EME Outlook - issue 44

MIDDLE EAST SOLAR INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION | ECO BALTIA

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Issue 44

SLOVMAG, A.S. LUBENÍK Refractories for all furnace demands

TOLY GROUP Over 50 years in the beauty industry

A SLICE OF SUCCESS Tapan Vaidya, CEO at the UAE master franchise of iconic US pizza giant Papa John’s, talks expansion and consumer-led innovation

Michael Cunningham, Managing Director of the energy division at Camlin Group, examines optimising green infrastructure

travel magazine I

n a changing world, where the travel industry must adapt to challenging global situations, our mission at Outlook Travel remains the same. We will continue to showcase some of the world’s most inspiring destinations, offering real insight and comprehensive travel guides for when global mobility resumes.

ISSUE 06

The major component of the publication takes the form of our Outlook Travel Guides, providing executives, avid travellers and our existing 575,000 international subscribers with the ultimate rundown of all the major economic drivers and thriving hubs across the world, with exclusive input from tourism industry associations and stakeholders – the people who know these places the best.

T R AV E L G U I D E

SOUTH AFRICA’S WESTERN CAPE

Sprawling mountains, ocean vistas and world-class wine T R AV E L B U S I N E S S

AUTO EUROPE

Reinventing the meaning of service for the travel industry

TRAVEL GUIDE

MEXICO CITY

You can join the vast numbers of tourism sector players enjoying the exposure we provide across our digital and print platforms with a range of options, from advertising through to free-of-charge editorials, extensive social media saturation, enhanced B2B networking opportunities, and a readymade forum to attract new investment and increase exposure.

Mezcal and mole in Mexico’s mega-city

JORDAN BANKS, the highly acclaimed travel and lifestyle photographer, tells all about keeping busy during the pandemic

THAILAND TRAVEL GUIDE

THAILAND

MALAYSIA TRAVEL GUIDE

This Southeast Asian country is a perennial favourite, thanks to an intoxicating combination of beautiful beaches, world-renowned cuisine and incredible temple complexes

M A L AYS I A

Writer: Dani Redd | Project Manager: Jordan Levey

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nown as the ‘Land of Smiles’, Thailand is a friendly country that welcomed 38.27 million tourists to its shores last year.

There are plenty of reasons why this Southeast Asian destination is so popular.

For a start, there’s the beaches. In the south, Thailand’s two coastlines stretch for miles, populated by swathes of icing-sugar soft sand, the bays speckled with dramatic limestone formations. Thailand is also home to 1,430 islands, ranging from full moon party spots like Koh Pha Ngan to the more off the beaten track Similan Islands, a national marine park popular with scuba divers.

Then, there’s the food. Thailand’s noodles, stir fries and curries are beloved around the

world, characterised by the fragrant taste of lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and tulsi. Every town is bursting at the seams with floating markets, street food stalls and high-end restaurants where you can try delicious local dishes.

Thailand’s rich spiritual heritage also attracts tourists. Golden temples and larger-than-life Buddha statues can be found across the country. Visitors can experience colourful religious festivals in the northeast of the country or explore the underground cave shrines in Kanchanaburi and Phetchaburi.

Despite Thailand’s popularity, it’s easy to find a quiet corner to relax, be it on a deserted island or an eco-retreat in the craggy mountains north of Chiang Mai.

Malaysia is a melting pot with a unique culture, a world-renowned food scene and a spectacular landscape of islands, ancient rainforest and mountains Writer: Dani Redd Project Manager: Joe Palliser

NAMIBIA TRAVEL GUIDE

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here are many reasons why Malaysia is a tourist favourite.

For a start, there’s the landscape. Imagine 878 islands, ringed with white sand beaches leading down to translucent waters. Vibrant coral reefs lie just offshore, home to a profusion of marine life. Inland are ancient rainforests, the shaded canopy seemingly impenetrable.

Take a guided walk to learn about this habitat’s astonishing biodiversity.

You might even catch sight of a tapir, or a silver-leafed monkey swimming through the jungle canopy.

Outdoor enthusiasts will also relish tackling some of region’s towering granite mountains or exploring the intricate networks of limestone caves.

Then, there’s the culture. Malaysia

is a melting point of Malay, Indian, Chinese and aboriginal groups (Orang Asli). There’s a packed calendar of religious festivals, including Wesak, or Buddha’s birthday, celebrated with processions of flowers and candles.

Cities such as Melaka and Georgetown boast fascinating heritage districts where you can experience this fascinating fusion for yourself. Make sure you take time out to try Malaysia’s delicious cuisine, which reflects its multicultural population.

Of course, Malaysia has a modern side too. It can be found in the SEYCHELLES malls, skyscrapers and fine dining TRAVEL restaurants in larger cities, such as the GUIDE capital Kuala Lumpur.

