IBA signs contract to install a fully integrated X-ray irradiation solution in France

Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium, 22 December 2022 – IBA (Ion Beam Applications S.A., EURONEXT), the world leader in particle accelerator technology, today announced that it has signed a contract to install a fully integrated X-ray irradiation solution at a customer’s new service center site in France. The solution includes an IBA Rhodotron®, a Beagle® process control system, a safety access system, an overhead conveyor for pallets and automated pallet storage. The value of the contract for IBA is estimated at around EUR 20 million and a downpayment has been received.

This latest contract further highlights the significant growth of IBA’s Industrial Solutions division, which has had a strong 2022 and recently passed the milestone of EUR 100 million order intake to date. The deal comes in the context of evolving industrial market dynamics, particularly sterilization, which has seen its growth rate increase from 7 to 10% annually[1]. Currently around 90% of the sterilization industry relies on ethylene oxide and Gamma radiation, derived from Cobalt-60. Both modalities are facing issues in terms of supply pressures and shortages, with ethylene oxide also being impacted by toxicity issues.

Market challenges with incumbent sterilization technology have highlighted the need for high-quality alternative solutions such as X-ray and electron beam sterilization. IBA is the only manufacturer able to offer both X-ray and electron beam sterilization via its Rhodotron®, which has the largest power range of any accelerator on the market. Avoiding the use of toxic chemicals and radioactive materials, IBA’s solutions are also significantly safer for the environment than the current standard.

Thomas Servais, Vice President of IBA Industrial Solutions, commented: “This new contract underlines the continued growth of our sterilization solutions business, with order volumes up strongly in 2022. There is a clear opportunity for the future growth of IBA Industrial within the global sterilization landscape as we capitalize on the growth of the market and the need for an alternative, environmentally conscious solution to address the increasing demand.”