UK microbiology company Biotrace has continued its expansion into the healthcare sector with the acquisition of Denmark's Maltec. The move provides Biotrace with a stronger presence in Scandinavia, one of its target territories, and also brings it into a region with a dense concentration of pharmaceutical companies.

While it has served the pharmaceutical industry for some years, Biotrace has embarked upon a concerted effort to expand its activities in the healthcare sector, most recently with last year's purchase of the UK's Fred Baker Scientific, now re-launched as Biotrace Fred Baker. This brought in a range of autoclaves, culture media and microbiological plasticware. Prior to this, in 2001, Biotrace acquired Congent, Ruskin and Toucan Technologies, the exclusive distributor of Ruskin-branded anaerobic and modified atmosphere cabinets in North America.

Biotrace has bought Maltec, which supplied Ruskin products in Scandinavia, for a token sum of £1. However, it also assumes the latter company's liabilities of DKK1.1 million (€148,000), including a director's loan of DKK700,000. Biotrace may also make an additional payment of £430,000 (€625,780) if Maltec business meets certain performance milestones. Maltec's founder, Malte Jacobsen, will continue to run the business.

Meantime, Biotrace Fred Baker has re-branded its environmental monitoring pre-prepared media, used in pharmaceutical environmental monitoring, under the Biotrace PPM banner.