CSM, Royal DSM and Delft University of Technology invest in Bioprocess Pilot Facility for bio-research
15 May 2012. Back
to overview
CSM, Royal DSM and Delft University of Technology are
participating in a joint venture for bioprocess research. The new
company Bioprocess Pilot Facility BV (BPF) is based in Delft and
aims at scale-up research and education for next generation
bioprocesses. The official opening of the facility is today May 15,
2012.
In this facility process development research can be facilitated in
the entire field of biomass pre-processing, biomass pre-treatment,
fermentation and downstream processing. The set up of this facility
starts with equipment already existing on the site of DSM, which
will be brought in into the Joint Venture. Additional equipment and
facilities, especially related to the pre-treatment of biomass,
will be implemented in the coming 12-18 months.
The BPF is an open access facility where other companies,
universities, institutes etc. can execute their scale-up research
on bioprocesses. CSM, DSM and Delft University of Technology have
decided to join forces in order to obtain a world class facility to
test new bioprocesses in the scaling-up from laboratory and pilot
plant to industrial size.
Eric Roos, the newly appointed director of the BPF says: "The
BPF is a unique facility which enables companies, researchers and
educational organizations around the world to test their new
bioprocesses on such a scale that they can make the step to an
industrial facility".
The Bioprocess Pilot Facility is financially supported by the
European Union, The Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture
and Innovation, the Province of South Holland and the
Municipalities of Rotterdam, Delft and The Hague.
Mr Gerard Hoetmer (CEO CSM), Mr Feike Sijbesma (CEO DSM) and Mr
DirkJan van den Berg (President of the Technical University of
Delft) stressed the importance of this top quality research
facility in The Netherlands, especially in view of the
opportunities that the innovative and sustainable bio- and
knowledge-based-economy is
providing to The Netherlands.
Also Mr Chris Buijink, Secretary General of the Ministry of
Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation underpinned that this
research facility is exactly in the core of the innovation
spearheads (Top Sectoren) of the Dutch innovation policy.