In a new  venture, IKS International, the Netherlands based laboratory monitoring specialist and equipment supplier, has stepped outside its science comfort zone to set up a motorcycle racing team.  Rising young Dutch star, Mervyn Verploegen will be the team's rider in the Dutch National Talent Cup. According to IKS Managing Director Stephen Tierney, this is not just the usual sponsorship arrangement: IKS will be applying the expertise accumulated in over 20 years of laboratory monitoring to improve racing performance.

"It's always good for a business to have social interaction as well as commercial relationships" says Tierney, " We're delighted to be able to help this young talent advance his sporting career and to   support his family, who are very much involved. Unusually in such situations, though, we can also contribute technically by applying the technology employed in our XiltriX^® laboratory monitoring systems to measuring parameters like tyre temperature and pressure that have a significant impact on racing performance. Motor racing is pure adrenaline, but control is vital: our traditional markets are rather more conservative and sometimes slow moving, but control is every bit as important. We like to think that being involved in two such different environments will help develop the progressive and innovative philosophy that will drive our company forward.  We are also very happy that we will be able to invite our customers and colleagues to the races, and show them a good time well outside the traditional lab environment!"

For more about IKS International and Xiltrix, contact IKS International on +31(0)73 52 12 229, e-mail Info@iksbv.nl or visit www.iksbv.nl. IKS Mervyn Racing can be seen in action at www.mervyn-iks-racing.nl