UCB, the Brussels-based global biopharmaceutical company, has awarded BESIX the contract to build new facilities in Braine l'Alleud, Belgium. The works, which will last 14 months, will start on Friday 18 March.
The 17,000 m² facilities to be built by BESIX were designed to accommodate particularly innovative services and comply with high environmental standards. They will house cutting-edge laboratories and R&D facilities, production areas, and office spaces. One of its special features is also the flexibility of the building, with the possibility of easily reconfiguring the interior spaces.
Alexandre Duthoit, Project Manager: “We would like to thank UCB for their trust, and for the quality of our collaboration, which enabled us, together, in a very short time, to clarify the technical, methodological, legal and HSE aspects of the project. We opted for methods that meet the company's priorities, combining the required high quality with a fast construction process and high safety measures. With the help of BESIX Engineering, our in-house design office, we proposed a variant to the original project, based on the use of prefabricated concrete elements. This has technical advantages, as well as in terms of price and availability of materials. UCB can count on BESIX's expertise, particularly in the construction of demanding buildings adapted to high-tech activities, to deliver the new facilities according to its expectations.”
The UCB site is a Seveso site, and therefore requires extremely stringent safety rules. All the necessary measures, both technical and human, have been taken by BESIX to integrate and respect these constraints throughout the project.
The new facilities are part of UCB's wider strategic development plan to provide Gene Therapy capabilities, including laboratories and production facilities, at its Braine l'Alleud site. This new biotechnology facility, one of the largest and most modern in Belgium, is being built to support the company's growth and prepare for the launch and long-term supply of future drugs currently in clinical development.
About BESIX
BESIX is a leading Belgian group, based in Brussels and active in 25 countries and 5 continents in the construction, real estate development and concessions sectors. Active since 1909, its iconic achievements include the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest tower in Dubai. The group's engineering department enables BESIX to carry out complex and unique projects, particularly in technical and environmental terms.
In recent years, BESIX has built numerous facilities for the pharmaceutical and medical sectors (first-class hospitals, proton therapy centres, etc.), for particularly innovative companies (EDF Lab Paris-Saclay, IMEC Tower - Leuven, etc.), or state-of-the-art environmental buildings, e.g. energy-neutral or in compliance with the highest certifications.