News
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02/12/2009 - Janssen PMP |
ECONEA wins ‘Belgian Business Award for the Environment 2009’. |
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Pharmaceutica wins the "Belgian Business Awards for the Environment 2009" for its innovative marine anti-fouling product ECONEA™ Beerse - 2 December 2009 - Today the pharmaceutical group Janssen Pharmaceutica was conferred with the first prize of the "Belgian Business Awards for the Environment 2009" by His Royal Highness Prince Philippe, in the presence of the Minister for Climate and Energy, Paul Magnette, Thomas Leysen, President of the FEB (Federation of Belgian Enterprises), and Jos Delbeke, Vice-Director-General of the Environment DG of the European Commission, for its marine anti-fouling product ECONEA™. ECONEA™ is an effective biocide which is used in a marine environment to fight unwanted marine organisms without causing any damage to marine flora or fauna. Ecover won the second prize for the development of Ecosurfactants, a detergent based on plant and mineral ingredients, and Umicore won the third prize for the management project ‘Group Sustainable Development Objectives’. This prize is awarded every two years in recognition of the Belgian businesses and institutions which commit themselves to this area and succeed in combining innovation, economic success and environmental protection. ECONEA ™, an innovative marine anti-fouling product which does not harm the environment Of the 37 candidate files submitted, three files arose out of research carried out by Janssen Pharmaceutica, among which the marine anti-fouling product ECONEA™ which has just won the "Belgian Business Awards for the Environment 2009". ECONEA™ is a totally innovative marine anti-fouling agent, free of heavy metals, developed by Janssen PMP, a Janssen Pharmaceutica centre of excellence specialized in Preservation and Material Protection. Its efficacy is similar to that of compounds used today for anti-fouling ship paints. These paints are intended to prevent the development of unwanted marine organisms which adhere to the hulls of boats and other submerged structures. Unlike current processes, ECONEA™ does not accumulate in the aquatic environment. ECONEATM exerts its biological effects at the surface of the hull to prevent fouling. However, once ECONEA™ gets into the water, it breaks down quickly and so the risks of damage to aquatic life are limited to a maximum. Effective anti-fouling technologies like ECONEA™ are of great importance to the maritime industry, for both economic and environmental reasons. Compounds such as ECONEA™, because of their effectiveness and performance, contribute to improving the energy efficiency of ships, whether recreational or commercial, while achieving a reduction in the emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gasses. Peter Putteman, General Manager of PMP, stresses that "Janssen Pharmaceutica is very proud of this award, a recognition of the team work and long-established commitment of the group to the search for solutions which protect the environment". He continues: "This prize will contribute to enhancing the image of the centre of expertise constituted by the research and development laboratories of Janssen Pharmaceutica at Beerse". Tony Kempen, Manager New Product Development Antifouling, PMP, adds: "ECONEA™ is a unique anti-fouling product, which is quite as effective as the products that are being used today and quickly degradable. It improves the fuel efficiency of both recreational and commercial shipping and, by doing so, contributes to reducing global emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases, all the while respecting marine fauna and flora." Janssen PMP - Preservation and Material Protection, a division of Janssen Pharmaceutica nv Janssen PMP is a centre of expertise for preservation and material protection of the Janssen Pharmaceutica group, which forms part of Johnson & Johnson. Janssen PMP is specialised in the discovery of molecules capable of protecting agricultural produce, like fruit, and protecting various materials, like wood, textiles, paints and coatings from attacks by fungi, bacteria, algae, insects and marine fouling. Janssen PMP’s efforts are concentrated essentially on the replacement of existing compounds by more eco-friendly ones. This centre of expertise of Janssen Pharmaceutica has accordingly developed a special fungicide to protect the famous Xian terra-cotta warriors against the attacks of the moulds and fungi which were threatening to destroy them.
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Janssen Pharmaceutica in Belgium is a worldwide centre of excellence for integrated R&D, production and general services. The company has three sites in Belgium (Beerse, Geel and Olen), which together employ some 4200 people.
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