RheaVita has developed a continuous, controlled freeze-drying technology that integrates all the traditional freeze-drying process steps into one continuous production line. By spinning the glass vials during the freezing process, a thin layer of product coats the inner lining of the vial. Following drying, the final solid freeze-dried product is obtained. Compared to the traditional freeze-drying process, RheaVita’s approach has several advantages, including very fast product and process development with limited experimental efforts, avoiding scale-up issues, reducing cycle times, lower production costs, less clean room space requirements, improving quality assurance and improved and uniform product quality and process uniformity. The design process was accompanied by the development of a digital twin, a ‘virtual reality’ version of the system to facilitate future process development and optimization, assist with maintenance and repair as well as training of operators. RheaVita was founded in 2018 as a spin-out of Ghent University.