Rising demand for irradiation services in medical technology, biotechnology, automotive industry and building sector

Rising demand for irradiation services in medical technology, biotechnology, automotive industry and building sector

Solid growth at BGS Beta-Gamma-Service is impressive

Wiehl, 23 February 2022 As a result of the sustained market growth in the medical technology and biotechnology industries as well as increased demand in the building sector and the automotive industry, the irradiation provider BGS Beta-Gamma-Service continues to record positive sustainable business development. Specialised in applications using electrons and beta and gamma rays, the medium-sized company with its locations in Wiehl, Bruchsal and Saal a.d. Donau closed the financial year 2021 with a total turnover increase in the double-digit percentage range. With double-digit growth rates, BGS recorded an increase in the business segment radiation sterilization particularly with regard to biotechnology products. In addition, the ongoing upswing in the building sector and the expansion of e-mobility ensured a positive development in turnover in the radiation crosslinking segment.

Apart from bioreactors for the production of vaccines and culture media for microbiological testing, medical devices had a particular share in the growth of revenue such as disposable products for laboratory and diagnostics purposes, which are used in the scope of evaluating Covid-19 tests. Intensified demand was registered in the automotive industry and the building sector for the treatment of cables, thus improving their insulation and chemical resistance properties.

With the higher-than-anticipated revenues in total, the positive trend of the last years in the company continued. “Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have recorded an increased demand for products in the biotechnology sector, consumable materials for laboratories and primary packaging material for the pharmaceutical industry. Due to a backlog of operations and operations taking place again regularly, the sterilization capacities are in strong demand for medical disposable products as well as implants. As a matter of principle, sterilization with rays is an indispensable method to create sterile products for the healthcare system, and especially in times of the pandemic, it is a systemically relevant service. Through the treatment with high-energy beta or gamma rays, we also improve the material properties of inexpensive plastics in such a way that they become permanently more resistant to heat, wear and chemicals. By virtue of their high quality and performance efficiency, they are in increasing demand, particularly for the expansion of e-mobility. As soon as the supply situation for technical plastics has returned to normal, we expect further growth here,” explains BGS Managing Director Dr. Andreas Ostrowicki. The company sees rising energy costs as a challenge in the current financial year.

Investments in production areas planned
Due to the increasing need for irradiation services, the company is continually investing in the expansion of its capacities. In the current financial year, the production spaces will be expanded at the foundation location of BGS in Wiehl, North Rhine-Westphalia. Overall, BGS Beta-Gamma-Service plans investments in the seven-digit range.