I am thrilled to announce the start of the construction of a state-of-the-art research & development (R&D) facility at our Braine-l’Alleud Campus. The new facility, known as the Arkelia project is a milestone of our long-term strategy to push the boundaries of science and deliver life-changing solutions for people living with severe diseases worldwide. Designed to connect seamlessly with the company’s gene therapy center and key neurology research infrastructure, Arkelia will foster collaboration, accelerate advancements in research and development, and drive innovation in manufacturing. With a research focus on neurodegeneration, neuroinflammation, epilepsy, and early-stage development, this facility will strengthen UCB’s global leadership in pioneering solutions for patients. Accommodating more than 170 scientists, the facility is built to encourage cross-disciplinary collaboration while leveraging cutting-edge technology and advanced scientific tools to enhance R&D capabilities. More than just a workspace, it will serve as a dynamic ecosystem that fosters scientific creativity and accelerates the development of transformative therapies. Crucially, Arkelia underscores UCB’s unwavering commitment to sustainability. Designed to the highest eco-standards, the facility will incorporate energy-efficient systems, renewable energy sources, and sustainable materials to minimize its environmental footprint. By integrating green technologies, we are ensuring that scientific advancement goes hand in hand with environmental responsibility. This initiative significantly contributes to the growth strategy of the Braine-l'Alleud Campus, reinforcing collaboration between research, development, manufacturing, and supply teams. The facility’s flexible and forward-thinking design will align critical phases of innovation, ensuring accelerated progress while prioritizing sustainability. Set to become fully operational by 2028, Arkelia marks a significant milestone in UCB’s sustainable growth journey. It reflects our ongoing dedication to delivering high-impact solutions while upholding our responsibility to the planet. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to drive innovation forward at UCB. © 2007 - 2025 UCB S.A., Belgium. All rights reserved. Last updated on: January, 13, 2025 ​CategoriesCategoriesEnglishJUSTICEBelgian and French police prevent kidnapping and suspected torture12 March 2025 The Belgian and French police and judiciary recently saved a person from Braine-l'Alleud from being kidnapped and presumably tortured The police prevented "an act of unprecedented violence" the Brussels public prosecutor's office said on Wednesday The BRI (Brigade de recherche et d'intervention) from Versailles received extremely disturbing information last Saturday the Brussels prosecutor's office said a certain vehicle could be used in the near future to commit an act of violence against one or more as yet unidentified persons." Having established that the vehicle was heading for Brussels and fearing that the possible victims might live there the Brussels public prosecutor's office immediately launched an investigation with the public prosecutor of the municipality of Pontoise This led to a "disturbing localisation" in Braine-l'Alleud on the night of Sunday to Monday just before the arrival of the suspicious persons and vehicles the investigators found material at the scene to imprison and torture people." special units of the Federal Police intercepted 10 suspects on Monday the suspects wanted to kidnap a wealthy resident of the Walloon community and torture him in order to obtain as high a ransom as possible The Brussels public prosecutor's office said that thanks to the cooperation between the Belgian and French judicial and police authorities "an act of unprecedented violence" had been prevented Copy linkGet updates in your mailboxYour email addressSubscribeBy clicking "Subscribe" I confirm I have read and agree to the Privacy Policy rapid and high-quality information 24 hours a day from Belgium and abroad to all Belgian media not to mention entertainment and lifestyle our journalists and press photographers produce hundreds of photos and news stories Since the end of March 2022 English has been added as a language businesses and various organisations that need reliable information Belga News Agency also offers a comprehensive range of corporate services to meet all their communication needs www.belganewsagency.eu UCB’s new gene therapy facility in Braine-l'Alleud is expected to begin operations in 2024 Gene therapy development and manufacturing facility Belgium-based biopharmaceutical company UCB has announced plans to build a gene therapy process development and clinical manufacturing facility in Braine l’Alleud UCB is investing more than €200m ($218.6m) in the facility whose construction is scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2022 The facility is expected to begin operations in 2024 and is intended to strengthen UCB’s existing capabilities to expedite and expand gene therapy research projects It is expected to generate more than 100 jobs in gene therapy upon completion The gene therapy facility will be located at UCB’s Braine-l’Alleud campus in Belgium’s Wallonia region The 17,000m² (182,986.5ft²) gene therapy facility is intended to give UCB full control over its chemistry providing a significant advantage in the gene therapy landscape It will bring critical end-to-end process and analytical development and quality control capabilities to the Braine-l’Alleud campus The facility complements the company’s existing facilities and platforms The gene therapy facility will adhere to UCB’s carbon neutrality goals by implementing up-to-date technologies which are certified according to the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) UCB also aims to significantly reduce both