Plenty of solutions for healthcare facilities

Trade fair Facilitair still relevant after quarter century

On June 5, 6 and 7, the 25th edition of the Facilitair & Gebouwbeheer trade fair took place in the Jaarbeurs Utrecht. This edition was all about innovation and knowledge sharing in the field of facility services and building management. The 250 exhibitors showed solutions that are certainly relevant to healthcare. From renewable energy to access technology and waste processing.

Peter Latjes, director of organizer HoLaPress, was very pleased with how the event went. "The fair offered a varied exhibition floor with many innovations, an extensive knowledge transfer program and several theme squares where specific products and services were presented." Unfortunately, the first day of the fair went quiet, probably due to the disruption that shut down train traffic until late in the afternoon. On Thursday, June 6, however, it was bustling and exhibitors said they were able to have good conversations. 

Assa Abloy's door solutions are also common in healthcare. This was underlined at the Jaarbeurs by Koenraad Lafaut, Product Marketing Manager Digital Access Solutions. "In healthcare, our sensors for sliding and swing doors are widely used, as are our automatic door closers. Our integrated Close-Motion technology captures a closing door and then closes it silently and guaranteed." The wireless and electronic Aperio® locks are a major strength of the company, according to Lafaut. "Aperio® is built on an open platform. This makes it easy to integrate our solutions into other systems. A common lock in this series is the Aperio® E100 electronic key shield. This makes it easy to secure a door without cables. In the near future, a redesign of this lock will appear, which will be called E100 plus." A first at the fair was the battery-operated padlock P100, which is also suitable for use in healthcare. "For waste containers, for example, but also for medicine cabinets, so that anyone with access can easily unlock them."

Building manager increasingly unburdened

More and more people have electric or hybrid cars. Therefore, healthcare facilities also need to think about options for charging them. Stand holder Orange Charging takes care of this from connection to operation. Sales Executive Martijn van Wageningen: "We unburden the customer completely and no investment is required. We place the charging stations and compensate the care institution for the electricity. In addition, we are also responsible for service and maintenance. This is very well received by care institutions and hospitals."

Holland Water's presence at Facilitair & Gebouwbeheer was not to be missed. The company was here with the truck with which the company can thermally clean the water pipes of healthcare institutions. "With this we drive through the Netherlands and Belgium," says Rachel de Groot, Account Manager Healthcare, Care & Industry. "We are unique with this because we have the largest capacity currently driving around. At this fair we want to plant seeds, to think about water quality and preventing legionella. This is obviously an important issue in healthcare. We are happy to come along to think about the right solution and can ensure water safety from A to Z." 

During the 25th edition of the Vakbeurs Facilitair, the FGNoviteitenprijs was awarded for the 13th time. According to the jury, chaired by Jacques Reijniers, it was not easy to reach a unanimous decision this year because the level of novelties was high. All nominees, including Beweegklas, Ecolution Design, HOLLAND WATER and SolarParking, received checks worth €2,500. 2smart2waste became the winner of the FGNovities Prize 2024 and received an award and check for another €2,500. 2smart2waste is exclusive distributor within the Benelux of two brands of Bio-Digesters, which convert 25 to 5,000 kg of food waste into gray water. Ex-Bio, market leader in bio-digesters, offers various sizes for different waste volumes and is used in restaurants, hotels, universities and hospitals.

Another nominee was SolarParking, which specializes in canopies with solar panels. Director Bart Doornbos: "Healthcare institutions are often high-rise buildings, so there is little roof surface available for solar panels. After all, installations often have to be placed here as well. A pergola or solar hall for the parking lot then offers a solution, to still be able to generate plenty of solar energy. There are several hospitals at the table that are interested in our products. We have been developing the canopies for 12 years and are a true one-stop shop that also supplies batteries and charging stations."