Wiehl, 29 July 2021 – BGS, a specialised provider in the area of radiation sterilization and crosslinking, is turning 40: Founded by Dr. Lothar Wiesner in 1981 in Wiehl and a current headcount of more than 190 employees across three locations in Germany, BGS today has co-developed established processes and is a leading service provider in the area of industrial applications of beta and gamma rays.
Starting out with seven employees and two irradiation facilities in Wiehl, the privately owned company established itself as a pioneer in the industry in the 1980s. However, the beginnings were difficult and required perseverance. With the building of its first Cobalt-60 gamma irradiation facility, BGS succeeded in raising more awareness for the technology and in offering radiation sterilization as a service on a large scale. From then on, there has been a growing interest and demand. In particular, the sterilization of medical devices and primary packaging material for food and pharmaceuticals has been in demand. As a specialised supplier in the area of plastics refinement through radiation crosslinking, BGS has also developed over the years into an important service provider for the automotive and mechanical engineering industries as well as for the construction sector. With its expansion to include the locations Bruchsal in 1986 and Saal an der Donau in 2000, the company also established itself in southern Germany. Dr. Andreas Ostrowicki has been Managing Director of BGS since 2008. Ostrowicki, who has a doctorate in chemistry, continues to modernise the company, introducing industrial processes and standards, making BGS an important service provider for customers from 28 countries to date. In 2021 for the third time consecutively, BGS received the TOP 100 Award for its innovative strength and innovation successes, including in the areas of radiation crosslinking, 3D printing, lightweight construction and recycling.
Forty years after its founding, BGS continues to look into the future optimistically. “Future technologies such as lightweight construction require innovative ideas and materials. Through the upgrading of standard polymers, higher resource efficiency is achieved and crosslinked plastics can replace expensive high-performance plastics or heavy metals in certain applications. This not only holds high potential for the automotive industry. In addition, radiation sterilization has proven to be an indispensable technology, particularly in the past year, and is absolutely essential for health protection. Without sterile materials for the biopharmaceutical industry and research, we would not have a vaccine against Covid-19 today,” explains Managing Director Ostrowicki. To meet the high demand, BGS is also investing in the expansion of its capacities this year and is researching new applications for ionising rays with partners from industry and science.
Virtual fair in September
In its anniversary year, the company is hosting the BGS Irradiation Service Days 2021, a virtual fair revolving around the themes radiation sterilization and radiation crosslinking. On 29 und 30 September, experts and users from the industry, the field of research and associations can exchange views on current issues at the fair. Amongst other things, the live presentations in the area of sterilization explain what you require to carry out successful sterilization processes and how to establish efficient back-up solutions to ensure security of supply. In the area of crosslinking, the live programme will elaborate on developing knowledge in the application areas, and discuss the potentials of radiation crosslinking and queries concerning materials, also in connection with additive manufacturing. Participation in the event is free of charge; further information will soon be available on the company’s website.