Avantium launches FLOWRENCE(TM)

December 7, 2006 - Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Avantium Technologies announced today that it has successfully launched FLOWRENCE(TM), a new parallel flow reactor platform for fixed bed catalyst testing. Avantium has supplied the first systems to major oil and petrochemical companies in Europe and the US. The new system allows researchers to test sixteen heterogeneous catalysts in parallel at small scale, under conditions, scalable to industrial application.

"The FLOWRENCE(TM) incorporates several years of Avantium's high-throughput catalyst testing experience and is the result of extensive technology development", says Tom van Aken, Chief Executive Officer of Avantium. "We are proud to have a leading oil company as our launching customer and have gained serious interest from many other oil refining and chemical companies. This is great recognition of what we have achieved in developing this high-throughput technology."

Avantium's FLOWRENCE(TM) equipment enables customers to implement high- throughput heterogeneous catalyst testing in their laboratories. The FLOWRENCE(TM) enhances research capabilities of chemical and oil companies, increasing the pace and productivity of research. Avantium has developed several proprietary techniques that make the FLOWRENCE(TM) a unique system. In addition to Avantium's automated instrumentation and data handling software, the technology transfer of FLOWRENCE(TM) comes with know-how and intellectual property rights, as well as installation, support, and training, tailored to customer needs.

In 2005 Avantium decided to commercialize part of its proprietary, in-house research systems by setting up the Avantium Tools business. Other products in Avantium Tools' business include Crystal16(TM) (www.crystal16.com) and Block96(TM) (www.block96.com).

About FLOWRENCE(TM):

FLOWRENCE(TM) is a parallel, fixed-bed reactor system suited for gas and liquid phase, as well as trickle flow operation. It has developed from "Nanoflow" technology originating from Shell, which was transferred to Avantium at its foundation in 2000. Many improvements by Avantium, including proprietary pressure regulation, reactor design, robust automation, data-storage, optimal size and increased number of reactors were implemented in the FLOWRENCE(TM) reactor system. The FLOWRENCE(TM) units at Avantium have proven their versatility and applicability in a wide variety of catalytic processes, such as hydrogenation, desulphurization, gas-to-products, water-gas shift, hydrotreating, and others. Each FLOWRENCE(TM) unit can be tailored to specific applications. For more information, visit: www.flowrence.com.

About Avantium Technologies:

Avantium Technologies is a privately held, innovation-based research company located in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Avantium provides high-throughput experimentation services and technologies to the chemicals and life science industries to enable companies to accelerate Research & Development. Avantium's proprietary technology platforms and skill sets reduce the time-to-market of new products and processes and improve the economics and success rate of research. Avantium collaborates with more than 50 pharmaceutical and chemical companies worldwide.

For more information, visit: www.flowrence.com or www.avantium.com

For further information please contact:

Avantium Technologies B.V.
Guus Scheefhals, Chief Business Officer
Zekeringstraat 29
Amsterdam, 1014 BV
The Netherlands

Tel: +31 (20) 586 8080
Fax: +31 (20) 586 8085

Email: guus.scheefhals@avantium.com

Internet: www.avantium.com