Eindhoven, October 30, 2024 —SBMC has selected Royal Kuijpers for the construction of its biomaterials pilot factory. This Helmond-based specialist, known for its expertise in critical research and production environments, started today with the construction of four cleanrooms totaling 400 m² at the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven. The pilot factory will become the first shared use production facility for biomaterials for regenerative medicine in Europe.
With this pilot production facility, SBMC aims to scale up the production of biomedical materials and meet strict clinical requirements. In addition to the four cleanrooms operating under GMP-C (ISO6 or ISO7 conditions), SBMC’s clients will also have access to a shared quality control laboratory, office space, and storage facilities.
Room for Innovation
“We are leading the way in Brainport in developing smart biomaterials that help the body heal itself,” says Jan Rietsema, CEO of SBMC. “However, many start-ups face obstacles in the long journey from the lab to the patient. With our facilities at the High Tech Campus and our development laboratory at the TU/e campus, we aim to remove these obstacles. This accelerates access to new therapies, which benefits both patients and the economic development of the region.”
Flexibility
“The production facilities will soon be available to start-ups and scale-ups from across Europe. The flexibility to meet their diverse requirements made the design of the factory in building HTC 11 challenging,” says Rietsema. “That’s why we enlisted the help of Kuijpers soon after we had formulated our requirements in a basic design. Their experience with critical production environments, their involvement in our consortium, and their presence in the Brainport region made them the ideal partner for this project.”
Tight Schedule
Paul Joosten, Market Director Life Sciences & Hightech at Kuijpers, emphasizes the importance of early collaboration: “When setting up a production facility in an existing building, you often encounter unexpected issues. Thanks to our early involvement, we were able to avoid many surprises. The final design is now in place, allowing us to make clear agreements on delivery. This provides certainty for all parties. We are very proud to contribute in this way to a unique development in healthcare.”
The opening of the pilot factory is scheduled for the spring of 2025.