S E YC H E L L E S Most people visit this archipelago in the Indian Ocean for the beaches, but it has much more to offer than that Writer: Dani Redd | Project Manager: Jordan Levey

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escribing the Seychelles, it’s easy to veer into cliché. These picture-perfect islands are blessed with white sand beaches lapped by translucent water, fringed with palm trees and interesting rock formations. The dramatic sunsets, laidback atmosphere and a wide range of luxury accommodation make them a popular spot for honeymooners.

The Seychelles consists of 115 islands and some small islets, located

NAMIBIA Namibia is a country of rugged, otherworldly landscapes; a desert realm with a complex history and culturally diverse inhabitants Writer: Dani Redd | Project Manager: Joe Palliser

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amibia is known for its sparse, otherworldly landscapes. It gets its name from the Namib, the world’s oldest desert; a sparse, windswept region extending 1,900 kilometres down Africa’s Atlantic coast. The desert is characterised by its red dunes, which plunge down towards the ocean at Sandwich Harbour and Skeleton Coast. It’s also known for its white clay and salt pans, such as Deadvlei, where there are hundreds of ossified trees.

Another scenic spot in the desert is Moon Landscape, named after its eerie, pockmarked topography.

But sightseeing in Namibia isn’t just about deserts.

Inland you’ll find the green-gold grasslands of the Kalahari, and rugged mountains such as the Brandberg, Spitzkoppe and Damaraland.

Tourists flock to Namibia to experience its remote corners. Hot air ballooning, sand boarding and offroad quad bike excursions are all popular activities.

When it comes to safaris, Namibia offers some unrivalled experiences – head to Etosha National Park to see big cats, elephants and black rhinos.

Namibia has a fascinating history. It was inhabited as early as 25,000 BC, with tribes such as Ovambo and Herero gradually migrating into the country. In the “Scramble for Africa” Namibia became a German colony, known as German South West Africa, in 1884. After over a century of bloody battles, Namibia finally gained independence in 1990. These days it’s a country rich in historical attractions and cultural diversity; a country with plenty of stories to tell.

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in the Indian Ocean at a crossroads between Asia and Africa. Most of the action is concentrated around the three major islands: Mahé, La Digue and Praslin. Mahé is the largest and most populous; home to the capital, Victoria, and transport hub to the rest of the islands. La Digue is renowned for having some of the best beaches in the archipelago. Praslin, meanwhile, is home to the idyllic Vallée de Mai nature reserve.

But there’s more to the Seychelles

than just the beaches. Trek through the granite mountains and lush rainforests of the Morne Seychellois National Park. Try some of the island’s traditional Creole dishes at a local restaurant. Or if you’re a nature lover, head to Bird Island to observe its population of fairy terns and common noddies, as well as the giant Aldabra tortoises endemic to the archipelago. You’ll be bowled over by what the Seychelles has to offer.

WELCOME EDITORIAL Head of Editorial: Phoebe Harper phoebe.harper@outlookpublishing.com Senior Editor: Marcus Kääpä marcus.kaapa@outlookpublishing.com Junior Editor: Jack Salter jack.salter@outlookpublishing.com PRODUCTION Production Director: Stephen Giles steve.giles@outlookpublishing.com Senior Designer: Devon Collins devon.collins@outlookpublishing.com Designer: Matt Loudwell matt.loudwell@outlookpublishing.com Production Assistant: Courtney Solomon courtney.solomon@outlookpublishing.com Social Media Manager: Dan Nash dan.nash@outlookpublishing.com BUSINESS Chief Executive Officer: Ben Weaver ben.weaver@outlookpublishing.com Managing Director: James Mitchell james.mitchell@outlookpublishing.com Sales Director: Nick Norris nick.norris@outlookpublishing.com Commercial Director: Joshua Mann joshua.mann@outlookpublishing.com HEADS OF PROJECTS Callam Waller callam.waller@outlookpublishing.com Eddie Clinton eddie.clinton@outlookpublishing.com Thomas Arnold thomas.arnold@outlookpublishing.com TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Vivek Valmiki vivek.valmiki@outlookpublishing.com SALES MANAGERS Sales & Partnerships Manager: Donovan Smith donovan.smith@outlookpublishing.com Matt Cole-Wilkin matt.cole-wilkin@outlookpublishing.com Ryan Gray ryan.gray@outlookpublishing.com PROJECT MANAGERS Harry Parker harry.parker@outlookpublishing.com Krisha Canlas krisha.canlas@outlookpublishing.com Marvin Iseghehi marvin.Iseghehi@outlookpublishing.com Matthew Taylor matthew.taylor@outlookpublishing.com Nicholas Kernan nicholas.kernan@outlookpublishing.com Sam Love sam.love@outlookpublishing.com ADMINISTRATION Finance Director: Suzanne Welsh suzanne.welsh@outlookpublishing.com Finance Assistant: Eleanor Bennett eleanor.bennett@outlookpublishing.com Office Manager: Daniel George daniel.george@outlookpublishing.com CONTACT EME Outlook 69-75 Thorpe Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR1 1UA, United Kingdom.

