Sharp Services invests €20M to expand injectable packaging capacity in Europe

Sharp Services said it has invested more than €20 million ($23 million) to expand injectable drug packaging and cold chain capabilities at its European facilities in Belgium and the Netherlands, citing strong market demand for injectable formats.

The investment focuses on increasing capacity for assembly, labeling, packaging, and cold storage of injectable drug products, including autoinjectors, pen devices, prefilled syringes, and vials, according to the company. The expansions are underway at Sharp’s sites in Hamont-Achel, Belgium, and Heerenveen, the Netherlands.

At the Hamont-Achel facility, Sharp said the project will quadruple existing cold chain warehouse capacity and double ambient storage space. The site will also add a new syringe assembly and blister packaging suite, along with additional device assembly and packaging capacity. The company has introduced collaborative robot technology to improve efficiency across adjacent prefilled syringe and autoinjector packaging lines.

Sharp also said the Belgian site has been upgraded with a carport solar system designed to support the company’s sustainability goals. Once fully commissioned in mid-2026, the system is expected to supply about 50% of the facility’s electricity demand with renewable power, according to the company.

In the Netherlands, Sharp said it is expanding GMP production capacity at its Heerenveen facility, including the addition of two Grade D packaging suites. The expansion is intended to support new syringe assembly and packaging programs, as well as vial packaging capacity scheduled to come online in 2026.

“Our European facilities have a long-established reputation for successfully delivering the complex packaging services required for injectable drug formats,” Robert O’Beirn, managing director of Sharp Clinical and Sharp Europe, said in a statement. “This investment represents a significant increase in our capacity to support our pharma clients, as sustainably as possible, with their injectable drug launches in the EU market.”

Sharp’s European expansion is part of a broader $100 million global investment program announced in October 2025.