Working together for a sustainable future: Bürkert Fluid Control Systems and Green Elephant Biotech
Bürkert Fluid Control Systems has taken a stake in Green Elephant Biotech as a strategic investor so the two companies can work together to develop more efficient, flexible and sustainable cell cultivation processes in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. This partnership should enable more cost-effective production of therapeutics and facilitate access to the latest biopharmaceutical trends.
As part of a strategic partnership, Bürkert Fluid Control Systems has taken a stake in the Giessen-based start-up Green Elephant Biotech. Together with Bürkert, the start-up is aiming to make cell cultivation processes in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries more efficient, flexible and sustainable so that, for example, life-saving therapeutics can be produced more cost-effectively. The partnership gives Bürkert access to the latest trends and developments in the biopharmaceutical industry, one of the strategic core markets of the fluidics specialist from Ingelfingen. “We believe that Green Elephant Biotech’s innovative cell culture systems have great potential to revolutionise production processes in the industry. This is in line with our corporate vision of bringing solutions for a regenerative economy to the market,” says Bürkert CEO Georg Stawowy.
Green Elephant Biotech was founded in 2021 by Dr Joel Eichmann and Felix Wollenhaupt at the Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen University of Applied Sciences in Giessen. Compared to conventional cell culture vessels, the innovative and patented CellScrew® cell cultivation system enables a hugely increased growth surface for adherent cell cultures with the same volume. Furthermore, the CellScrew® is additively manufactured from polylactide (PLA) using 3D printing.
Founder Felix Wollenhaupt explains: “Conventional cell culture vessels are significantly larger, are single-use items, are thrown away after one use and are often incinerated for regulatory reasons. This produces a lot of CO2. Our CellScrew® is, firstly, made from less raw material, which means less waste in and of itself. Secondly, we use PLA, a biopolymer obtained from plants. This reduces the carbon footprint by around 90 % compared to conventional systems.”
By working with Bürkert as a strong, strategic partner, the founders have access to resources that will enable them to further develop their company. Joel Eichmann adds: “Together with Bürkert, we want to turn the CellScrew® into a fully fledged bioreactor. This requires liquids to be exchanged, gases to be monitored and processes to be regulated. Bürkert has the technical components and expertise to integrate this into a system. Together, we want to develop a cost-effective, reliable and sustainable production platform for the pharmaceutical industry, especially for personalised medicine.”
The green transition forms a key part of the start-up’s vision – as manifested in the Green Elephant metaphor. Supporting large companies in the context of the green transition requires new approaches, courageous company founders and family businesses that want to make their contribution to the regenerative economy.
About BÜRKERT
Bürkert Fluid Control Systems is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of measurement and control systems for liquids and gases. Bürkert’s solutions are used in the most varied industries and applications – from breweries and laboratories all the way to medical, bio and aerospace technologies. With a portfolio of more than 30,000 products, Bürkert covers the entire range of components in fluid control circuits for measuring, controlling, and regulating – from solenoid valves, process and analysis valves all the way to pneumatic actuators and sensors.
The company with its headquarters in Ingelfingen, in southern Germany, operates an extensive sales network spanning over 30 countries and employs over 3,700 people worldwide. At five Systemhaus facilities in Germany, China and the USA as well as five R&D centres, Bürkert is continuously developing customised system solutions and innovative products. The product range is rounded out by the comprehensive BürkertPlus service portfolio, which supports customers throughout the product life cycle. For more information, visit: www.burkert.com/en.
About Green Elephant Biotech
Green Elephant Biotech is the world's first company to develop, produce, and distribute lab consumables made from plant-based plastics. With its innovative and sustainable products, Green Elephant Biotech enables the biopharmaceutical industry to make new and life-changing therapies available to patients. The innovative CellScrew® cell culture system, the company's first product, enables the biopharmaceutical industry, academic researchers, and producers of cultivated food to achieve more sustainable and efficient cell culture. Green Elephant Biotech was spun off from the University of Applied Science Mittelhessen in 2021 by Felix Wollenhaupt and Dr. Joel Eichmann and currently employs 14 people in Berlin and Giessen. For more information, visit: www.greenelephantbiotech.com.
About Polylactic Acid (PLA)
PLA is a biopolymer from renewable raw materials, like plant starch from corn. This means that, during disposal, the only carbon dioxide that can be released into the atmosphere is the amount that the corn plants previously removed -- as opposed to the additional carbon dioxide released during the incineration of petroleum-based plastic. The production of PLA is also less energy-intensive than making polystyrene. Green Elephant Biotech’s PLA-based products, like its microtiter plates, therefore have a 50% lower carbon dioxide footprint over its entire life cycle compared to fossil fuel predecessors.
