Industrial application, Technology and digital innovation

In contrast to the chemical industry, where many commercial processes are continuous processes, most processes in the biopharmaceutical industry are batch processes. The latter are generally slower and more expensive than their continuous counterparts. Continuous processes are also more reproducible, and the quality is more consistent. Despite these proven advantages, continuous processes are seldom found in the biopharmaceutical industry. As many improvements on process units are being developed, biopharmaceutical parties are becoming more and more aware of the added value of continuous bioprocessing. Pall Life Sciences presents a new downstream technology that is designed to increase purification efficiency using a continuous chromatography system.
In 2008, UGent spin-off ProDigest opened its doors. The company was built around a machine called the SHIME®, an in vitro model for the entire human gastrointestinal tract, complete with stomach and small and large intestines. The immediate interest from the food industry quickly made ProDigest a household name in its niche market. Since its establishment, ProDigest has significantly expanded its technology and activities and has taken on the pharmaceutical and veterinarian industries as additional partners.