Brooks Automation Inc. and K. W. Tunnell Form Alliance to Provide Pharmaceutical Companies with Turnkey Solutions for Process Development, Scale-up, and Technology Transfer.

Business/Technology Editors

CHELMSFORD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 21, 2000

Brooks Automation, Inc. (NASDAQ:BRKS) and K. W. Tunnell today announced they have formed an alliance to integrate the technology and methodology of Brooks Automation's Starfire(TM) groupware system with K. W. Tunnell's scientific, technical, and organizational expertise. The alliance between Brooks Automation and K. W. Tunnell is expected to provide pharmaceutical companies with turnkey solutions for streamlining the business and technical processes for process development, scale-up, and technology transfer. K. W. Tunnell plans to work with Brooks Automation to address any change management issues that may arise during an implementation of Starfire.

"Over the past three years, Brooks Automation has worked closely with customers to help them address the root causes of process failures. The result of this intense activity is a turnkey solution that combines Starfire with the scientific and technical capabilities required for development, scale-up, technology transfer, and validation," said Dr. Malcolm Moore, Director of Marketing for Starfire. "K. W. Tunnell has significant experience in delivering services for process development, technology transfer, and process validation. The synergy between our two firms provides the basis for a powerful alliance that should support our customers in leveraging the strategic value of Starfire."

"Starfire complements and strengthens our preferred approach in the areas of process development, scale-up, technology transfer, and validation," said Robert Hill, President of K. W. Tunnell. "We know from our experience that when companies follow the development pathway that is built into Starfire, the outcome typically is a more stable, higher quality product. When companies follow a structured process development path, the difference is enormous and is measurable in success rate and process robustness long term."

Describing the resources of K. W. Tunnell, Hill added, "We provide a portable R&D/Technical Services staff with analytical and compliance capabilities. We bring to the table seasoned scientists, engineers, and project managers, each of whom has worked for 15-plus years in the industry. Our consultants have successfully handled a range of issues in the areas of process development, scale-up, technology transfer, and validation. Brooks Automation and K. W. Tunnell should be a valuable asset for any pharmaceutical client who engages us."

Brooks Automation Inc.

We are a leading supplier of integrated tool and factory automation solutions for the global semiconductor manufacturing and related industries. Our automation solutions are designed to optimize equipment and factory productivity. These solutions include tool automation modules, complete semiconductor wafer handling systems and automation software and integration services. We sell our tool automation products principally to manufacturers of process equipment used in semiconductor fabrication facilities, or fabs. We sell our factory automation products principally to semiconductor manufacturers. We also sell our products to data storage and flat panel display manufacturers. We believe that we are the largest independent producer of vacuum tool automation systems and a leading independent producer of tool software and controls. The Company has ISO 9001 certification, is headquartered in Chelmsford, Mass. and has direct operations in the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Singapore. The Brooks' web site is www.brooks.com.

K. W. Tunnell

K. W. Tunnell is a consulting industry leader in the development and customization of turnkey and gradual transfer-of-knowledge solutions for pharmaceutical companies. Based in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, K. W. Tunnell provides technical expertise in the areas of product development, analytical methods development, process development and validation, technology transfer, manufacturing support, QA and regulatory compliance related issues. Tunnell's other practice areas include organizational development, quality management, and supply chain management. The K. W. Tunnell web site address is www.kwtunnell.com.

"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: The foregoing discussion contains forward-looking statements related to the businesses discussed, the benefits we expect from the Company's alliance with K.W. Tunnell and future financial and operational results. These statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties including, without limitation, risks relating to the Company's inexperience with the pharmaceutical industry, the Company's dependence on relatively few customers for a significant portion of its revenues, the ability of the Company to continue to successfully develop and market new products and product enhancements on a timely basis, the ability to integrate recent acquisitions into the Company, the highly competitive nature and rapid technological change that characterize the industries in which the Company competes, and other risks and uncertainties described in the Company's reports and registration statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Because of the terms of the agreement with K.W. Tunnell, the Company can not guarantee that it will ever achieve the expected benefits of its relationship with Tunnell. As a result, there can be no assurance that the Company's future results will not be materially different than those projected. The forward-looking statements contained herein speak only of the Company's expectations as of the date of this press release. The Company also operates in an industry sector where securities' values are highly volatile and may be influenced by economic and other factors beyond the Company's control. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any such statement to reflect any change in the Company's expectations or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statement is based.