The SWARCO Innovation Hub: Moving the World Forward Through Collaboration
INTERNATIONAL
Grolman & SWARCO – Two Strong Partners in Distribution
TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
SWARCO Advanced Industry Systems at K 2022
TREND Industry 4.0 and Sustainability
Dear readers, Collaboration, safety, mindfulness and sustainability are not only the cornerstones of state-of-the-art companies, they also feature prominently in this issue of the “All-Rounder”.
Re-thinking the world – that’s what young people expect of us, and nothing less. This is precisely what we make possible with future-oriented projects such as the SWARCO Innovation Hub. What sounds like utopia to many is a reality here.
Companies and institutions that used to compete are now collaborating to crystallize tomorrow’s brilliant ideas.
Our new SWARCO Global Glass Beads Technology Center is a step in this direction. It not only enables global cooperation, it also relies on renewable energy and smart raw material sources using recycled material.
In this way, we’re doing our part in working together to create a future worth living.
Kind regards,
Robert Buchinger Business Development SWARCO Advanced Industry Systems
The world is on the cusp of fundamental changes. Urbanization, digitalization and automation are key topics, just as climate change and sustainability are. In an environment as dynamic as this, the best solutions can be developed only if stakeholders work together. And that is exactly what is happening at the SWARCO Innovation Hub.
The SWARCO Innovation Hub is a recent initiative established to strengthen cooperation among a wide variety of institutions. It invites companies, city governments, industry associations, academia and research institutions to shape tomorrow’s mobility together. The goal is to create a unique eco-system based on interaction among stakeholders that cultivates ideas for the benefit of all.
The complexity of individual mobility and related industrial developments is too much for any one company to tackle. What’s more, new players with exciting ideas are entering the market all the time. We need a new type of community to be able to balance all of this and implement the best solutions. The SWARCO Innovation Hub offers a modern platform for
this community. Here, strategic partnerships are more important than individual commercial interests. The platform is also an opportunity to revolutionize industrial thinking. Globalization, faster development cycles and the growing number of product features increase the motivation to involve external partners in research and development. Collaborative product development is the way of the future.
The SWARCO Innovation Hub has already produced multiple exciting initiatives. One of its flagships is the SWARCO Center of Competence. SWARCO’s globally connected R & D department brings together work from internal and external experts from around the world. The SWARCO JOIN&GROW programme, which takes an open-innovation approach, is in the same vein. It is open to new ideas within the industry and also focuses on collaborative development of sustainable solutions.
Other initiatives include the SWARCO Innovation Talks, a series of short webinars, and the Students’ Award, which supports young talents on their path to the future.
Many people associate buzzwords like industrialization and digitalization with a negative environmental impact. These associations might have indeed been justified in the past. Today, however, Industry 4.0 can also bring about a revolution towards greater sustainability.
K was launched 70 years ago in Düsseldorf. Every three years, the who’s who of the international plastics and rubber industry comes together at this trade fair. This year, some 3,000 companies will participate. As one of the exhibitors, SWARCO Advanced Industry Systems will be showcasing an exciting product portfolio.
The first K in Düsseldorf took place in 1952, the year Queen Elizabeth II succeeded to the throne. Since then, the trade fair has evolved to become the most important information and business platform for the plastics and rubber industry. The mega-event held on the Rhine takes place every three years and in 2019 attracted over 220,000 visitors from nearly 170 different countries. This year, more than 3,000 HEPA filters will be in use in order to continuously purify the air and create optimal safety conditions for both visitors and exhibitors.
At this year’s K, SWARCO Advanced Industry Systems will focus on showcasing SWARCOFORCE filler beads. Glass filler beads are high-grade filling agents that contribute to improving the physical properties of plastics, resins, paints, varnishes, surface coatings and building materials. In addition, they impact the properties of the end product, such as rigidity and pressure resistance, warping and shrinking behaviour, fluidity, abrasion resistance, tensile strength, impact resistance, colour, scratch resistance, surface gloss, light diffusion, etc. SWARCO Advanced Industry Systems’ experts will also be presenting new products. Come by our stand to learn more!
You will find SWARCO Advanced Industry Systems at stand 5F30-09 in hall 5. Our informational material will also be available at the Grolman stand, adding a publicly visible component to the fruitful cooperation between the two partners.
By collaborating internationally with the Grolman Group, SWARCO Advanced Industry Systems is putting its philosophy into practice. “Industrial glass beads by SWARCO Advanced Industry Systems – the world’s preferred choice in all nichesˮ is SWARCO Advanced Industry Systems’ vision. Cooperating with the Grolman Group makes it possible to take another step into the future and move closer to this vision.
The agreement between the companies covers the distribution of SWARCO Advanced Industry Systems’ products in Spain, Poland, Moldova, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro and Albania. Selective distribution for additional European countries is also in the planning stage.
