Vaccine development, the robustness of healthcare systems, the link between environmental degradation and the emergence of new viruses, inequalities between populations in terms of access to healthcare... all these issues have had major resonance in recent months.

The Covid epidemic has also highlighted the need for national autonomy, both in terms of access to medicines and to enable our pharmaceutical industry to rapidly roll out industrial production of vaccines.

Against this backdrop of rapid transition, EQUANS is proving to be a reliable partner for healthcare laboratories and manufacturers, helping them to build clean rooms and install ultra-cold tanks, as well as providing fire protection for their sites, ultra-reliable air treatment and optimising predictive site maintenance using digital solutions....

In biotechnology, in particular, the expertise of EQUANS subsidiary Pierre Guerin has earned it an international reputation. The company designs and manufactures stainless steel tanks and automated production lines for the biopharmaceutical industry, more specifically fermenters for microbial cultures and bioreactors for cell cultures.

These include the production of blood derivatives, hormones, diagnostic products, monoclonal antibodies and human and veterinary microbial and viral vaccines.

In addition to fermenters and bioreactors, Pierre Guerin supplies its customers with stainless steel process vessels fitted with innovative mixing and agitation components, cleaning-in-place stations and control systems. Most solutions are tailor-made.

At Pierre Guerin, we have seen an increase in demand over the last two years, fuelled by the growing activity of biopharmaceutical laboratories as well as Contract Manufacturing Organizations (CMOs), companies that produce under contract for the big names in pharmaceuticals.

In South Korea, for example, Pierre Guerin signed a contract in 2020 with Samsung Biologics, a major CMO and long-standing customer, for the fourth building of its gigantic vaccine production site not far from Seoul airport (production capacity: 256,000 litres). Pierre Guerin will build all the site's bioreactors.