Sales: +44 (0) 1603 363 631 Editorial: +44 (0) 1603 363 655 SUBSCRIPTIONS Tel: +44 (0) 1603 363 655 phoebe.harper@outlookpublishing.com www.emeoutlookmag.com Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/emeoutlook Follow us on Twitter: @eme_outlook

Decarbonising Industry As world leaders convene in Glasgow for the COP26 summit to hasten action against climate change, this issue of Europe and Middle East Outlook showcases an array of companies committed to a green stance.

Alongside shining a light on the summit itself, our frontrunner, Camlin Group, is the technological enterprise optimising green infrastructure with unparalleled technical capabilities in asset monitoring. With a pledge to reach net zero emissions by 2050, Michael Cunningham, Managing Director of the Camlin Energy division, talks passionately of the company’s longterm growth strategy, guided by balancing a positive impact across people, planet, and performance.

“Our solutions are dedicated to supporting the journey to the net-zero grid of the future...The UK is taking a leading position in this ‘global project’, and I feel we should be rightly proud of this,” he tells us.

To whet your appetite, Papa John’s UAE takes the cover as a fast-food icon with 99 percent of its packaging entirely non-toxic, compostable, and planet friendly. We examine new directions with CEO Tapan Vaidya, as the company explores a meatless agenda.

“We are the first pizza chain to launch a completely new vegan range, with vegan chicken nuggets and various pizzas in the vegan variety, including wedges loaded with vegan cheese,” states Vaidya.

Elsewhere, we speak with the association empowering the use of solar power across the Middle East (MESIA), and desert INK - the dynamic landscape architects responsible for cutting-edge green projects, including Terra - The Sustainability Pavilion at the Dubai Expo 2020.

On Italian soil, Saviola Holding and its furniture division Composad is an inspiring example of upcycling within an authentic circular economy, as the bespoke manufacturer to use only 100 percent recycled wood. Back in the UK, we speak with Jean-Claude Geha, Managing Director of the TMT division of Atos - the technological giant with laudable sustainability credentials.

Carbon neutral since 2018, Atos continues on a promising trajectory to achieve net-zero by 2028, thereby neutralising all carbon under its influence including suppliers and partners.

“The scope of our intent is 10 times larger than Atos itself and 22 years ahead of the Paris agreement’s 2050 deadline,” says Geha.

Enjoy exclusive insight into a host of other companies with their own stories to tell, including Sohar Stones, Eco Baltia, Chemkostav, Heidi Chocolat and many more.

We hope that you enjoy your read.

Phoebe Harper Head of Editorial, Outlook Publishing EME Outlook issue 44 | 3

CONTENTS

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10

136 REGULARS

6 NEWS

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

Around Europe and the Middle East in seven stories

18 Middle East Solar Industry Association (MESIA)

8 EXPERT EYE

Galvanising the advancement of solar power across the MENA region

Laying the tracks for renewable rail

BUSINESS INSIGHTS

10 SUSTAINABILITY The Summit of the Century

16

Looking at the COP26 conference and its current achievements

12 ECONOMY Dubai Property Outlook: Bouncing Back Strongest Real estate fuelling economic recovery in Dubai

TOPICAL FOCUS

16 FINANCE Europe’s Mobile Banking Evolution The emerging alternative to cash and card on the continent

18 4 | EME Outlook issue 44

EVENT FOCUS

136 MECOC 2021 Middle East Metallurgy Corrosion & Coatings Overcoming today’s challenges

138 THE FINAL WORD What or who has been a source of inspiration for you during your career?

EME OUTLOOK MAGAZINE

F E AT U R E S

26 SHOWCASING LEADING COMPANIES

MANUFACTURING

Tell us your story and we’ll tell the world

106 Toly Group 50 Years in Beauty

FOOD & DRINK

Manufacturing full-service solutions in the beauty industry

28 Papa John’s UAE A Slice of Success The UAE master franchise in the fast-paced food industry with expansion on the menu

40 Heidi Chocolat Chocolate That Inspires Delicious chocolate with a strong, positive message

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114 Saviola Holding Regenerative Manufacturing Behind the world’s leading postconsumption wood processor

CONSTRUCTION

72 desert INK Context-Driven Places Landscape architecture in the Middle East and beyond

80 Chemkostav Building Since 1996 Design and development in the Slovakian construction sector

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114 120 ASCO Industries Passion in Precision Engineering excellence in aerospace with ASCO Industries

TECHNOLOGY

48 Camlin Group Optimising Green Infrastructure Leading sustainable digital development solutions

60 Atos (TMT) Decarbonising Digital The trusted digital partner prioritising enduser experience

SUSTAINABILITY

80 MINING

130 Eco Baltia The Leading Latvian Environmental Management Company Recycling and waste management across the Baltics

86 SLOVMAG, a.s. Lubeník​ Materials to Handle the Heat Refractories for all furnace demands

92 Sohar Stones Quarrying for Quality in Oman Mining aggregates in the Middle East

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98 thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions Middle East & Africa Digital Mining Evolution Digitalisation in the African mining industry

130 EME Outlook issue 44 | 5

NEWS Around Europe & the Middle East in seven stories…

A E R O S PAC E

Airbus completes Wing of Tomorrow prototype

S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y

SAUDI ARABIA MAKES NET ZERO COMMITMENT SAUDI ARABIA, the world’s biggest oil exporter, has committed to net zero carbon emissions by 2060.

