Due to Brexit, the biomedical company AMS Biotechnology was looking for a new place within the European Union. This was eventually found in the Ondernemerstuin in the Beverkoog in Alkmaar. That may seem like a remarkable choice, but location manager Francesca Pignotta tells NH Nieuws: “I don’t know if it would have been so easy elsewhere.”
The international company supplies products that enable research by medical manufacturers to lead to results faster: both in the development of new medicines and in the field of drug approval. In addition, AMSBIO supports the food industry, for example in the field of cultured meat.
Delay at the border
Until the end of last year, the European market was served from the office in England, but Brexit put a spanner in the works, says director Alex Sim. This is because AMSBIO products have to be stored under ‘specific circumstances’ during transport.
Sim: “For example, some shipments are transported in dry ice or liquid nitrogen with a temperature of -190 degrees.” But because of Brexit, the formalities at the border are much more time-consuming, so that the company was no longer able to guarantee transport conditions en route.
That is why they looked for a place on the other side of the North Sea. According to Sim, the Netherlands is interesting because it is ‘nicely centrally located’ and the company already works for various clients in Leiden, Utrecht and Amsterdam, including the Antonie van Leeuwenhoek Hospital and the Hubrecht Institute at the UMC.
Good English
The choice for Alkmaar was partly because the Italian Pignotta moved to the Netherlands a year ago for love. “Since then I have lived with my boyfriend in Broek op Langedijk. When the question arose for a new location for our company, I immediately thought of Alkmaar.”
According to Pignotta, an important consideration was that the Dutch generally speak English well. “You could also fill in all the paperwork in English. I honestly don’t know if it would have been so easy elsewhere.”
After research with Development Company NHN and the Invest in Holland network of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the company came to Beverkoog because of ‘the accessibility of the region and the growth opportunities’ in the area.
Products back on time and customers satisfied
The choice for Alkmaar seems to work out well, says Pignotta: “We started supplying our European customers from Alkmaar in January. Since then, our deliveries have not been delayed and our customers are satisfied.”
In the coming months, the company wants to look at whether it is possible to collaborate with companies in the region: “We want to participate in network meetings and get to know entrepreneurs. We also want to collaborate with hospitals that want to test our products and with students who do research for us. can do,” says the branch manager. “There are many opportunities here.”