The pharmaceutical packaging and service specialist Sharp has announced investments of over 20 million euros in its European sites. With the expansion of capacities in Belgium and the Netherlands, the company is responding to the increasing demand for packaging and logistics solutions for injectable dosage forms.
Sharp, an international provider of pharmaceutical packaging, clinical services and sterile manufacturing, is expanding its European facilities specifically for the assembly, labelling, packaging and refrigerated storage of injectables. The investment focuses on the Hamont-Achel site in Belgium and the Heerenveen site in the Netherlands and includes autoinjectors, pen systems, prefilled syringes and vials.
Expansion of cold chain and packaging capacities in Belgium
At the Hamont-Achel site in Belgium, the existing cold chain storage area will be quadrupled and the capacity for ambient temperature storage doubled. In addition, a new unit for syringe assembly and blister packaging is being created, supplemented by additional capacity for device assembly and packaging. To increase efficiency, Sharp says it is using collaborative robot technology in adjacent lines for pre-filled syringes and auto-injectors for the first time.
At the same time, the site's infrastructure was modernised. A newly installed carport solar system is set to cover around 50 per cent of the plant's electricity requirements with renewable energy once it is fully operational in mid-2026, thereby supporting the company's sustainability goals.
Expansion of GMP capacities in the Netherlands
The plant in Heerenveen is also being expanded. Sharp is expanding its GMP production capacities there with additional packaging suites in cleanroom class Grade D. The new units will enable new programmes for syringe assembly and packaging as well as additional capacity for vial packaging. Commissioning of the expansions is scheduled for 2026.
The investments in Belgium and the Netherlands are part of a broader investment programme. Sharp had already announced a global investment volume totalling USD 100 million in November 2025.
Source: Sharp