To reach this goal, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has said the Gulf state would invest more than £130 billion.

The announcement comes just days before the COP26 climate change summit, at which pressing

A MA J O R MI L E STO N E has been reached in Airbus’ Wing of Tomorrow programme with the completion of the first full-size prototype.

The Wing of Tomorrow programme will test the latest composite materials and new technologies in aerodynamics and wing architecture, exploring how wing manufacturing and industrialisation can be improved to meet future demands as the sector emerges from the pandemic.

Three full-size prototype wings will be manufactured in total. One will be used to understand systems integration; a second will be structurally tested to compare against computer modelling, whilst a third will be assembled to test scaling-up production and compared against industrial modelling.

issues such as cutting greenhouse gas emissions and reducing global warming will be put before world leaders.

More than 100 countries have now committed to achieving netzero emissions, with Saudi Arabia’s pledge marking a significant shift for the world’s 10th-largest emitter of carbon dioxide.

AUTOMOTIVE

Ford to transform Halewood operations F OR D I N T EN DS to invest up to £230 million at its Halewood vehicle transmission facility.

Building on its commitment to go all in on electrification in Europe, the facility will be transformed to build electric power units for future Ford 6 | EME Outlook issue 44

all-electric passenger and commercial vehicles sold in the continent.

Power unit production is expected to begin in mid-2024 in Halewood, which will be Ford’s first in-house electric vehicle component assembly site in Europe.

With a planned production capacity of around 250,000 units a year, the investment will help safeguard Ford jobs at Halewood.

M A N U FA C T U R I N G

JCB hydrogen engine project gets cash injection L EADING BRITISH Manufacturer JCB is investing £100 million on a project to produce super-efficient hydrogen engines.

With JCB targeting the end of 2022 for the first machines to be

ECONOMY

available for sale to customers, a team of 100 engineers is already working on the exciting development with the recruitment of up to 50 more engineers under way.

JCB’s hydrogen technology will next be on display in the Green Zone at COP26 in Glasgow, where world leaders will debate measures to drastically reduce greenhouse emissions.

Rishi Sunak unveils spending plans in ‘new age’ budget C H A N C E L LO R R I S H I Sunak says his budget will prepare the UK for an “age of optimism” postCOVID-19.

Economic growth for 2021 in the country has been revised to 6.5 percent, up from four percent, whilst total departmental spending is set to increase by £150 billion over this Parliament.

Extra funding for schools, hospitality and retail business rate discounts, as well as a “radical simplification” of alcohol duty, have been announced, complementing an increase in the National Living Wage and public sector pay rises.

TRANSPORT

Zurich Airport named best airport in Europe for 18th year running

OIL & GAS

Natural gas to power UAE’s economic growth NAT UR A L GAS is set to play a pivotal role in powering economic growth in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) over the next 50 years.

Delivering the opening address of Gastech 2021, H.E. Dr Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Managing Director and Group CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), highlighted the UAE’s leadership in natural gas.

The UAE is on course to achieve gas self-sufficiency as ADNOC leverages advanced technologies to expand into unconventional gas, tap into gas taps and unlock new reservoirs, as part of the company’s integrated gas strategy launched in 2018.

SW I TZ E R L A N D ’ S L A R G E ST airport, Zurich Airport, has won its 18th consecutive World Travel Award for the best airport in Europe.

The airport, renowned for its customer satisfaction rates and high-quality services, has this year been praised for implementing a number of COVID-secure measures during the pandemic to keep travellers and employees safe, including plexiglass panels at checkin counters as well as hundreds of hygiene stations complete with masks and disinfectant.

Readily commutable by train from Zurich city centre, the airport is also recognised for its modern infrastructure, with over 80 shops to browse and fast WiFi connection available to travellers.

EME Outlook issue 44 | 7

EXPERT EYE

RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE SUSTAINABILITY:

TURNING WORDS INTO ACTIONS Eran Gartner, rail industrialist and CEO of global infrastructure specialist Pandrol, gives his perspective on putting sustainable principles into practice in our challenging, changing world Written by: Eran Gartner, CEO, Pandrol

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he climate has been whispering for the need for change for decades, and as we all know - there is no Planet B. Governments across the world and businesses in every industry are finally feeling the pressure to act. There has never been a more pressing moment to accelerate the drive towards a net zero carbon emissions economy, embedding greener practices throughout the operations valuechain in design, sourcing, production, logistics and life-cycle maintenance.

