Overview
BlueChem is a dedicated incubator for sustainable chemistry and materials innovation, based in Antwerp. The facility provides lab space, infrastructure, and a community tailored to deep-tech companies working on chemical processes, materials science, and industrial sustainability.
Its Antwerp location is strategically significant, given the city's position as home to one of Europe's largest chemical and petrochemical clusters. BlueChem serves as a bridge between the legacy chemical industry and the next generation of sustainable materials companies.
In the news
- Chemistry and technology, stronger together Join us on Monday 7 December at The Beacon for Antwerp Chem-Tech Connect, bringing together the ChemTech and PortTech innovation ecosystems. From emerging start-ups and scale-ups to established industry players, the event creates opportunities to exchange perspectives, explore shared challenges and build new collaborations. Our Innovation Broker Mathias Jacobs will take a deep dive into ‘Future-Proof Processes’, a key innovation programme within Catalisti’s new Innovation Roadmap. 📅 Monday
- Construction of BlueChem PORT officially started today on the NextGen District in the port of Antwerp. The track record of its sister incubator speaks for itself. Since 2020, BlueChem BASE has supported 21 start-ups, created around 200 jobs and helped raise more than €100 million in capital. PORT is built for the harder part: turning a working technology into industrial production. Demo facilities, industrial partners, investors and first customers, all within reach. We know the problem it tackles. Too often, technology
- 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐚𝐢𝐫. 🚁 Today ADLC flew the symbolic first stone of BlueChem PORT from the Port House to the construction site in the NextGen District of Port of Antwerp-Bruges, a short hop along the same corridors we operate every day. 🖥️ The stone carried a logo printed with technology from Carboganic. It was one innovation carried by another, from the building that represents what the port has become to the place where its next chapter will be built. Port of
- 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘄 𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧 𝗶𝗻 𝗱𝗲 𝗔𝗻𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗽𝘀𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗻 Gisteren werd aan het Havenhuis in het NextGen District het officiële startschot gegeven voor BlueChem PORT, de tweede vestiging van BlueChem. Een mooie mijlpaal voor BlueChem én voor het Antwerpse ecosysteem rond duurzame chemie. Met 900 m² extra laboruimte krijgen start-ups en scale-ups meer mogelijkheden om hun technologie verder te ontwikkelen en de stap naar industriële toepassing te zetten. Als POM Antwerpen zijn we blij om deze
- Today marked the official start of construction of BlueChem PORT, the second site of the BlueChem incubator for sustainable chemistry. By expanding to the NextGen District in the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, BlueChem aims to further bridge the gap between research and the industrial deployment of innovative, sustainable chemical technologies. The ceremony took place in the presence of Matthias Diependaele, Minister-President of Flanders, and Johan Klaps, Antwerp Alderman for Port and Economy. Tine Schaerlaekens, Managing Director of
- Nieuwe BlueChem-vestiging moet start-ups dichter bij Antwerpse chemie brengenOp de voormalige Opelsite in de Antwerpse haven gaat dinsdag de spade in de grond voor een tweede vestiging van de chemie-incubator BlueChem. De investering geeft ook vorm aan het NextGen District, dat veel trager van de grond komt dan aanvankelijk gehoopt.
De Tijd Ondernemen · 6 Oct 2026
- On November 10, I'll be joining a panel talk at the Climate Tech Summit in Antwerp 👀 Looking forward to share Bloom Biotech's story, the good parts and the parts that don't make it to the pitch deck. Always a good excuse to showcase Bloom Biotech shirt on stage, and to see microalgae biomaterials getting a seat at the table 🌱 Thanks for the invite BlueChem & Business in Antwerp 🚀🚀
- Thank you, CAPTURE. Yesterday Tine Schaerlaekens took part in the plenary debate during the CAPTURE Day 2026 at VITO in Mol: "Circularity will never be competitive(?)" — intended as something of a provocation for the panelists. Thanks to Jan Arends (CAPTURE) for moderating, and to fellow panellists Isabel Vermeulen (BlueChem), Prof. Pieter Billen (University of Antwerp) and Ludo Diels (A.SPIRE) for a lively exchange. As one of Europe's most integrated chemical clusters, Flanders does not start from zero. Industrial symbiosis and
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