Health & Life Sciences
Organon: a global player in women’s health
Organon is a global healthcare company with a broad portfolio of therapies and products dedicated to women’s health. With more than 60 medicines and other products across areas such as reproductive health, cardiovascular disease, oncology, immunology, dermatology, allergy and asthma, Organon operates in 140 countries worldwide. In the Benelux, Sweco supports this global player by optimising its production sites.
- Expertise:
- Health & life sciences
- Client
- Organon
- Location
- Heist-op-den-Berg
- Sweco scoop
- Concept, Basic, Detail engineering, Procurement and Construction Management, Process architecture
Upgrade of Weighing & Dispense (W&D): process architecture is key
At Organon’s site in Heist‑op‑den‑Berg, the Weighing & Dispense (W&D) unit required an upgrade. This involved redesigning the very heart of the production process, where raw materials are weighed and distributed throughout the site.
In such a redesign, process architecture plays a crucial role. Sweco carried out an in‑depth analysis of the production processes, addressing key questions such as:
- What are the inputs and outputs—materials, packaging, batch sizes and product types?
- How much floor space is required to accommodate the processes?
- How can this space be organised most effectively to ensure efficient and compliant operations?
Using schematic layouts, Sweco mapped the processes and developed a shortlist of preferred solutions, in close collaboration with Organon and within the agreed planning and budget.
Sweco was commissioned to reassess the weighing and powder‑handling processes at the Heist‑op‑den‑Berg site. Organon’s clear ambition was to significantly reduce the use of personal protective equipment, without compromising safety, ergonomics or industrial hygiene. The process architecture study revealed that the initially preferred solution did not fully meet these requirements and steered the project towards an alternative that does. This solution is currently being implemented.
All modifications are being carried out on an operational site, without disrupting ongoing production.
Organon laid the foundation for the smooth progress of the project through a well‑defined roadmap. Using an integrated approach, Organon and Sweco are delivering this roadmap as a single project team, working towards a shared objective.
Expansion of the laboratory building
Previously, Sweco designed a new laboratory building for Organon, adjacent to the existing laboratory infrastructure. This facility provides additional capacity for quality control and batch‑release activities, supporting both the Heist‑op‑den‑Berg site and other Organon locations.
The “spoon study”: sustainability lies in the details
In addition to its core pharmaceutical services, Sweco also supported Organon with a highly specific sustainability question: should the site continue using disposable spoons, or invest in a dishwasher and reusable spoons? Experts from Sweco’s Materials for Society team analysed both options. By assessing the full life cycle of each alternative, the study concluded that, in this case, disposable spoons were the more sustainable choice.
Energy plan
A pharmaceutical production site relies on multiple energy carriers, including steam, cooling water and chilled water. Sweco developed a comprehensive energy plan for the Heist‑op‑den‑Berg site, comprising:
- A technical description of the site
- An energy balance to identify the largest energy consumers
- A longlist of potential energy‑saving measures
- High‑level return‑on‑investment calculations
- A complete report for VEKA
As part of this study, the return on investment of solutions such as combined heat and power (CHP), a Purified Water loop linked to the HVAC system, and the impact of isolators and spray dryers was assessed.