The COP26 international summit is stimulating multiple nations to announce zero carbon targets by 2050, with the European Union setting a high bar with the “Fit for 55” 8 | EME Outlook issue 44

intermediate plan to 2030.

The transport industry is in the limelight to shift a gear through initiatives including Railsponsible, with Network Rail setting sciencebased targets and publishing its Environmental Sustainability Strategy 2020-2050, and Deutsche Bahn committing to reach CO2 neutrality by 2040. But how can businesses pivot effectively to deliver sustainability strategies that work with – not against – performance, quality and authenticity?

FROM CRADLE TO GATE Rail is recognised as the most environmentally friendly mode of motorised transport, yet we cannot

be complacent. Net zero carbon and carbon neutral targets are challenging companies such as Pandrol to innovatively rethink.

As a designer and manufacturer of fastening systems, welding, electrification, noise and vibration and track equipment, Pandrol is perfectly positioned to lead the conversation on sustainability. Right now, we’re doing so with a cradle-to-gate Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach to carefully consider all our activities, as well as new product innovations designed to help us dramatically reduce, and ultimately eliminate, our carbon footprint, while maintaining uncompromising quality and performance.

Our plan for decarbonisation begins with embedding environmental and carbon considerations in our decision making. Just as the railways look to us to meet their objectives, we turn to our supply chain to join forces in

TRANSPORT the four products within the SRS range have recently gained Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) – independently verified assessments that assign a precisely quantified carbon footprint to any given product.

Moving forward, Pandrol will extend the EPD methodology across the product range.

ENERGY, ECONOMY AND EQUIPMENT

achieving our ambitions. A shift to 100 percent renewable energy is a first and important step; we are moving as fast as our energy suppliers can accommodate our requirements.

SUSTAINABLE PRODUCT INNOVATION For Pandrol – like many other organisations – products lead the way in terms of innovation.

For example, in recent years we’ve developed a range of resilient track systems manufactured using green energy and made from recycled or upcycled end-of-life tyres.

Every kilometre of track fitted with the sustainable resilient system (SRS) saves 40,000 tyres from unsustainable disposal – and contrary to unsubstantiated myths, bonded recycled resin outperforms petroleumbased resilient products in the track as well as in the environment. As confirmation of their green credentials,

For environmental efforts to truly make an impact, they must be applied holistically and with focus. Beyond product innovation, Pandrol factories are making increasing use of solar, wind and biomass energy, with more than half of our sites now supplied by renewable electricity – and more to follow.

At the heart of our approach is the concept of a circular economy, in which we recycle, reuse and repair as much as possible, use water sparingly and recover as much waste as we can.

This practice has delivered significant impact for factories across the world.

Our Intercast and Forge iron casting foundry is strategically located in South Australia in the area converting fastest to 100 percent renewable electricity and is already using as much as 86 percent recycled raw materials.

With procured materials and services accounting for over half of our global revenue, we knew we had to prioritise the purchase process and reflect its importance to our overall success. Procurement and new product development expertise are now integrated from the beginning of all CapEx projects, as we double down on forward planning to anticipate supply issues and proactively implement sustainability as much as possible throughout the process.

When it comes to equipment, we’re exploring the use of batterypowered track equipment as a greener alternative, benefitting not only from lower emissions, but also from longer lifecycles, decreased

maintenance needs and lack of fumes.

Our E+ product range includes a zero-emissions hydraulic power unit, providing an ideal, low-risk solution for powering all Pandrol tools.

A HOLISTIC APPROACH Although this overview is specific to rail infrastructure, I believe an all-round approach is key to success when it comes to sustainability, whatever your industry. Tackle issues and products in isolation and you’ll never realise the reduction the planet is craving. By thinking collectively and prioritising environmentally friendly practices across the world, you can maximise the benefits of every step forward.

When we truly align and work together as contractors, operators, designers and manufacturers, we can look ahead to a cleaner, safer, more sustainable future.

ABOUT THE EXPERT Eran Gartner is CEO of Pandrol, the global company defining the industry standard across rail infrastructure for fastening systems, aluminothermic welding, electrification, noise and vibration mitigation and track equipment. Pandrol designs, manufactures and monitors mission-critical technology deployed in the construction, operation and maintenance of rail infrastructure in more than 100 countries. As an accomplished leader and committed industry voice, Eran draws motivation from 1,700 employees and inspiration from his family to steer Pandrol towards sustainability. Before joining Pandrol in 2019, Eran was CEO at Megalim Solar Power and has over 20 years of international experience in turnkey rail projects, train manufacturing, and strategy within Bombardier Transportation.

