BASF Antwerp builds pilot installation to produce absorbent material in nappies more sustainably
Have you heard of super-absorbent polymers or SAP for short? They ensure dry bottoms in baby nappies, among other things. BASF Antwerp is investing 25 million euros in a high-tech pilot installation to make SAP production more sustainable and digital. An investment in the future and an extra asset for the chemicals sector in Flanders. […]
Chemicals and life sciences sector again attracts most foreign investment
With 40 investment projects, providing 877 new jobs and a total investment amount of more than 408 million euros, the chemicals and life sciences sector was again number 1 in Flanders in 2020 for attracting foreign investments. This is evident from figures from FIT (Flanders Investment & Trade). Due to the difficult economic context, the […]
Univercells builds two production plants in Jumet
The biotechnology company Univercells is setting up its subsidiary Exothera in Jumet, on the former site of the IT company Systemat, to offer complete development and manufacturing services for viral vectors for the development of vaccines and gene therapies. Exothera relies on the use of innovative production platforms to reduce costs and make these treatments […]
Soudal doubles production capacity in Turnhout with new ‘factory of the future’
Soudal, an expert in chemical building materials, is building a new factory for adhesives and mastics that will double the current production capacity in Turnhout. The advanced production facility – with an investment of 40 million euros – will cover more than 20,000 m² and will operate with a fully automatic process. There is no […]
Janssen Pharmaceutica invests in unique European production site for cell therapy in Ghent
Later this year, Janssen Pharmaceutica will start building a production facility for CAR-T therapy in the Tech Lane science park in Zwijnaarde. It will be the only European branch of the pharmaceutical company where this type of innovative cell therapy for blood cancers will be developed. The state-of-the-art complex, which will cover some 26,000 square […]
Bridgestone, ARLANXEO and Solvay launch stronger and more environmentally friendly types of tyres
Tyre manufacturer Bridgestone, rubber specialist ARLANXEO and chemical company Solvay have launched a new type of tyre with Techsyn with improved environmental performance. Techsyn combines chemically optimised synthetic rubber with customised silica. This ensures that the tyres wear out less quickly and last up to 30% longer, which reduces the consumption of raw materials in […]
UCB and Microsoft team up to accelerate drug development
Pharmaceutical company UCB is expanding its partnership with Microsoft to accelerate drug discovery and development, especially for severe diseases in immunology and neurology. To this end, UCB’s scientists and data specialists will be able to rely on artificial intelligence (AI), advanced computing technology and data platforms. They want to discover new correlations and patterns that […]
Calidris Bio transforms CO2 and renewable energy into a source of protein
Fermentation technology is used, along with renewable energy and CO2 capture, to produce a good quality, nutritious source of protein with a low ecological footprint. With this innovation, Calidris Bio, which works out of the incubator for sustainable chemistry, BlueChem, is developing an alternative to environmentally damaging products such as soya or fish meal for […]
Creaflow makes molecules with light
Can you make molecules with light and simultaneously use less energy and raw materials? Creaflow’s unique reactor is proving it can be done. This start-up, working out of the incubator for sustainable chemistry BlueChem, is thus helping to create a sustainable industry. Creaflow was also one of the nominees for the essenscia Innovation Award.
Peace of Meat develops latest generation of synthetic meat
Peace of Meat is a synthetic meat company that grows fat and liver cells in bioreactors. This synthetic fat can be added to plant-based meat alternatives to improve flavour, texture and nutritional value. In the longer term, the start-up, which operates from the incubator for sustainable chemistry BlueChem, would like to produce various types of […]