GE Healthcare and Rockwell work towards biopharma 4.0
Ahead of BioProcess International, GE Healthcare and Rockwell Automation announced that they will partner to provide bioprocessing solutions ‘for the digital age.’
This agreement will see GE Healthcare apply Rockwell’s automation tools to its FlexFactory offering, a configurable single-use biomanufacturing platform, which has seen uptake grow worldwide.
Per the partnership, FlexFactory equipment will be integrated with Figurate bioprocess automation – the companies highlight that this will improve reproducibility, repeatability, and compliance.
It will also be possible to digitise batch files and process to reduce review times by weeks and even provide real-time reviews.
Further enhancing claims of bringing ‘biopharma 4.0’ technology to the industry, the partnership states that instructions and training for workers, to use the equipment, can be managed through the use of augmented reality.
Kevin Seaver, executive general manager of Bioprocess Automation and Digital, GE Healthcare, said: “As GE Healthcare and the healthcare ecosystem move toward precision health, flexible and scalable solutions are critical for companies to efficiently manufacture smaller batches of tailored medicines. Our collaboration with Rockwell Automation is an integral part of our strategy to confirm we deliver innovative solutions that meet the needs of the biopharma 4.0 era.”
The aim is to make bioprocessing operations smaller in scale and more efficient through automation and the use of digital technology.
As part of the agreement, GE Healthcare will join Rockwell’s PartnerNetwork program.