the resource consumption and waste production of the facility UCB is developing the facility to address the constantly evolving requirements of the gene therapy field which can bring a fundamental change to the way diseases are treated The field is shifting away from treating specific symptoms to disease modifications that can eventually enable the development of a cure for certain patient populations The production of viral vectors and the delivery vehicles of gene therapies remain challenging due to inefficient manufacturing processes and poorly characterised products The high cost of third-party development and manufacturing also acts as a hindrance UCB believes that in-house process and analytical development capabilities are key to the development of gene therapies The company’s new facility is intended to provide a significant competitive advantage in the gene therapy field by offering flexible product and process understanding UCB offers a range of medicines to treat neurological and immunological diseases Some of the company’s medicines include Briviact, Vimpat, Keppra, Nayzilam, Neupro, Cimzia, Evenity, and Bimzelx. Approved in 2016 in the US, Briviact or brivaracetam is a medication prescribed for the treatment of partial-onset seizures in patients with epilepsy Neupro® is a dopamine agonist medication prescribed for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease and in moderate-to-severe primary restless legs syndrome The medication was initially approved in the US in 2007 Cimzia® (certolizumab pegol) is a tumour necrosis factor (TNF) blocker prescribed for treating adults with ankylosing spondylitis as well as for reducing signs and symptoms of Crohn’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis The drug secured initial approval in the US in 2008 Evenity® (Romosozumab) is approved in Europe for the treatment of severe osteoporosis in postmenopausal women who have a high risk of fracture The drug is a humanised IgG2 monoclonal antibody made using recombinant DNA technology Established in 1928, UCB is a biopharmaceutical company based in Brussels, Belgium. It was previously named Union Chimique Belge and was known for its expertise in pharmaceuticals, chemicals and films The company has four manufacturing sites and seven development sites across Europe It employs around 8,600 people and registered €5.8bn ($6.56bn) in revenues in 2021 Give your business an edge with our leading industry insights View all newsletters from across the GlobalData Media network I am thrilled to share the latest progress on our groundbreaking gene therapy facility in Braine-l'Alleud The exterior of the facility is now complete and we are currently moving forward with the “Fit Out” activities The first equipment is delivered and already in place This marks a significant milestone in our journey towards revolutionizing disease treatment through advanced gene therapy it means opening new opportunities to discover and develop cures for the people we serve People living with severe diseases are at the heart of everything we do I’m motivated by the thought that this facility could one day help my loved ones representing a substantial investment in Belgium is designed to be both innovative and environmentally sustainable It will significantly enhance our development and manufacturing capabilities reinforcing our existing teams in Braine-l’Alleud (Belgium) Our new facility will allow us to have complete ownership of our chemistry This will enable us to be more agile in responding to new trends and opportunities and more scalable to meet the unmet needs of patients The efficient clinical manufacturing capability will ensure we maintain high standards of speed and quality as we bring our gene therapy research projects to patients In addition to the physical construction of the facility we are also committed to developing our skills and expertise in gene therapy and more largely bio-related fields This field offers a wealth of opportunities for both current employees and new hires We are excited to announce that the novel facility will create over 100 new and passionate individuals who are eager to join us in improving lives through innovative therapies If you have a passion for pushing the boundaries of what’s possible and making a real difference in patients' lives Exciting positions and unique opportunities await you at our cutting-edge facility The completion of this facility will expand UCB's innovation footprint It will support our ambition for carbon neutrality by implementing the latest technologies and achieving BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method certification) aiming to drastically reduce both resource consumption and waste production I look forward to the exciting advancements and innovations this new facility will bring. Together, we can transform the future of disease treatment and make a lasting impact on patients' lives. For more details, please visit our career page All rights reserved. Last updated on: January The 2024 Belgian Open was the FIRST DGPT Europe Silver Event of the year that took place at Parc Bourdon – Braine l’Alleud course on May 3rd – 5th competed for a total projected purse of € 20,795 Congratulations to our MPO Champion Teemu Lampainen and our FPO Champion Anneli Tõugjas-Männiste Disc Golf Pro Tour (DGPT) Europe is an exciting new development for the sport, forged through the merger of the European Pro Tour (EPT) and the DGPT under a collaborative agreement. This partnership represents a significant step forward in professionalizing and expanding disc golf across Europe. Click here to learn more. We create and curate the world’s grandest stages at premier venues for the world’s best disc golfers in order to transmit the story of professional disc golf as an engaging high-quality experience that inspires and grows fans of the sport