CTAC EU Opening in Düsseldorf: Expanding Technical Seminars & Hands-On HPC Support Across EMEA

On Thursday, February 5, 2026, our principal Nisso Chemical Europe GmbH / NIPPON SODA Co., Ltd. held the CTAC EU Opening Ceremony in Düsseldorf. From 2026, NISSO will expand technical seminars and hands-on training for customers across EMEA, strengthening collaboration with pharmaceutical R&D teams and formulation specialists.

As Alkan Chemical Europe, we welcome this step. It supports a practical goal we see in many projects: faster formulation learning cycles, clearer grade selection, and stronger technical alignment between material choice and final dosage form performance.

What is CTAC?

CTAC stands for Cellulose Technical Application Center. It is a technical and collaborative platform focused on HPC (Hydroxypropyl Cellulose) applications, designed to support customers with training and practical development work, including evaluation of formulations alongside customers.

In short, CTAC is intended to bridge the gap between material selection and real formulation performance, with support that can be aligned to different application targets and manufacturing approaches.

What CTAC will offer from 2026 for EMEA customers

Based on CTAC’s published scope, customers can expect support through:

• Training courses (fundamentals through to application-focused learning)
• Hands-on experimental courses (support for developing and evaluating formulations using relevant equipment)
• Technical seminars (practical topics supporting formulation decisions and development work)

For official details and updates, please refer to the CTAC page

Why this matters for formulation & R&D teams

In practice, formulation teams often face the same bottlenecks:

• A grade looks suitable on paper, but performance shifts with process conditions.
• The team wants a faster way to shortlist grades for DC, granulation, coating, or controlled release approaches.
• Projects require clearer starting points for trials and stronger technical evidence to support internal decisions.

A structured approach—seminars plus hands-on support—helps reduce trial-and-error and accelerates learning.

How this connects to NISSO HPC (Hydroxypropyl Cellulose)

Hydroxypropyl Cellulose (HPC) is widely used across multiple functions depending on grade and process route, including binder and film-forming roles, among others. On our HPC product page we list multiple grade families (e.g., SSL, SL, L, LM, M, H, VH) and alignment with major pharmacopeias (USP/NF, EP, JP).

Important note: there is no single “best” HPC grade. Selection depends on the application target and the manufacturing process, and should be confirmed via development work and trials.

How Alkan supports customers around CTAC EU

As Nisso’s distributor across multiple EMEA markets, our objective is to simplify your projects by supporting your teams with both technical expertise and reliable supply solutions.

We typically support customers with:

• • Grade shortlisting aligned to application and process route

• • Documentation alignment (COA/TDS readiness and quality coordination)

• • Supply planning (availability, lead times, continuity thinking)

• • Technical routing (connecting your project scope to the right technical support and learning path)

FAQ

What is CTAC?

CTAC is the Cellulose Technical Application Center established to support customers through technical training, seminars, and collaboration on formulation development and evaluation.

Will CTAC offer hands-on support?

CTAC describes experimental course support in addition to training and seminars. Please refer to the official CTAC page for current program details

Which HPC grade should we start with?

It depends on the application target and process route. A short technical discussion usually helps shortlist the right grades efficiently before starting trials.