Medicine with a mission
In 2009, Solvay Pharmaceuticals impressed by winning the government contract to supply vaccine in case of a (renewed) flu outbreak in the Netherlands and other countries.
“We’ve steadily developed into a company that devotes an exceptional amount of time and resources to R&D,” says Eric Hanstede, the company’s general manager. “The manufacture of flu vaccines, however, remains an important activity. Here too, we try to maintain our competitive edge by being more innovative than other suppliers.” Such as by planning to introduce a new method of growing cells for the manufacture of vaccines, which will save time and expand capacity.
For decades, Solvay Pharmaceuticals has been a familiar presence in Weesp in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area. Philips Duphar previously operated here, until the 1991 takeover by the Brussels-based Solvay group. At least 500 of the 1,100 employees are currently involved in research into diseases, the effects of existing medicines, and new therapies.
Knowledge network
Hanstede stresses that the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area helps to enable this focus, thanks to the presence of many knowledge-intensive organisations. “From here, we have direct access to a network of valuable scientists and knowledge-based companies as far away as Leiden and Groningen,” he says. “International talents are also keen to live and work in the area, while our employees are less likely to go looking for new challenges.”
In the future, Eric Hanstede feels Solvay Pharmaceuticals will have to transform its business model. It is increasingly hard to get new products to market, he says. Moreover, “The advances in mapping the human genome are bringing us closer to realising the ambition of personalised medicine.
Open innovation
An open innovation mode is becoming increasingly necessary, he adds: “It’s just not feasible anymore to have all the necessary knowledge and skills in-house. Scientific and market developments will eventually force this company to abandon traditional business models.”
Therefore, the company hopes to expand its existing facilities in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area to include a life sciences campus for new or restructured businesses in related areas. “We have more than enough space here to facilitate the growth of other commercial activities,” says Hanstede. “Working together so closely on a daily basis yields inspiration in terms of ideas and views. This will significantly reduce the time needed to develop a concept into a finished product.”
Although the campus still in an exploratory phase, Solvay is pleased to with the enthusiastic reception of its idea. In a similar project, Shell relocated part of its activities in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area, enabling companies dedicated to sustainable energy solutions to move in. Says Hanstede: “That sort of example is obviously a source of inspiration.”
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