Construction Starts on Belgium's BlueChem PORT Chemical Incubation Facility

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 6, the Belgian sustainable chemistry incubator BlueChem officially launched construction of its second facility, BlueChem PORT, in the NextGen District of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges. The project has a total investment of €6,857,801 and will add 900 square meters of specialized chemistry laboratories, increasing BlueChem's total laboratory area from the existing 900 square meters to 1,800 square meters. The new facility is scheduled to open in the fourth quarter of 2027.

BlueChem PORT is located on the former Opel Antwerp plant site, with a total building area of approximately 2,200 square meters. The main structure has two floors, featuring laboratories, meeting and exchange spaces, and an additional floor for technical equipment areas. Sweco serves as the client's construction management party, responsible for project management, planning, cost, risk, and contract management.

Project construction funding includes a €2,347,122 grant from the European Regional Development Fund and €630,000 from the Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship Fund, with the remaining investment borne by BlueChem NV, including a commercial loan provided by the City of Antwerp. Based on the total project investment, the two public funding sources total approximately €2.9771 million.

BlueChem PORT primarily targets chemistry technology startups and growth-stage companies that have completed early-stage technology development and are preparing for demonstration validation and industrial scale-up. The NextGen District where the project is located is developed by the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, and the area where BlueChem PORT is situated is used for pilot and demonstration facility construction for circular chemistry and low-carbon industrial projects.