gull“The Puurs site must adapt to the reduction in volumes within the ophthalmology product portfolio as well as the drop in efficiency caused by external factors”
Respond to changing needs
On Wednesday, Novartis also expressed its intention to “make the Puurs production site more competitive and respond to changing production needs”. The company plans to invest 40 million euros for this purpose. “Novartis will begin an investment of 40 million euros at the Puurs site in 2025 in order to further increase production capacities for organic products”indicates the company in a press release.
This investment should mainly be used to develop the expertise of the Puurs site, not only for Novartis medicines, but also for the development of products from other companies. According to the ACV (CSC), the Puurs production site has long been a “leader” in its field, in particular because of Alcon, a former subsidiary of Novartis. The company, which specializes in manufacturing surgical kits for eye operations, was split in 2019.
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However, “the Puurs site must adapt to the reduction in volumes within the ophthalmological product portfolio as well as the drop in efficiency caused by external factors”said the Novartis spokesperson. “These factors lead to increased unit costs.” The unions and management have already started the information and consultation phase on Wednesday, in accordance with the Renault law on collective redundancies.
“We are committed to working closely with our social partners in a constructive and transparent dialogue”traffic Novartis. “We will keep our employees informed every step of the way. We will do everything we can to save some jobs. We will also support our employees with their mental health and well-being during this period of uncertainty.”
Around 1,160 people work for Novartis at the Puurs site. In Belgium, the Basel-based company employs a total of 1,750 workers.
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