Specialists in innovative authentication, verification and certification technologies Eurocontrol ranked on Profit500 in three consecutive years
Specialists in innovative authentication, verification and certification technologies
Eurocontrol ranked on
Profit500 in three
consecutive years
365 Bay Street, Suite 400
Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5H 2V1
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eurocontrol.ca
Eurocontrol to Commercialize Precision Agricultural Initiative
- Business to be conducted through new wholly owned subsidiary Croptimal -
Toronto, CANADA, January 9, 2017 - Eurocontrol Technics Group Inc. (TSX Venture: EUO ; OTCQB: EUCTF )
(“Eurocontrol” or the “Company”), a Canadian public company specializing in the acquisition, development and
commercialization of innovative test and measurement technologies for the authentication, veri fication and
certification markets, is pleased to announce that its wholly owned subsidiary Xenemetrix Ltd. (“Xenemetrix”) has
successfully completed feasibility and verification of its precision agriculture technology . Commercialization of this
leading edge product and service will commence in 2017 under the name Croptimal through a new wholly owned
subsidiary of Eurocontrol by the same name.
This disruptive agriculture focused technology provides for in-field testing utilizing a mobile and compact laboratory
that automatically prepares samples of soil, water and critical parts of the crops and is equipped with integrated multi-
spectral spectroscopy and solution electric measurement units for a full range of material an alysis of nutrients and
contaminates. This new technology also addresses the well -known need in the agricultural environment for high
accuracy and fast measurement of N, P and K (Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium) in all their forms. The full
cycle of sample collection, preparation, analysis and submission of results is completed in minutes as compared to
the 10 day cycle for present test throughputs using traditional laboratories. These innovations dramatically change
the prevailing agricultural testi ng methodology and should allow a marked increase in crop yield with a seamless
customer interface.
Croptimal will commence commercialization with pilot customers in Israel where the initial focus will be on crops
tested during technology verification and then expande d to intensive crops, basic foods and toxic elements.
Croptimal will continue the collaboration with Netafim , an Israeli company that is the global leader in drip and micro -
irrigation solutions for agriculture productivity , under the Memorandum of Understanding entered into last year to
secure cooperation of prospective clients. The Croptimal service will offer f armers and agronomists a full cycle of
sample collection, preparation and testing, and will transmit the analysis results tog ether with recommendations to
the customers’ mobile phones or smart devices. The collected data wil l be accumulated in a Cloud -based data base
for intelligent recommendations and data mining for trends and patterns within the agricultural sector. The data
gathered by Croptimal will generate detailed insights, and provide intelligent, actionable and operational information
that should increase yields and boost farmer’s revenues while minimizing expenses and the chance of crop failure.
Croptimal’s target market is the individual farmer and supporting agronomist, and the Cloud-based data base is
additionally targeted at organizations dealing with regional, national and global food supplies. The Company’s goal is
to achieve worldwide commercialization within four years and to leverage the global penetration to expand the scope
of its service by collecting and analyzing data from additional in -line and off-line sensors. According to Markets and
Markets, the Agricultural Testing Market is valued at be tween $2.4 and $3.0 billion annually. Eurocontrol believes
that Croptimal could achieve a substantial market share due to the innovative nature of the technology coupled with
the service concept.
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Doron Reinis, Chief Operating Officer of Eurocontrol, stated, “The major challenge faced by the agricultural testing
market today is lack of basic supporting infrastructure. Croptimal enables in -field, precise, immediately actionable
analysis that can reduce expenses, increase yields and boost revenues. The measured data that is combined with
GPS coordinates will form a periodical data -set that can be transmitted per a GIS protocol to a Cloud-based
repository which when compared to accumulated data will be scrutinized automatically in relation to pre -set and
changeable criteria defined per crop by agriculture specialists. Ultimately the collected data, extended and uniquely
matched will provide data mining usage of the data-base accumulated in Croptimal’s computers.”
Dubi Raz, Netafim’s Agronomy Director, said , “The state of the art technology including the analyzer and the sample
preparation technology and method developed by the Croptimal team at Xenemetrix, when paired with the Cloud -
based database will enable an autonomous irrigation system for Netafim clie nts, a significant improvement for
growers that should also achieve a positive impact on water management.” On future development he added, "The
strategy of Croptimal to develop an IN LINE / Online water analysis system meshes with Netafim’s development
plans to further improve crop analysis and optimize irrigation / nutrigation recommendations to growers with the aim
of assuring sustainable higher yields while protecting the environment."
