Billerica, MA and Santa Clara, CA 3/9/10; Washington, DC 3/12/10—Bruker and Agilent Technologies have entered into a definitive asset purchase agreement for Varian’s ICP-MS, laboratory GC and triple quadrupole GC-MS instruments for $37.5 million in cash. The EU required the divestiture of these product lines, as well as Agilent’s micro GC product line, as a condition of Agilent’s acquisition of Varian (see IBO 7/31/09). Agilent expects the Varian transaction to close by April 30. “The three new product lines will form the core offerings in a newly established Bruker Chemical Analysis Division with an experienced and dedicated management team,” stated Bruker President and CEO Frank Laukien. The businesses will remain at their respective facilities: ICP-MS in Melbourne, Australia; GC in Middelburg, the Netherlands; and triple quadrupole GC-MS at Walnut Creek, California. Bruker also plans to retain key management, R&D, operations, sales and marketing, and applications and service personnel. Agilent and Bruker also intend to enter into a transitional services agreement and a supply agreement.