen, and Bryce Hawkins, combining science and business acumen, founded the company in Christchurch, recognising the more stable, freeze-dried control they developed outperformed existing options. That stability has been our standout advantage for many years. Unlike many companies that provide a wide variety of controls (samples used to ensure testing accuracy), we specialise in hemoglobin and plasma controls, which has made us experts in this field.
How do your products make a difference in the lives of patients?
I’ll break it down with diabetes testing. People often do daily glucose checks with a thumb prick, but every three months, they have an HbA1c test, which measures glucose attached to haemoglobin, the clinically recognised measure of diabetes control. This test is therefore crucial for monitoring long-term patient health, as blood cells are replaced in the body around every three months. If diabetes is well-managed, the HbA1c levels stay in a healthy range, indicating fewer long-term complications.
Our role is to provide controls that ensure the accuracy of these tests, whether in large central laboratories, smaller local laboratories and clinics or in the doctors’ offices, using point-of-care machines – diagnostic devices used to perform tests directly at the site of patient care. We offer products compatible with various technologies, adapting to different instruments used for measuring HbA1c and other variants. These instruments require regular checks to ensure they’re working properly, so our controls act as a constant health check for the systems that analyse blood samples.
What role does research and development play in the innovation process?
Our R&D focuses on two main areas. First, we re-design or modify our existing products to meet the specific needs of different customers, often collaborating early in the development of their new systems.
The other side of our R&D focuses on seeking out new technologies to broaden our scope. Instead of starting from scratch, we partner with companies – often startups – that have promising technologies but often lack the means to take them through development, regulatory approvals and to market. We invest in these companies with a view to manufacturing the resulting products in Christchurch, typically securing a board seat to stay closely involved and assist in the development process. For instance, we have invested in a Barcelona-based company, MiMARK, that’s developing a less invasive biomarker test for endometrial cancer using uterine fluid instead of biopsies.
We have also invested in Aptatek Biosciences, a U.S.-based company that is developing a nearly market-ready home testing platform. Its first application targets PKU, a rare metabolic disorder that currently lacks effective monitoring devices. Regular monitoring can help reduce the risk of cognitive decline in newborns and throughout the lives of those affected. Both of these examples highlight diagnostic innovations that address recognised unmet needs and aim to improve the lives of patients worldwide.
So, Canterbury Scientific is a truly international company?
We are a truly international company based in Christchurch, focusing on global markets rather than local. Someone once described us as a “Global Christchurch” company because we don't supply any of our products in New Zealand, with all of the products we manufacture shipped worldwide.
What are the unique advantages of being based in Christchurch?
Christchurch has provided a good flow of scientific and manufacturing talent over the years, especially since many of our employees are locals, having settled here from up north or overseas. They come for the lifestyle and want to balance family life with work in a globally active, high-tech, regulated industry.
Sustainability is also a key focus for us. Christchurch offers 100% renewable energy, plentiful water, and improving waste management practices. We have an intense focus on recycling and have strict protocols for hazardous waste, giving us a lower environmental footprint – often better than that of our competitors overseas and indeed those we supply.
Our transport network here is also effective. Since we export temperature sensitive products and import human blood cells that need to be kept at 2-8ºC, it’s crucial that everything is monitored and departs/arrives efficiently – usually within a few days without delays or customs holdups. Overall, Christchurch has a relatively smooth operating environment, which is vital for our success.
What are the aspirations for the company in the next five to 10 years?
We’re deeply committed to Christchurch and to developing technologies that genuinely help patients. Our work impacts millions globally, especially in areas like diabetes and haemoglobin disorders. There’s excitement here about potential breakthroughs, such as home testing, which could transform patient lives.
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