EME Outlook issue 44 | 9

COP26

THE SUMMIT OF THE CENTURY Climate change is a clear and present threat to both people and the planet. We take a look at the COP26 conference in Glasgow, and what agreements have been made so far Writer: Marcus Kääpä

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here is no doubt that the climate crisis represents the largest global scale problem that we face as part of the planet’s ecosystem.

For a length of time, human activity and growth has continued without consideration of the planetary costs, having moved ahead through the past century with an arguably impetuous attitude, and without thought to the fact that there is no Planet B. We have been aware of climate change for a long time. In 1896, Swedish scientist Svante Arrhenius predicted that changes in carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the atmosphere could alter Earth’s surface temperatures through the greenhouse effect, and that was 10 | EME Outlook issue 44

125 years ago. Further down the line, the likes of English engineer Guy Callendar (in 1938) and Canadian physicist Gilbert Plass each understood and worked on highlighting the negative impacts of CO2 increases in the atmosphere, with the latter formulating the Carbon Dioxide Theory of Climate Change in 1956.

Today, we have reams of data showing the worsening climate crisis and the impact of change on the environment. The burning of fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases, the majority of which is CO2, acting as atmospheric insulation, trapping the sun’s heat and causing a planet-wide temperature increase. Over the past 70 years especially, the dramatic increase in CO2 emissions decade on decade has substantially accelerated multiple interconnected issues that heavily and negatively impact the natural world, as well as human lives.

SUSTAINABILITY COP26 To answer this pressing issue, countries and governments around the world have come together this month at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, UK. Highlights of the summit so far include over 100 world leaders promising to end and reverse deforestation by 2030; this has been the first substantial deal of the

COP26 THE ‘PEOPLE’S ADVOCATE’ “There could not be a more important moment that we should now have international agreement. The epidemic has shown us how crucial it is to find agreement among nations if we are to solve such worldwide problems. But the problems that await us in the next five to 10 years are even greater.

“It is crucial that these meetings in Glasgow, COP26, have success, and that at last the nations will come together to solve the crippling problems that the world now faces.”

PHOTO BY NICK.THIRTEEN - OWN WORK, CC BY-SA 4.0

- Sir David Attenborough, British broadcaster, natural historian and author

conference at the time of writing, although experts warned that previous promises of the same kind “failed to slow deforestation at all” and that these promises need to be kept. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said “more leaders than ever before”, 110 to be exact, agreed to the “landmark” commitment. As forests absorb substantial amounts of CO2, the agreement aims to combat deforestation as one of the major contributors to climate change.

The countries that have signed the pledge, including the UK, the US, Canada, Brazil, Russia, China, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Indonesia, account for around 85 percent of the world’s forests. This promise comes with almost £14 billion in public and private funds, that will see developing countries restore damaged land, combat wildfires and support local and indigenous communities. £1.1 billion of this will also be established to safeguard the tropical rainforest in the Congo Basin, the second largest on the globe.

28 of these countries also pledged to eliminate deforestation from global food and agricultural product trade, such as palm oil, soya and cocoa.

These are industries in particular that resort to deforestation in order for animals to graze and for crops to grow. Additionally, over 30 of the world’s largest financial companies have pledged to cease investment activities linked to deforestation.

In the Middle East, Saudi Arabia pledged to reach net zero by 2060 prior to the event. As the top oil producer in the world, the kingdom

unveiled its plan in an announcement made by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, during an environment summit only weeks before COP26. However, there has been very little mention of curbing oil production.

As for the role that companies play in the facilitation of a greener future, UK-based firms and financial institutions have been instructed to form and present detailed public plans on how they will move towards a low-carbon future by 2023. This falls in line with the UK’s net-zero target for 2050, and the plans of such companies will be submitted to a panel of experts to ensure they have an impact as opposed to being empty or limited promises.

However, even if implemented, the plans have been criticised as doing too little too late. David Barmes, a Senior Economist at the campaign group Positive Money, stated that the intention behind the plan was positive, yet the financial firms in question are still “pouring billions into environmentally harmful projects”, and that society needs public institutions, rather than bank CEOs, to lead the way and set the standard for delivering green investments.

The strategies presented for 2023 will need to include greenhouse gas reduction targets, as well as detailed steps as to how firms intend to reach these goals.

COP26 will continue until the 12th November 2021, and for many, the summit stands as the best chance for global collaboration towards the environmental betterment of the planet and its people.

EME Outlook issue 44 | 11

DUBAI PROPERTY MARKET

DUBAI PROPERTY OUTLOOK:

BOUNCING BACK STRONGEST

12 | EME Outlook issue 44

ECONOMY

C Paul Rothschild, Chief Advisor at PLDD Platinum Luxury Design & Development and BlackRock Asset Services, discusses Dubai’s property market, the impact of COVID-19 and what’s in store Writer: Paul Rothschild

OVID-19 has opened the door to a revitalised property market in Dubai. Following years of stagnation or declines, wealthy international investors are snapping up luxury properties in a buying boom that continues to fuel Dubai’s economic recovery.

