BlueChem doubles lab capacity
BlueChem doubles its lab capacity with second incubator building in NextGen District in the Port of Antwerp
Nearly €7 million investment strengthens the ecosystem for sustainable chemistry in Flanders
April 2025
Antwerp Vice-Mayor for the Port and Economy Johan Klaps, Chairman BlueChem Barbara Veranneman, BlueChem manager Liesbet Boogaerts and Chief Customer Relations Officer Port of Antwerp-Bruges William Demoor.
BlueChem, the incubator for sustainable chemistry in Antwerp, is celebrating its five-year anniversary with a major milestone. BlueChem signed a concession agreement with Port of Antwerp-Bruges for an expansion project in the NextGen District, the testing ground for the circular economy in the Antwerp port area. This second incubator building – an investment of more than €6.8 million – will double BlueChem’s laboratory capacity and marks a major step forward in strengthening the innovative ecosystem for sustainable chemistry in the heart of Europe’s largest chemical cluster.
BlueChem opened its doors in May 2020 at the eco-industrial zone Blue Gate Antwerp. Its mission? To support promising innovations from start-ups active in sustainable chemistry and the circular economy by providing specialised lab infrastructure and tailored services; helping them grow into industrial-scale success stories. These innovations include turning CO₂ into valuable raw materials, developing advanced recycling and water purification technologies, or using food waste as input for chemical processes and products.
200 jobs created
Five years later, BlueChem’s positive impact is unmistakable. Since its launch, the incubator for sustainable chemistry has supported 21 start-ups from Belgium and abroad, resulting in the creation of around 200 jobs and over €100 million in raised capital. In the past two years, BlueChem has operated at over 90% capacity, clearly indicating the need for expansion.
The shareholders and founding partners of BlueChem – essenscia (the Belgian sector federation for chemistry and life sciences), the City of Antwerp, the Provincial Development Agency (POM) Antwerp, and VITO (Flemish Institute for Technological Research) – decided to take the next step in the development and further growth of the incubator, which is also gaining international recognition.
Doubling lab capacity
BlueChem’s second incubator building will be located in the NextGen District, on the former site of Opel Antwerp. This area of the port is designated for innovative projects and pilot or demo installations in circular economy and sustainable chemistry. It’s the ideal location for BlueChem’s expansion, which will primarily consist of laboratories. As a result, the incubator’s lab capacity will double from 900 to 1,800 m². If everything goes to plan, construction will start in May 2026, with the new site opening one year later in May 2027.
The BlueChem expansion receives financial support from Europe – via the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) – and from Flanders, through the Fund for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (FIO). The total investment amounts to €6,857,801, with ERDF and FIO contributing €2,347,122 and €630,000 respectively in subsidies. The remainder will be financed by BlueChem NV, including a loan from the City of Antwerp.
Matthias Diependaele, Minister-President of the Flemish Government and Flemish Minister for Economy, Innovation and Industry: "The chemical sector is one of the pillars of Flemish industry and a cornerstone of our prosperity. Through a strong innovation ecosystem, we are actively working on solutions for a circular economy, which is vital for our strategic autonomy. Thanks to BlueChem and this new expansion project, we attract additional investments and make the chemical industry in Flanders more innovative, competitive, and productive. In challenging economic times, sustainable innovation is exactly what we need to secure our long-term prosperity."
Johan Klaps, Alderman for Port and Economy of the City of Antwerp and Board Member of BlueChem NV: "BlueChem’s rapid growth over the past five years shows that Antwerp has become an attractive hotspot for innovative companies in sustainable chemistry, both nationally and internationally. To further boost this innovation power – critical for the chemical industry, the most important economic engine of Antwerp and Flanders – we need to scale up the incubator itself. With BlueChem’s expansion in the NextGen District at the heart of Antwerp’s chemical cluster, we’re not only doubling the number of labs available to start-ups, we’re also becoming more appealing to companies with port-related activities. If you’re working on the chemistry of the future, Antwerp is the place to be."
From lab to large-scale innovation
Several concrete examples highlight BlueChem’s key role in building an innovative ecosystem for sustainable chemistry in Antwerp. BlueChem start-up TripleHelix is constructing an advanced recycling plant for polyurethane (SurePUre) in the NextGen District, while TripleW is operating a pilot installation to convert food waste into lactic acid, an important raw material for detergents and other chemical products. D-CRBN is successfully running pilot projects with partners like BASF Antwerp and Vopak to capture and recycle CO₂ into carbon circular feedstock for the chemical industry.
Liesbet Boogaerts and Barbara Veranneman, General Manager and Chair of the Board at BlueChem NV: "BlueChem has quickly become a strong brand with high added value. The incubator creates jobs, delivers tangible innovations for climate and the environment, and leads to real investments in new industrial infrastructure. With high occupancy rates, strong start-up growth, and increasing international interest, expansion became a necessity. The success of the incubator proves that Flanders is home to many promising start-ups seeking suitable lab space, and that major breakthrough technologies in sustainable chemistry are being developed here. In this way, BlueChem helps strengthen Flanders' leadership in the chemical industry."
William Demoor, Chief Customer Relations Officer Port of Antwerp-Bruges: "BlueChem’s move to the NextGen District is a powerful confirmation of our ambition to build a thriving ecosystem for sustainable chemistry and innovation. Since the launch in 2020, we have deliberately focused on circular economy and clean tech, with room for companies at every stage of development – from start-up to scale-up to established industrial companies. Today, we’re seeing this vision take shape, with a mix of pioneers and major names co-creating the circular industry of tomorrow."
