A fast-growing American medical technology company, with an Italian parent, that is developing its European operation from Heerlen. The ACIST case is a fascinating one. If it also turns out that Abbott Vascular, Boston Scientific, Medtronic and Globus Medical are also located at the same location, then you are inclined to speak of 'implant valley'. The business park is called Trilandis, referring to the three-country point and the region's Roman past. Occasionally, archaeological treasures are found in the soil.
Math van Sloun is director at ACIST Medical Systems Europe and as such a member of the FHI Medical Technology sector. When asked, he talks about the background of what is happening there in the 'Basel of the North'. “We also have to talk to Rob Bosma, from the municipality of Heerlen.” Bosma is a senior project manager for the development of business parks in the municipality of Heerlen. “Medtronic has traditionally been located here.” That is a well-known story, the American company with a Dutch founder, which became famous with the development of pacemakers, has been an important driving force for the Limburg economy for decades. “We have deliberately brought together a cluster of companies in medical technology here. Logistics is important for these companies, but especially in combination with the right infrastructure in terms of knowledge and the labor market. We as a municipality have been able to do a lot, especially in terms of labor market development.” Naturally, the proximity of the University and the AMC in Maastricht plays an important role, Math van Sloun also agrees. With thanks to Joop den Uyl, who as minister was responsible for the foundation of the university, to compensate for the closure of the mines. But ACIST, what kind of company is that anyway? Ask Van Sloun the question and you will get a fascinating story. “Doctor Bob Wilson was an interventional cardiologist in Minnesota when he had a brainwave at a gas station in 1991. Why couldn't you, just as you 'inject' fuel into a car much more easily than before, inject contrast fluid into humans, which you need for cardiological diagnostics? Wilson founded his company, ACIST, and built it on the basis of his system for injecting contrast fluid for cardiological diagnostics and the sale of disposables for this purpose, mainly through distributors. In 1999 the company came to Europe. I became a distributor for the Benelux and Germany. Four years later they decided to establish ACIST Europe bv, with its own 
staff. I accepted the offer to set up this new European business for the company. We started in a hall of an empty warehouse complex of the Limburg Development Company LIOF, in Sittard. At the same time, I was able to use a very small patient room at the old Annadal Hospital Maastricht, which I renamed 'European Headquarters'. The period up to 2009 was truly pioneering. We had to overcome a lot of skepticism among cardiologists. The Americans had seen this strategically well. You have to set up an organization here and visit cardiologists in the hospitals to get such an innovation accepted. And then this region is of course very strategic for Europe, but we also serve the Far East from here, via distributors.” “Well, in 2015 we had grown enormously. Successively, more halls were rented from the LIOF, so that at that time we had twelve different warehouses in use. So it's time to consider a move. We wanted to bring everything under one roof, also because of the risk & finance analysis and control. The choice was an existing or a new building. When Trilandis' proposition came, it turned out to be very attractive, because of the infrastructure, nearby airports, cost/benefit ratio, the presence of well-known industry peers and we were enthusiastic about the cooperation of the municipality of Heerlen. We are still very happy with it.” Rob Bosma refers to the presence of TNT as a logistics partner. “The companies here have agreements with TNT about dealing with 'overflow' if at certain times the logistics department of a company cannot cope. This is how the 'Health Care Hub' develops.”
Math van Sloun continues to talk passionately. “After the contrast injection systems, ACIST has developed more products for cardiology. We supply catheters that measure pressure before and after a blockage, this is called FFR, Fractional Flow Reserve. And we have a new ultrasound system to make ultrasound recordings through catheters in blood vessels.” Yes, and then there's the Italian connection. In 2001, the Bracco company acquired ACIST. Bracco is a family-owned medical diagnostics company from Milan, founded in 1927 by Elio Bracco. Diana Bracco is now president and CEO. “But the ACIST company still operates as an American company,” is the experience of Math van Sloun. What about that Roman settlement? Bosma is proud of that. “It is a nice bonus that thanks to the development of new construction in the business parks, we can safeguard this heritage.” Math van Sloun: “It seems that we are here on the highest industrial estate in the Netherlands.” Rob: “We don't flood.”
Text: Kees Groeneveld / Images: ACIST
staff. I accepted the offer to set up this new European business for the company. We started in a hall of an empty warehouse complex of the Limburg Development Company LIOF, in Sittard. At the same time, I was able to use a very small patient room at the old Annadal Hospital Maastricht, which I renamed 'European Headquarters'. The period up to 2009 was truly pioneering. We had to overcome a lot of skepticism among cardiologists. The Americans had seen this strategically well. You have to set up an organization here and visit cardiologists in the hospitals to get such an innovation accepted. And then this region is of course very strategic for Europe, but we also serve the Far East from here, via distributors.” “Well, in 2015 we had grown enormously. Successively, more halls were rented from the LIOF, so that at that time we had twelve different warehouses in use. So it's time to consider a move. We wanted to bring everything under one roof, also because of the risk & finance analysis and control. The choice was an existing or a new building. When Trilandis' proposition came, it turned out to be very attractive, because of the infrastructure, nearby airports, cost/benefit ratio, the presence of well-known industry peers and we were enthusiastic about the cooperation of the municipality of Heerlen. We are still very happy with it.” Rob Bosma refers to the presence of TNT as a logistics partner. “The companies here have agreements with TNT about dealing with 'overflow' if at certain times the logistics department of a company cannot cope. This is how the 'Health Care Hub' develops.”
Math van Sloun continues to talk passionately. “After the contrast injection systems, ACIST has developed more products for cardiology. We supply catheters that measure pressure before and after a blockage, this is called FFR, Fractional Flow Reserve. And we have a new ultrasound system to make ultrasound recordings through catheters in blood vessels.” Yes, and then there's the Italian connection. In 2001, the Bracco company acquired ACIST. Bracco is a family-owned medical diagnostics company from Milan, founded in 1927 by Elio Bracco. Diana Bracco is now president and CEO. “But the ACIST company still operates as an American company,” is the experience of Math van Sloun. What about that Roman settlement? Bosma is proud of that. “It is a nice bonus that thanks to the development of new construction in the business parks, we can safeguard this heritage.” Math van Sloun: “It seems that we are here on the highest industrial estate in the Netherlands.” Rob: “We don't flood.”
Text: Kees Groeneveld / Images: ACIST
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