Case
Reducing the environmental impact of Cytiva’s production process.
Cytiva’s mission is to promote and accelerate the development of therapeutic solutions. With 15,000 employees in more than 40 countries, they are driven to use their expertise and talent to achieve better flexibility, capacity and efficiency for their customers. Their broad and in-depth range of tools and technologies, their global reach and their first-class service provide crucial support from discovery to delivery.
ClientCytiva
IndustryLife Science
ServicesProduction Development & AutomationProject & Change Management
This project case was carried out by Knightec, before Semcon and Knightec joined forces 2024, forming Knightec Group.
Background
Engineering and sustainability go hand in hand. Working together with Cytiva, Knightec updated Cytiva’s production for greater sustainability – focusing on more efficient processes, reduced material consumption and a clearer overall picture of the product’s life cycle.
Challenge
Cytiva wanted to reduce the carbon footprint of its products by cutting GHG emissions, optimising energy consumption and reducing material waste. An especially large challenge was their chromatography system, which consists partly of large stainless steel machines used in pharmaceutical production. To improve the company’s sustainability, Knightec needed to analyse the entire product life cycle and identify the greatest areas for improvement.
Sustainability through optimization.
Optimised design was one of the major improvements. Using thinner sheet metal, reinforced structures and advanced bonding techniques instead of traditional welding reduced both material waste and energy consumption. More compact systems also led to lower energy consumption in cleanroom environments. AI and digital technologies were explored as part of these sustainability efforts. For example, machine learning can improve process efficiency and anticipate maintenance needs, reducing energy waste. Knightec also took a holistic approach to the product lifecycle, working to increase lifetime and re-use – an important step towards a more circular economy.
