INVITE facility hosts 2011 F³ Factory Interest Group Meeting
Over 50 representatives from leading European industrial and academic organisations came together in November 2011 to participate in the 2ndannual F³ Factory Interest Group Meeting.
Held at the newly opened INVITE Research Center in Leverkusen, the event provided a timely opportunity to showcase recent developments in the F³ Factory and, in particular, the new flexible, modular production concepts being developed within the project.
As a key partner in the project, Britest is responsible for co-ordinating dissemination and exploitation activities to ensure that the wider EU chemical processing community is informed of developments in the project and that project outcomes are exploitated successfully. 
A key feature of the event was a guided tour of the INVITE facility and an opportunity for attendees to view the first Process Equipment Container (PEC) designed to validate the F³ Factory concept in pharmaceutical intermediate production. Throughout the day, attendees were able to share learning and experiences on new process intensification and design approaches as well as input to discussions on the standardisation and automation methodology required to support widespread implementation of the F³ Factory concept in Europe.
Feedback from attendees gave a positive ‘thumbs up’ to the pace of developments within the project and the openness in which these developments are being disseminated to the wider European community.