At the BioProcess International (BPI) Europe conference (12-15 May, Hamburg, Germany), sustainability took center stage in a striking demonstration of how far the biopharmaceutical industry has come. Once dismissed as irrelevant—"I remember people giggling," recalled Thermo Fisher’s Geoffroy Malherbe—environmental responsibility is now a serious and collaborative focus across the sector.
A key takeaway from the panel discussion was the growing importance of sustainable facility design in achieving corporate climate goals. Simon Gilleman, sustainability manager at Takeda, emphasized the role of all-electric, single-use equipment as part of future-forward manufacturing sites. Gilleman also highlighted Takeda's green milestones at its Lessines, Belgium site, including massive solar panel installations, reduced water usage, wind turbine construction, and a commitment to net-zero emissions by 2030.
Panelists agreed that sustainability must be embedded early in the design process, with Malherbe urging companies to consider the full lifecycle of their inputs—like sourcing biocircular resins—to make significant reductions in waste and emissions.
Bron: Bioprocess International