The Technology Forum – Cleanroom Technology

Chamber of Industry and Commerce Saarbrücken

The organization took an entire year from the idea to the kick-off. Numerous meetings, discussions, explorations, and many phone calls were necessary until this forum was operational. It was intended to establish a competence team within the working group that fits into the Saarland economic landscape.

The network CleanRoomNet, founded about 9 years ago, will play a significant role in this. In collaboration with ZPT of the Center for Productivity and Technology Saar e.V. as well as the cleanroom industry (e.g., from sectors such as: pharmaceutical industry, medical technology, nanotechnology, research, laboratories, automotive, etc.) in Saarland and beyond, a discussion round was to be launched.

This is because steadily increasing requirements in cleanroom technology, both for manufacturers and operators, across industries, demand that companies constantly engage with this technology. Particularly affected sectors include the pharmaceutical industry, medical technology, laboratory technology, as well as the food industry and many areas of research and development. Increasingly, automotive suppliers are also affected, where the topic of cleanliness in production is gaining more and more importance.

With the partner from ZPT Center for Productivity and Technology Saar e.V., an institution was found that offers the Saar economy a broad range of services in the areas of information, consulting, and qualification. It supports companies in improving their competitiveness and innovation capacity as well as in opening up new markets.

Networks and initiatives that strengthen topic-related exchange between companies are supported. The dialogue in this topic-specific forum aims to pool Saarland expertise. Another important aspect is the transfer of technological knowledge (e.g., research and development results, process and experiential knowledge) between companies or between companies and research institutions. This makes responsible action tangible through continuous awareness and exchange of ideas for each individual partner.

For several years, the Saarland network CleanRoomNet, represented by Paul Jochem from Reinraumtechnik-Jochem and Dirk Steil from Becker Reinraumtechnik, has been organizing and conducting forums with offers of technology transfer and information exchange in close cooperation with ZPT.

With events such as:

• 1st Cleanroom Forum Saar on September 24, 2009 (topics: energy efficiency, manufacturing sterile medical products, pharmacy of tomorrow, etc.)
• 2nd Cleanroom Forum Saar on November 25, 2010 (dealing with the topic of component cleanliness in the automotive industry)
• 3rd Cleanroom Forum Saar on June 21, 2012 (addressing legal issues in the production of medical devices, the laboratory of the future, solutions for compliance, etc.)
• On March 12, 2013, the network organized a knowledge and technology transfer, exchange with scientists from Saarland University and KWT.
• The CleanRoomNet has organized and conducted 8 symposia dealing with questions of the "pharmacy of tomorrow" in Steinbach in the Taunus region.

This is intended to signal that customer problems are gladly addressed and discussed, and that assistance is provided in developing solutions.

In October 2013, the Technology Forum Cleanroom was to be implemented as another initiative. It aims to discuss and target questions around cleanroom technology, such as planning and construction of cleanrooms, equipment outfitting, training and further education of personnel, outfitting with suitable cleanroom clothing and its reprocessing and sterilization, proper cleaning of cleanrooms, installation of necessary monitoring systems, and consumables. Particular emphasis should be placed on offering a comprehensive system instead of isolated solutions—one that provides tailored answers to various questions. To realize all this, a diverse group of participants from different cleanroom sectors will be addressed, especially plant managers, production managers, QM officers, cleanroom officers from companies and laboratories, from medical technology, pharmaceuticals, or nanotechnology. The forum should benefit from the expertise of its participants. The content of this expert forum will initially not be predetermined but will develop and be addressed either before or during the forum.

Possible topics addressed by the Cleanroom Technology Forum:

• Energy efficiency in the cleanroom – cost savings
• Bridging capacity gaps
• Tips for planning cleanrooms
• User experiences in the sense of best practices
• Airlock concepts
• Selection of the right cleanroom clothing
• Cleaning of cleanrooms
• Current changes in standards, guidelines, laws
• Support for networks
• Identifying specific topic-related qualification needs (e.g., quality management, process management) and initiating appropriate measures

Qualification measures

• Conducting topic-specific workshops and plant visits
• Individual topics, problem areas, wishes
• The human as the focus in the cleanroom process
• How to avoid contamination
• Etc.

Benefits for participants:

• Learning from practitioners and experts
• Forum and opportunity to present own innovations
• Manageable group of participants
• Implementing insights in one's own operation
• Asking questions about planning / implementation
• Experience exchange among companies in the fields of cleanroom technology, continuous improvement processes, and quality management
• Assistance in finding suitable cooperation partners (industry or science)
• Employees with high expertise are more satisfied, confident, and motivated
• ...

Companies should be supported in early recognition of competitive developments and trends across all areas of the enterprise, and in positioning themselves accordingly. Strengthening inter-company collaboration especially opens up opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises for synergies along the entire value chain. This is the goal of CleanRoomNet and the Center for Productivity and Technology Saar e.V. (ZPT).