Bundeskartellamt gives green light for cooperation between ADAC and Fraunhofer for mobile and rapid COVID 19 tests

The Bundeskartellamt has given the green light for the cooperation between ADAC Luftrettung gGmbH and Fraunhofer Gesellschaft to carry out new and mobile COVID-19 rapid tests.

Andreas Mundt, President of the Bundeskartellamt: “New Corona rapid tests could save considerable time in testing for Corona and at the same time provide a high degree of accuracy. It is good news that several companies are active in this market and cooperations can also make a valuable contribution to fighting the pandemic. With the help of ADAC a new rapid test developed by Fraunhofer is to be made mobile via suitable testing vehicles. We quickly gave the green light for this cooperation.”

Via their new joint venture, AF Labs GmbH, the cooperating partners plan to provide mobile testing units, in particular in the form of completely equipped laboratory vehicles. The joint venture is to apply a new testing procedure developed by Fraunhofer which, according to Fraunhofer’s own statements, will enable the same sensitivity and specificity as the well-known PCR tests but at the same time provide a rapid on-the-spot result within around only 40 minutes. In this way the offer of rapid COVID 19 tests currently available or still under development will be increased and improved by other providers both in terms of quality and quantity.

The notified joint venture was cleared today within the one-month deadline of first phase merger control