Sanquin Blood Supply Foundation

Sanquin was established in 1998 through a merger between the Dutch blood banks and the Central Laboratory of the Netherlands Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service (CLB). The Foundation is responsible for blood supply on a not-for-profit basis and advances transfusion medicine as such that it fulfils the highest demands for quality, safety and efficiency. Sanquin delivers products and services, conducts scientific investigations and provides education, instruction, in-service training and refresher courses.

On the basis of the Blood Supply Act, Sanquin is the only organisation in the Netherlands authorised to manage our need for blood and blood products. It is also a not-for-profit organisation and thus has no profit motive. Sanquin employs approximately 3,000 workers all across the Netherlands.

The Sanquin organisation is constantly conducting research and developing new and improved blood products. There is also a constant search to replace the roughly 10% of the donors who become unavailable due to age, pregnancy, illness or relocation. At Sanquin, consistent quality and development through improvements therefore go hand in hand.

Sanquin’s logo, a stylised pelican with a drop of blood on its chest, refers to the legend of the Dalmatian pelican. This pelican is said to have fed her starving young with her own blood. Just as the mother pelican so selflessly saved the lives of her offspring, so do generous donations of blood save the lives of patients.