AURIGA MEDICAL™ AWARDED MULTI MILLION US DOLLAR CONTRACT BY DELFT INSTRUMENTS' DAUGHTER COMPANY NUCLETRON (RADIOTHERAPY)

Auriga Medical™, the new name for the medical therapy business of QSA, a business owned by UK-based AEA Technology, has signed an agreement with Nucletron B.V., a subsidiary of the Delft Instruments Group, to manufacture Iridium 192 sources which are being used in Nucletron's advanced MicroSelectron II™ products to fight cancer. The agreement has a term of 10 years and a value of over US $10 million.

Up until now these sources have only been produced in Petten, Netherlands and irradiated in ECN's High Flux Reactor. The USA based production will be achieved at the Burlington, MA, facility of AEA Technology QSA Inc. where a new cGMP medical manufacturing facility is being created to support Auriga Medical™'s business. Distribution of the first HDR (High Dose Rate) products is planned for November, 2003.

Commenting on the alliance between the two companies, Rudolf Scholte, managing director of Nucletron BV says: "the combination of QSA's leadership in the field of sealed radioactive sources, its known expertise having supplied low dose rate Selectron™ sources to Nucletron since 1978 and its timely expansion of medical radiation source manufacturing to its Massachusetts, USA, facility provide Nucletron with important logistical and service advantages".

Paul Brown, AEA Technology QSA, managing director, stated: "This long-term manufacturing agreement with Nucletron underpins Auriga Medical™'s commitment to the market and support of the increasing range of radiotherapeutic products manufactured at the QSA facilities in Germany and the USA. The creation of the new Auriga Medical™ manufacturing facility in Burlington, Massachusetts, is an important strategic investment by AEA Technology that will not only enable superior service levels to customers such as Nucletron B.V., who have a significant presence in the North American marketplace, but also complement our business expansion in the North American market for radiotherapeutic products."

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Notes to editors:

Auriga™ Medical profile

Auriga Medical™ (www.aurigamedical.com) is the new brand name for products and services in nuclear medicine and radiation therapy within AEA Technology QSA, a subsidiary of AEA Technology plc (AAT.L on the London Stock Exchange).

Focussing on the therapeutic use of radioisotopes, especially the exciting areas of brachytherapy and radioimmunotherapy, Auriga Medical™ draws on over 50 years of QSA's experience in the processing of radioisotopes and the design and manufacture of sealed radiation sources.

The QSA business is an international market leader of high-quality products for medical, industrial, environmental and research applications with manufacturing sites in the USA, Germany and China.

Nucletron profile

Nucletron (www.nucletron.com) is world leader in the field of systems for radiotherapy and is specialised in one of the world's most innovative products for cancer treatment. Nucletron has 20 offices world-wide including its head office in Veenendaal, the Netherlands.

Nucletron has a leading position in the radiotherapy market for afterloaders for more than 25 years.

AEA Technology plc profile

One of the world's leading innovation businesses, AEA Technology turns science and engineering into profit for the benefit of its customers and investors. AEA Technology has years of experience in understanding complex industrial processes and managing the way in which they interact with each other and their environment. The innovative delivery of knowledge and skills differentiates AEA Technology from its competitors.

The business focuses on five key areas: technology-based products, specialised science, environmental management, improving the efficiency of industrial plant, and risk assessment and safety management. In each area AEA Technology offers services, products, consultancy, software and technology transfer. Operating in 31 countries in Europe, North America, the Middle East and Asia Pacific, AEA Technology's main markets are rail, utilities and infrastructure, processing and manufacture, oil and gas, pharmaceuticals and defence, together with government and public sector organisations.

Benefiting from a highly-qualified workforce - over half are graduate scientists or engineers, and ten per cent have PhD's - AEA Technology seeks to be recognised as the world's most successful innovation business. In the 2002-2003 financial year preliminary results show turnover was $272.3 million and (loss)/profit before tax was ($5.4) million.

AEA Technology plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: AAT.L) in the Support Services sector.

Website address: http://www.aeat.co.uk

Delft Instruments profile

Delft Instruments N.V. is the holding company of an international group of companies which hold a leading position in their markets with products and services at an advanced technological level.

The Delft Instruments companies develop, produce, sell and service advanced precision hardware and software for medical and industrial customers. Medical applications are amongst others cancer treatment via radiation, x-ray and ultrasound diagnostic techniques and digital archives for x-ray photo's. Industrial applications are amongst others measurement and control of storage and transport of oil and gas products. Delft Instruments develops and supplies custom made total solutions with fully integrated hardware, software, service and maintenance components.

Delft Instruments employs about 1,200 people and is listed at Euronext Amsterdam under NextEconomy. The Delft Instruments group realised a profit of Euro 10,9 million on a turnover of Euro 194 million.

Website address: http://www.delftinstruments.com