When Bruker was looking to upgrade two of its expanding BioSpin sites in Rheinstetten and Ettlingen, Germany, the company took the opportunity to increase its sustainability profile from the outset.
With the two facilities separated by only 5 km, Bruker opted to consolidate them into one Centre of Excellence for magnetic resonance and preclinical imaging solutions.
The 'Bruker Campus', situated on the company's Ettlingen site, represents the company's largest investment and includes the construction of two new state of the art laboratories, refurbishing existing buildings, adding green spaces, and upgrading to the latest in analytical technology, while keeping top of mind the health, safety and wellbeing of workers and good environmental practices.
Bruker BioSpin's new ISO laboratory is ISO 17025-compliant to allow the company to perform tests and calibrations either as an independent service for its customers or to ensure quality as part of its own manufacturing processes. The BioSpin division will primarily use this laboratory for quality control purposes such as determining the authenticity of products such as honey, wine, beer, olive oil and juice.
The S2 lab is a clinical laboratory for Bruker BioSpins's applied, industrial and chemical division (AIC), where customer samples are prepared and analyzed. It has been built to comply with EU Directive 2000/54/EC to protect staff from the risks associated with exposure to biological agents, particularly micro-organisms. Laboratories handling biological agents must take specific protective measures and are categorized by four defined protection levels, with protection level 4 having the highest requirements.
To ensure the health and safety of workers, each protection level area is spatially defined and marked with the protection level designation and the biohazard symbol, and access to the different protection levels is restricted to named employees.
Whether refurbishing or constructing new buildings at the Ettlingen site, Bruker has made good on its commitment to protect the environment and the wellbeing of its staff by incorporating initiatives such as:
Bruker's decision to develop one modern and attractive site fit for a technology-leading, progressive 21st century organisation brings different teams together under one roof, resulting in improved and coordinated processes, stronger internal communications and a new collaborative approach. The Campus Plaza - a specially designed green space in the middle of the new Centre of Excellence - offers workers a space in which to relax or host creative open-air meetings. Building sustainability into Bruker's Ettlingen site is "a real innovation project" for the company.