Bruce Rowlands, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, added, ”With the world population predicted to rise to 9
billion by 2050 and the accompanying increase in food demand b eing exasperated by urbanization, scarcity of water
and fertile land and extreme weather conditions, current world food production needs to increase by 60% and current
crop production needs to double. We believe that our Croptimal initiative could be the fertilizer of this evolution.”
In other news, the Company announces that the Memorandum of Understanding with DigiFlex Ltd. that was
announced on May 16, 2016 has been terminated. Eurocontrol also announces that it has granted 300,000 options
to purchase common shares of the Company at $0.17 per common share for a period of five years to Gilles Léraillé,
a director, in accordance with the Company’s stock option plan.
About Xenemetrix Ltd.
Xenemetrix is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of energy -dispersive x -ray fluorescence (ED -XRF)
systems and components. Located in Israel and with over 30 years’ experience, Xenemetrix holds a number of
certifications and is the recipient of Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards in 2015 and 2010 for G lobal Analytical X-
Ray Instrumentation Price Performance Value Leadership and Global ED -XRF Analyzers Product Line Strategy of
the Year, respectively. Xenemetrix continues to develop highly innovative technologies and solutions suitable for
today’s ever-growing analytical challenges, performing non -destructive elemental analysis starting from Carbon (6)
through Fermium (100), while providing detection limits from low parts -per-billion (ppb) to high weight percent (%wt).
ED-XRF spectroscopy is one of the simplest, most accurate and economical analytical methods for the determination
of the chemical composition of many types of materials. Xenemetrix combines the latest technological developments
with innovative engineering, to provide cost -effective solutions to a wide range of industries including the petroleum,
mining, marine, manufacturing, food and beverage, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries to outline a few.
Xenemetrix’s emphasis on quality combined with ongoing research and development has earned Xen emetrix an
international reputation for excellence. For further information on Xenemetrix, visit www.xenemetrix.com.
About Eurocontrol Technics Group Inc.
Eurocontrol is a TSX Venture and OTCQB traded company that specializes in the acquisition, development and
commercialization of innovative test and measurement technologies for the authentication, verification and
certification markets. Eurocontrol has two wholly owned subsidiaries, Xenemetrix Ltd. and XwinSys Te chnology
Development Ltd. and an agreement with SICPA S.A. for semi -annual earn-out payments of 5% (minimum $9 million
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over six years) on revenues generated from the oil and gas marking and monitoring field relating to the sale of its
former subsidiary Global Fluids International (GFI) S.A. Xenemetrix is a leading designer, manufacturer and
marketer of ED -XRF systems, a t echnology that is the most accurate and economic method for determining the
chemical composition of many types of materials, including the analysis of petroleum oils and fuel. Xenemetrix has
an exclusive long -term supply, maintenance and support agreement with SICPA/GFI to supply SICPA/GFI with
Xenemetrix products and services related to the oil and gas marking and monitoring field. XwinSys has developed a
patented, fully automated metrology system for the semiconductor industry that combines 2D and 3D ima ge
processing technology with Xenemetrix’s ED-XRF technology.
For further information on Eurocontrol, please visit the Company's website at www.eurocontrol.ca or contact Bruce
Rowlands, Chairman and CEO at (416) 361-2809 or [email protected].
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the
TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequa cy or accuracy of this release. No stock exchange,
securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.
Forward-Looking Statements:
This press release contains forward -looking statements. More particularly, this press release contains statements.
Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend",
"believe", anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "would", "potential", "proposed" and other similar words, or statements
that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. The forward -looking statements are based on certain key
expectations and assumptions made by Eurocontro l. Although Eurocontrol believes that the expectations and
assumptions on which the forward -looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be
placed on the forward -looking statements because Eurocontrol can give no assurance that t hey will prove to be
correct. Since forward -looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve
inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a
number of factors and risks. In addition to other risks that may affect the forward -looking statements in this press
release are those set out in Eurocontrol’s management discussion and analysis of the financial condition and results
of operations for the quarter ended September 30, 2016 and the year ended December 31, 2015 which are available
on the Corporation’s profile at www.sedar.com. The forward -looking statements contained in this press release are
made as of the date hereof and Eurocontrol undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward -looking
statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by
applicable securities laws.