on-site and online DGPT is a registered trademark of Disc Golf Pro Tour  The page you requested was not found on our site To the homepage A rendering of Scottish soldiers charging during the Battle of Waterloo (Wikimedia / Lady Butler)June 18 And sometimes everyday expressions are too Two hundred years ago today, Anglo-allied forces commanded by the Duke of Wellington and Prussian forces led by Gebhard von Blücher decisively defeated Napoleon’s troops near the town of Waterloo in modern-day Belgium The victory halted the French leader’s decade-long quest for empire and—perhaps less vitally—spawned an idiom for confronting an insuperable challenge or suffering a stunning defeat: to meet one’s Waterloo 19th June 1815.” The association between the battle and Waterloo began to stick once Wellington’s dispatch reached London Miffed officials in Braine-l’Alleud have tried to raise awareness about their town’s role in the struggle by commissioning a book entitled Braine-l’Alleud Heart of the 1815 Battle and suing a guide-book company for referring to the Lion’s Mound as the “Mound of Waterloo.” “Nobody will ever call it the ‘Battle of Braine-l’Alleud.’ That would be completely ridiculous,” Vincent Scourneau “But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to correct errors that were made.” Military Positions During the Battle of Waterloo Correct Narrative of the Late Sanguinary Conflict on the Plains of Waterloo: Exhibiting a Minute Detail of All the Military Operations of the Heroes Who Signalized Themselves on That Memorable Occasion in Person: With an Authentic Memoir of That Most Extraordinary Person; From the Beginning The following reflection appeared in a footnote: ending in a victory of such interest in its results one might imagine it would not be difficult to find a suitable name: yet such is the fact No one has yet been able ultimately to decide by what title the astonishing victory of the 18th of June should be recorded three miles in the rear of the ground where the action was fought and happened to be the head-quarters of the Duke of Wellington for one night rendered famous by the meeting of the two great commanders at the close of the engagement if the field where all the manoeuvres and most of the fighting took place be deemed the best criteria to designate a pitched battle the victors claim the privilege of naming the combat Our enemies alone seem to dispute this right they appear to have reason on their side; for the rising ground at a short distance from the south end of the village of Mont St Jean … was not only the position chosen by our great general but the place where the contest was hottest which the enemy made the most stupendous efforts to force the “Imperial guard” perished almost to a man and Prussians still called the battle different names though he conceded that “the historian calls [it] the battle of Waterloo On Thursday, Belgium’s King Philippe joined other dignitaries at the Lion’s Mound, in Braine-l’Alleud, to mark the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo and praise the European Union’s contribution to peace on the continent. “Today, the European institutions are firmly established in Brussels, a few kilometers from Waterloo,” he observed But it is always better to meet around the negotiating table than on the battlefield.” He didn’t mention that the battlefield where Napoleon was vanquished stood a few kilometers from Waterloo as well Brussels-based biopharmaceutical company Union Chimique Belge (UCB) broke ground for a new biotechnology pilot facility Brussels-based biopharmaceutical company Union Chimique Belge (UCB) broke ground for a new biotechnology pilot facility in Belgium in June 2010 located at the Braine-l’Alleud site of UCB The site operates a research and production facility employing 1,500 people The new pilot facility is the company’s first biologics manufacturing plant in Braine-l’Alleud UCB expects the facility to help it focus in areas of central nervous system (CNS) and immunology The biopharmaceutical facility was constructed with an investment of €65m ($83.68m) It is expected to be fully operational in 2013 Approximately 100 new jobs will be created in the initial period UCB began its business with the manufacture of industrial chemicals Its transformation into a biopharmaceuticals company began taking shape when the company obtained a development portfolio of small and large-molecule drugs with the acquisition of Celltech in 2004 All non-core businesses of UCB were divested in the following year The new facility has a total surface area of 5,100m² of which 800m² is dedicated to laboratories The facility has been designed to have the same development capacity as that of a conventional plant There are four bioreactors with a combined capacity of 3,200l It also has access to aqueous environments The use of chemical products including solvents is avoided All the process development operations are handled by the facility prior to submitting projects to a contract manufacturer The facility will offer UCB greater flexibility and the ability to speed up the development of new biotechnological drugs It will also optimise the bio-manufacturing processes of the company for biological compounds that are currently in development The facility will produce therapeutic proteins for use in clinical trials Earlier UCB outsourced biologics manufacturing activities to third party companies It will also develop clinical trial supplies including both bulk drug substance and clinical doses for nervous system and immunological diseases About 40kg to 60kg of active material will be produced annually using mammalian cell cultures The facility follows mammalian cell expression and purification of related biotechnological products to produce protein-based therapeutics Highly potent antibodies are separated from animal cells using Selected