The €100m ($136m) plant, in the North-Western city Tatabanya, is BD’s first in Central Europe and is similar to existing manufacturing units the New Jersey, US medical technologies firm has in France and Spain.
Csaba Vecsernyes MD of the new facility told Outsourcing-pharma it was built to increase capacity in line with demand, adding that “Hungary is ideal because of its proximity to the European markets these products will serve.”
Vecsernyes went on to explain that, in terms of potential customers, the firm “will target all pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies with European filling locations.
“The Tatabanya Industrial Park is the first and largest industrial park in Hungary, and has attracted many large investors. It offers a well-developed industrial environment.”
He also highlighted the available workforce and “an enlightened body of public officials who understand how to set standards for manufacturing operations and regulate them” as drivers for the decision to set up in Hungary.
Vecsernyes added that the facility will create around 500 new jobs when fully operational, many requiring “high-level” capabilities in “production monitoring, trouble-shooting, and supporting computer-driven equipment.”
Automated microbiology
In other news, BD Innova, the US firm’s system division recently launched a new pre-analytical automated microbiology specimen processor designed to help increase efficiency in the microbiology laboratory.
The technology is one of several platforms BD gained through acquisition of Canadian group Dynacon earlier this month.
By acquiring the Lab Systems division of Dynacon, a privately held corporation based in Ontario, Canada, BD adds innovative product platforms from a leader in preanalytical microbiology automation. These product platforms include the innovative InocuLAB and Innova platforms.
Philippe Jacon, president of diagnostic systems, said: "[BD is committed] to providing labs with the tools and products they need to enhance the quality of their tests results, improve turnaround times and make the most cost-effective use of their resources."