Dubai’s property market is flying right now, with luxury villas at the top of the most wanted pile. European buyers are particularly homing in on Palm Jumeirah, Dubai’s signature man-made island. They’re also increasingly interested in Dubai’s golf course estates.

Dubai’s property market remains buoyant with high investor confidence.

The property sector in Dubai has long been a bit of a rollercoaster. Since around 2014, it was steadily declining,

and then, of course, when COVID-19 first hit and Dubai closed its borders, there was a sharp fall in sales.

However, as soon as the Emirate re-opened its borders, there has been an influx in transactions. Since then, they’ve continued steadily increasing, and they show no signs of stopping.

Currently, the market is experiencing record transaction volumes and month-on-month gains.

Dubai was one of the first luxury destinations in the world to reopen to tourists and visitors back in July 2020. Rather than continuing endless lockdowns and shutting down entire sectors for lengthy periods, Dubai implemented an open policy along with strict precautionary measures and arresting those who blatantly do not respect such terms.

EME Outlook issue 44 | 13

DUBAI PROPERTY MARKET

“SENTIMENT WILL REMAIN HIGH AMONG OVERSEAS INVESTORS THANKS TO THE WAY DUBAI IS HANDLING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC CRISIS” - PAUL ROTHSCHILD

ECONOMY The Gulf Emirate has also facilitated a highly successful vaccination programme resulting in some of the highest rates in the world. These combined measures meant that, while tourists began returning in high numbers at the beginning of 2021, life has continued much more normally than in other parts of the world.

There was a corresponding rise in COVID-19 cases when tourists and overseas visitors began to arrive at the start of the year, but the combination of sensible measures and vaccinations have kept it well managed.

INVESTOR-FRIENDLY LEGISLATION BOOSTS INVESTOR INTEREST Other reasons for the surging interest in Dubai from overseas buyers include more relaxed rules surrounding residency. The Government’s decision to allow firms to be fully owned by overseas investors has also boosted moves to the region.

This surge in new people arriving in Dubai has, of course, regenerated its tourism industry. This has long underpinned Dubai’s economy, which derives little wealth from oil in the way that neighbouring Emirates do.

According to IHS Markit, the resurgence of tourism and property investment in Dubai has helped business activity to bounce back and by April 2021, business activity had recovered to almost pre-COVID-19 levels.

There has been a considerable increase in buyer interest in luxury properties valued at more than $2.7 million (10 million dirhams). This is a marked change for a sector that has struggled for the last few years.

According to Property Monitor, there were 90 transactions at this level in April 2021 alone, compared with the average annual number of 350.

For example, a luxury property on the Palm sold recently for 111.25 million dirhams (more than $30 million), making it by far the highest price achieved in Palm for many years. The

next highest property available on the same block is a substantial modern villa boasting a 180-degree vista. It’s on the market for 100 million dirhams (just over $27 million).

EUROPEAN INVESTORS ARE INCREASINGLY INTERESTED IN DUBAI AS A PRIMARY RESIDENCE Properties at this level were stuck at the height of the pandemic, but there is renewed optimism that the new wave of European investors will buy into the sheer luxury on offer in Dubai’s property market.

HNWI’s are ready to make Dubai their primary residence while managing their businesses elsewhere in the world. In April 2021, sales of luxury properties worth more than ten million dirhams rose by 6.7 percent compared with March. According to Property Monitor, 81 villas shifted on the Palm in April 2021 compared with just 54 for the entirety of 2020.

However, even with these impressive gains, the market is still behind the highs of 2014 before it declined.

According to Morgan Stanley, the boom is set to continue into the foreseeable, thanks to, “robust demand, peaking supply growth and long lead times for new projects.”

A raft of favourable government reforms over the last year have also helped to boost the sector. This, along with attractive mortgage rates and the change in demand caused by the pandemic, ensures

Dubai’s property sector will continue this pattern of growth for the rest of 2021 into 2022.

LUXURY VILLAS IN DEMAND ACROSS EMERGING AREAS OF DUBAI It’s not just the luxury villa sector that is doing well. The entire market across the board is on an upward swing, with the first year-on-year price increase since 2015.

Sentiment will remain high among overseas investors thanks to the way Dubai is handling the pandemic crisis.

This has turned attention towards the Gulf Emirate as a viable and positive place to invest funds.

Regional and international investors and buyers are relocating to Dubai’s luxury sector. The prices are attractive, the market sentiment is positive, and, in a world where many governments have struggled to get a grip on the pandemic, Dubai stands out as a success story.

This is morphing into historic success for Dubai’s luxury property market, although the focus remains on villas for most of the big buyers. This is likely due to new remote working routines calling for more space, nearby amenities, and plenty of green areas.

