17 May 2023
Universiteit Antwerpen opens innovation hub BlueApp
To profile the Antwerp region internationally as the reference for sustainable chemistry: that is BlueApp's ambitious goal. On Thursday 4 May, the innovation hub at the Blue Gate Antwerp business park officially opened its doors.
The port of Antwerp is home to the world's second largest petrochemical cluster. Economically vital, but the industry also has a heavy ecological footprint. That has to change and BlueApp will play an important role in this. With the support of Port of Antwerp-Bruges, city of Antwerp, province of Antwerp and essenscia, among others, the University of Antwerp wants to develop BlueApp into the reference centre of sustainable chemistry.
BlueApp, a project in which 20 million euros were invested, focuses on four areas. The reuse of water in industry is a first topic: scarcity and pollution are a problem. There will also be work on recycling carbon and nitrogen. Via plasma applications and electrochemistry, it will be investigated how valuable substances can be made from them. Finally, BlueApp will also work on hydrogen storage and distribution, and on air purification.