The new Romaco production facility in Bologna was officially opened in mid-November with a 5-day open house. More than 200 guests visited the in-house exhibition in the modern new building, where they got a glimpse of all Romaco brands’ newest technologies.
A 5-day open house was held in mid-November to celebrate the recent move by Romaco, the Romaco Group’s Italian subsidiary, into a modern new building in Bologna Pianoro. More than 200 current and prospective customers from Europe, Russia and the US accepted the invitation to Italy to learn more about the single-source supplier’s newest technologies first-hand. All in all, 15 machines and lines built by Romaco and its partners Omas Tecnosistemi, Omag and Farmo Res were on show at the in-house exhibition in the new assembly workshop.
During numerous presentations and live demonstrations, visitors gained some good insights into the comprehensive portfolio of the pharmaceutical machinery manufacturer – from fluid bed processors by Innojet, tablet presses by Kilian and perforated coating pans by Tecpharm through aseptic powder and liquid filling technologies by Macofar as well as blister and strip packaging lines by Noack and Siebler to cartoners and final packaging solutions by Promatic.
The undoubted highlight to wind up this one-week event was a series of presentations by various high-profile keynote speakers from the international pharmaceutical industry – including Jörg Zimmermann, chair to the international board of directors of the ISPE (International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering), who gave a run-down of the most recent revision of the EU GMP Guidelines Annex 1 on the manufacture of sterile medicinal products.
Deniz Alkanat, factory director at the Turkish firm of World Medicine, spoke about practices for filling ophthalmic products, while CK Sundhar, chief operating officer of India-based Steriscience Specialties, discussed dosing of sterile powders. The series of speeches was rounded off with a talk on the future and sustainability by Dr. Dipak Raj Pant, founder of Italy’s first research team for sustainable economy. In addition to this wide-ranging theoretical and practical programme, there was also time for an informal chat at a leisurely gala dinner at the Museo Ferruccio Lamborghini which provided plenty of opportunities to connect in person.
“Our open house in Bologna enabled us to share Romaco’s evolution over the last few years with visitors,” explained Jörg Pieper, CEO of the Romaco Group. “We haven’t simply acquired more space; we’ve also grown generally as a company and have duly invested in the expansion and further development of our product range. We’re now in a position to offer our users in the pharmaceutical industry the right machine for every process step – either standalone or in-line. At the same time, our technologies are engineered to help our customers reduce their carbon dioxide emissions permanently.”
New home for Romaco in Bologna
The move by Romaco’s Italian production subsidiary into modern new premises in Bologna Pianoro was completed in several stages in summer 2021. This 15,000 square meter facility provides ample space for manufacturing primary, secondary and final packaging solutions from Macofar and Promatic. More than 190 people are currently employed at the Romaco plant in Bologna. Truking Technology, the Romaco Group’s Chinese parent, publicly announced its intention to invest in a new building back in summer 2017. That plan has now become reality.
“51 factory acceptance tests (FAT) passed in only ten weeks – that’s the excellent result since we moved into our new building”, emphasized Nicola Magriotis, managing director of Romaco in Bologna. “I’d particularly like to thank my team; after all, without them – and their untiring dedication and commitment – we could never have got off to such a successful start. The move into the new premises has set the course irrevocably for the future and paved the way for sustainable growth.”
The spacious building was designed from beginning to end with sustainability aspects in mind. In addition to green electricity and the construction of a solar roof, the heat-reflecting blinds and the energy-efficient ventilation and filtration system are major factors in systematically reducing carbon dioxide emissions. The 8500 square meters outdoor area with native plants and a wetland biotope moreover ensures a climate-friendly work environment.