The Grolman Group is an international distributor of speciality materials with sales offices in all European countries, as well as Turkey, North Africa, India and China. Each office is supported by sales staff with technical training, Group application labs, customer service teams and local warehousing. SWARCO Advanced Industry Systems and Grolman are now leveraging this market advantage together to expand their market presence in targeted industry segments.
Climate change, environmental disasters and increasingly scarce resources are also causing industry to reconsider how it operates. Industry 4.0 is playing an important role by taking major steps towards digitalization, making it possible for companies to use energy and resources much more efficiently. In mechanical engineering, for example, collaboration in networks can reduce much of the friction loss and many of the losses associated with development. One example of this is digital twinning, which involves creating a digital copy of a real object that already exists or is being designed. Unlike the real object, the virtual object can be supplied with nearly infinite amounts of data to run simulations. This allows errors to be resolved and production processes to be optimized before a single piece of the product is ever actually produced.
Industry 4.0 benefits the circular economy as well. Upcycling and recycling are now considered achievements by modern companies, whereas in the past, repairing equipment and reusing raw materials as often as possible used to be commonplace. Modern simulations of product life cycles can counteract the waste of resources, which has become a 21st century “luxury” problem. They can provide information about long-term vulnerabilities in products, which can then be resolved.
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) is crucial in developments like these. In absolute terms, AI is still in its infancy, but the future belongs to this science. It helps make value chains more sustainable, recyclable materials easier to identify and transport routes more transparent. And all of these steps are important on our path to a greener world.
Source (in German): topsoft.ch
“The Worldˈs No. 1 Trade Fair for Plastics and Rubber” will be taking place from 19 to 26 October 2022 in Düsseldorf, Germany. SWARCO Advanced Industry Systems will present itself at stand 5F30-09 in hall 5.
& The Grolman Group & SWARCO Advanced Industry Systems are joining forces to distribute SWARCOFORCE glass filler beads.
We leverage the universal benefits of glass beads for your special industry applications, in energy-efficient ways.
OUR VISION
Jürgen Höller is Team Leader for Sales & Distribution. We spoke with the seasoned expert, who gave us insight into his life and his more than 15 years on the SWARCO team.
What kind of challenges do you have to tackle in your job?
There are many, but this is part of daily life, whether at work, or in one’s private life. I try to approach challenges proactively – there’s always a solution. The best example is the situation we faced due to COVID-19. Especially at the beginning of the pandemic, not a day went by when we weren’t caught off guard by something. Delivery delays, price increases, sick employees, prevention measures, and many more surprises really kept us on our toes. With all of that, we had to keep a cool head. It wasn’t always easy, but we always managed.
OUR VALUES Efficiency, Diversity, Intelligence
OUR MOTTO Universal Efficiency
The company has been fortunate to benefit from your commitment, dedication and expertise since 2006. What did your life look like before SWARCO?
It was actually pretty typical (laughs).
After completing primary school in St. Georgen am Ybbsfelde in Austria and academic secondary school in Amstetten, I graduated from a higher vocational college specialized in business and commerce (Handelsakademie), also in Amstetten. Right after finishing my military service, I joined the company.
What positions have you held at SWARCO and what have you experienced in these more than 15 years at the company?
I started out in order processing and later was put in charge of the entire sales back office. In 2020, I had the honour of being appointed proxy holder, and in addition, was named the assistant to the head of sales for SWARCO at the M. Swarovski GmbH site in Neufurth in 2021. I’m also in charge of our sales activities in selected European markets, such as the Baltic States, Switzerland and the Czech Republic.
What motivated you to pursue a career at SWARCO specifically?
This is a funny story, because actually, I’ve been familiar with our products longer than all the sales and office work. Back in college, I was able to gain valuable experience as a production intern during my holidays, and that’s how I got to know “the glass beads” early on. That was of great help when I started out in order processing at SWARCO.
What does your time look like when you’re not at work?
In my free time, I try to stay as active as possible. I go running regularly and can’t imagine life without it anymore. I also love to play tennis. Apart from sport, spending time with friends and family is very important to me.
Jürgen Höller Team Leader Sales & Distribution, proxy holder
What are you working on now and where do you see yourself at the company in the future?
Over the past months, my goal was to visit all key account managers in person to get to know the needs of the local markets. These visits also allowed me to help improve global coordination within our sales and distribution structure across Europe. I generally believe that all processes and structures can be continuously improved and optimized. I’ll keep focusing on this in the future within my broad range of responsibilities. And I look forward to continuing to contribute to SWARCO’s success.
What motivates you at SWARCO?
Since I started at SWARCO, there hasn’t been a single day when I haven’t enjoyed going to work! Working with my colleagues is great fun. What we’ve managed to achieve together over the years is really outstanding. I also truly enjoy the personal contact with our partners. I find it interesting to meet so many different people, get to know so many different personalities and learn about different cultures. These are such valuable experiences. I appreciate that SWARCO gives me this opportunity as part of a strong team.
Thank you, Jürgen!
All the best and continued success for the future!
Industrial glass beads by SWARCO Advanced Industry Systems
– the world’s preferred choice in all niches