Lymphocyte Antibody Method (SLAM) the antibodies are amenable to protein engineering The isolated antibody gene is engineered and manipulated to incorporate its most favourable characteristics before it is inserted into one of UCB’s proprietary expression vectors the vectors bearing the antibody gene is placed into host cells This cell line is selected to maximise the expression and quality levels of the final antibody Manufacturing and testing processes involve cell culture Extraction and purification of the final antibody is performed using supernatants from the cell lines Investment at the facility forms part of UCB’s restructuring programme dubbed as SHAPE that aims at slashing 17% of UCB’s total employee base or 2,400 jobs Approximately 550 jobs were cut at two Belgian-based facilities of UCB while 300 jobs were re-deployed to the core sites of UCB the programme also created 400 new jobs as the company transformed into a biopharmaceutical company The programme is expected to result in up to €300m of savings About us | Advertise with us | Contact us NextPharma the leading European provider of product development contract manufacturing and cold chain and logistics outsourcing services to the pharmaceutical and biotech industry is pleased to announce the appointment of Brigitte Genard as Quality Director at its sterile contract development and manufacturing site in Braine-l’Alleud Genard will take responsibility for all aspects of quality across the Braine-l’Alleud site including the recently FDA and PDMA inspected contract manufacturing plant which produces oncology products in commercial quantities and the Sterile Product Development Center formulation development and manufacture of investigational medicinal products including full lyophilization capabilities Genard is an Industrial Pharmacist with 18 years of experience in Quality Assurance and Production She has extensive experience in biopharmaceutical manufacturing has worked for 15 years in industrial vaccine operations (bulk and secondary) and has previously worked for GSK Biologicals and UCB Bioproducts as Senior Quality Assurance Manager and Head of Production Genard join our management team heading up the Quality function in Braine-l’Alleud Her broad experience across our industry will enhance our ability to match the demands of our customers ensuring that NextPharma remains at the forefront of timely healthcare outsourcing solutions of the highest quality’ NextPharma’s main sterile contract manufacturing plant in Braine-l’Alleud has extensive know how in aseptic production and packaging including the manufacture of cytotoxic products (lyophilization and solutions) gained over more than fifteen years and a growing capability in the manufacture of biologics and pre-filled syringes NextPharma’s Sterile Product Development Center supports customers’ pharmaceutical development projects from pre-formulation and formulation development through to investigational medicinal product manufacturing with lyophilization for Phase I to Phase II clinical trials with scale-up capability to Phase III and commercial scale in our commercial manufacturing facility on the same site in accordance with the highest regulatory requirements and distributes a broad range of products and formulations for its customers from tablets and capsules to antibiotics It has an established leadership position in the high technology area of injectables manufacturing with particular expertise in product development and manufacture of oncology medicines NextPharma has recently been acquired by Sun European Partners with a view to leveraging NextPharma’s strong track record reputation and state of the art facilities to grow the business both organically and by acquisition No comments yet All subscriptions include online membership giving you access to the journal and 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enable JS and disable any ad blocker Swiss specialty chemicals and biologics producer Lonza has agreed to sell its peptides business and operations in Braine-l’Alleud which is expected to close in the coming weeks PPL said the acquisition will enhance its manufacturing capacity and capabilities as well as enable seamless support for its portfolio as many products progress toward regulatory approval and commercial supply “We will be expanding our capacity to meet the needs of customers who demand the highest quality products with the most robust scalable and cost-efficient peptide manufacturing processes at every scale,” said Jane Salik The Braine-l’Alleud site will add large-scale capacity in synthesis complementing PPL’s portfolio of late-stage products and providing opportunities for synergies and continued growth chief operating officer of Lonza’s Pharma & Biotech segment said the peptides chemical business is a niche area for the company which has only limited synergies with other small molecule technologies “This move will also allow us to fully focus on our many other technologies Lonza acquired the Braine-l’Alleud peptide business from UCB in 2006 PPL said it will harmonize procedures within the expanded group in the coming months the group will have nearly 800 employees worldwide with GMP facilities at Torrance and San Diego in California ProteiNext is an annual symposium that offers a platform for sharing insights on protein analysis and strategic direction in an exclusive CHEManager International interview Baxter's new research and development facility was launched in June 2010 in Belgium parenteral nutrition and packaging systems Baxter’s new research and development facility was launched in June 2010 in Belgium The facility is located south of Brussels in the Braine-l’Alleud town within a business park named Parc de l’Alliance or Alliance Park The €40m facility is operating as Baxter’s new Belgium headquarters with nearly 430 employees It has also merged Baxter’s R&D facility in Nivelles in the Walloon region and the company’s former headquarters in Brussels Baxter has operated in Belgium for over 50 years The new facility will boost efficiency and effectiveness in the initial stages of launching new therapies to the market A unique advantage of the location is that it aligns several functions covering all phases of the product lifecycle The facility has been designed with more space and advanced scientific and technical capabilities to support the company’s product development activities The facility spans 15,800m² with separate space for laboratories and offices It spreads across two buildings that are connected at the ground floor through a set of common functions Approximately 6,000m² and 2,074m² of space have been dedicated respectively for offices and technical activities A 1,540m² space is dedicated for warehouse the facility houses climatic chambers to store samples meant for stability studies A parking area with space for 377 cars is available The facility has been constructed using green engineering techniques The climatic chambers have been custom built to reduce electricity consumption by 50% The installed heat ventilation air control (HVAC) system results in reducing energy by up to 30% Light detectors installed in all rooms and windows have the highest standard of insulation Heat emanating from room ventilation is used to warm the warehouse and the parking area through a computerised process reduces waste and enhances employee welfare The buildings have been constructed at an elevation of 14,470m² false metal ceiling with integrated lighting the facility has room for future expansions The facility focuses on new technologies and projects It conducts a range of R&D activities for Baxter’s three business units including bioscience It is engaged in the development of peritoneal dialysis solutions parenteral nutrition and better packaging systems The facility has been developed by Parc de l’Alliance a 50:50 joint venture between AXA Belgium and AG Real Estate Development The architectural design for the project was provided by Patrick Van der Straeten from Group Sigma an association of architects founded in 1989 that specialises in fields related to building and construction including architecture / town planning The lead construction contract for the project was awarded to Koeckelberg Enterprise Services for the study of the stability and technical aspects were provided by VK Engineering The contract for the landscape architecture was awarded to AWP+E and GEI Génie Civil Control and coordination services were provided by SECO Parc de l’Alliance is a 9.2ha business park housing over 25 buildings It includes separate areas for offices and residential apartments and also includes a cinema complex and a shopping mall one third of the park had already been developed View all newsletters from across the GlobalData Media network. 🇩🇪👯🇫🇷 #eurocup #EisvoegelVsFlammes #FamilyNoTan 💕 A photo posted by Kim Mestdagh (@kimmestdagh) on Oct 7 The prospect of seeing one progress and the other bow out of this season’s EuroCup Women is something that Mestdagh is ready to handle he is used to having to separate his primary role as their father from the one which has seen him coach them at various levels – including in his capacity as head coach of the Belgium senior national team Interestingly he revealed that fate has ensured that the intense competition between them has generally manifested itself more in the garden and driveway of the Mestdagh household rather than in club competition - or at least up until now "Both started playing basketball at the very moment we started a youth basketball centre in Ieper – one where we also had the likes of Emma Meesseman Jasmina Rosseel and Julie Vanloo," explained Coach Mestdagh Eisvögel ❄️ vs Flammes 🔥 pic.twitter.com/9Qr9t4SvXU "The moment they could play together in the senior team of Ieper Kim actually left Belgium to move on to the States at Colorado State University "They have only really played together on the senior national team with Belgium and I have never had any problems in coaching them they know what they can and what they can’t do Having that understanding of their role makes them very coachable hard workers and winners and while the progress of Hanne was delayed a bit because of three ACL injuries she is really fighting back."Luckily there is that three years difference between them meaning they have not met each other a lot of times in practices down the years That’s because when they play each other at home in shooting contests and one-on-one My sister @MestdaghKim is new on twitter 🎉 be nice and give her a follow.. you always have that possibility it will lead to them arguing or fighting with each other," laughed Mestdagh any potential squabbling when they are together at home is more than put into context by the love and respect they have for each other - even if Kim confessed it was all about getting the result for Carolo Basket "It was with mixed feelings that I played against Hanne," she mused after her team’s success on the road in Germany I want her to do well." There was a similar sentiment echoed by Hanne who added we came back strong and I’m excited to now play in France." Both sisters will do it all again on Wednesday night in Charleville-Mezieres with one of the teams getting to punch their ticket to the EuroCup Women 2017 Regular Season A 61-year-old woman from Braine-l'Alleud (Walloon Brabant) was shot dead in her car in Anderlecht (Brussels) yesterday evening police from the Brussels South Zone have confirmed Emergency services tried to resuscitate the victim The Brussels public prosecutor's office has opened an investigation Nothing has yet been said about the exact circumstances of the shooting It does not look like the incident is linked to the drug scene