The pandemic is still, of course, a relatively unknown quantity for the future, and things could change yet again for global mobilisation and tourism. However, Dubai’s luxury property sector will likely continue this recovery phase in a sustained manner.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Paul Rothschild is chief advisor and former CEO of Platinum Luxury Design & Development (PLDD). He is also a chief advisor to BlackRock investment management and a freelance consultant to a number of property development, banking and financial management companies.

EME Outlook issue 44 | 15

TOPICAL FOCUS

EUROPE’S MOBILE BANKING EVOLUTION Accessible at the swipe of a finger, we explore the technological progression of mobile banking and mobile payments in Europe Writer: Jack Salter

A

lmost anything is possible with a smartphone these days, and banking is no exception.

In Europe, where mobile banking is of widespread popularity, customers can shop, pay utility bills, and even send money to friends or family in seconds straight from their mobile device.

The market is alive with mobile banking apps from some of the biggest players in the industry, including Apple, Google, and Samsung, whilst digital banks such 16 | EME Outlook issue 44

as Monzo, Revolut and Starling Bank allow people to track their spending from their digital device.

A RISING TREND Mobile banking is a rising trend and one of the most popular payment methods in Europe, correlating with the fact that people are spending a lot more time on their mobile phones.

It is already the most popular method of banking in the UK and there has been particularly strong online banking penetration across Scandinavia.

Meanwhile, central European countries such as Germany and Austria are experiencing a significant reduction in the use of physical cash, a reflection of mobile banking as a cultural evolution as well as a technological one.

Naturally, at just a tap of a screen away, mobile banking transactions are much faster and a lot more convenient than traditional means, without the need to queue at branches, visit cash machines, rummage through wallets or keep track of physical cash.

Services are also accessible at any time, rather than only during working hours, and with so many payment and banking app options out there, customers have a broad variety of brands to choose from.

Not only does this give rise to more products and services, but on top of this smaller, independent banking service providers also have the opportunity to be a unique alternative for customers looking to bank with a less-established name on the market.

FINANCE Convenience is one thing, but mobile banking has also proven itself to be extremely safe and secure, increasing European confidence in online payments as a result.

MOBILE BANKING THREE OPTIONS IN DETAIL ATOM BANK – Founded in 2014, Atom Bank claims to be the first bank in the UK built exclusively for mobile. Atom’s products are currently limited to savings and mortgages.

LOOT – Initially designed to help students keep on top of their finances, Loot has plenty of useful features for younger customers. It is noted for its budgeting features which include the ability to set customised periodical budgets over a set of days, weeks or months.

MONZO – Monzo’s current account combines mobile banking with traditional features, including a debit card, optional overdrafts and free cash withdrawals in the UK.

As well as being heavily encrypted, smartphone payment systems often make use of ultra-safe biometric verification tools such as fingerprint identification, which are more secure than traditional methods such as PIN codes.

ONLINE BANKING PENETRATION IN SELECTED EUROPEAN MARKETS IN 2020 ICELAND

96 94 94 80 65 37 7

MOBILE BANKING AND THE NEW NORMAL

PERCENT

From video conferencing and online shopping to remote education, digital platforms are booming in Europe as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve.

According to studies by Mastercard, COVID-19 has also driven Europeans into becoming more tech-savvy when it comes to banking.

The rapid digitalisation of life under lockdown accelerated interest in digital banking solutions and apps across Europe, as the continent adapted to restrictions implemented due to the pandemic.

Online activity and the mass adoption of digital banking surged as a result, with consumers gravitating to remote services to access their funds and securely, quickly and conveniently manage their personal finances.

Mastercard’s Evolution of Banking study revealed a heightened appetite for online solutions across 12 European markets, with 62 percent of respondents interested in switching to digital platforms in 2020.

As lockdown restrictions limited access to physical banks for a period of time, the majority of Europeans have explored new banking solutions. Of over 9,600 Europeans surveyed, just under half (46 percent) responded with a high interest in new digital banking solutions.

42 percent of Europeans

DENMARK PERCENT

PERCENT NORWAY

UNITED KINGDOM

PERCENT

GERMANY PERCENT

PERCENT GREECE

MONTENEGRO

PERCENT

now conduct financial transactions online or via an app more frequently than prior to the pandemic, citing timesaving and simplicity benefits.

The Evolution of Banking study also indicates that European priorities are shifting when it comes to the attributes consumers want from their online banking and mobile payment solutions, with an increasing importance being placed on the availability, lifestyle attributes and cost-effectiveness of digital platforms.

Despite the year-on-year growth of digital and mobile banking adoption, physical banks and financial institutions remain trusted by many. The significant majority of Europeans still believe that physical banks will exist in their country in 10 years’ time.

With many traditional banks increasingly offering digital solutions, however, mobile banking clearly remains a strong reason behind consumer retention and confidence.

EME Outlook issue 44 | 17

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

MENA RENEWABLE ENERGY SPOTLIGHT An overview of the growth of renewable energy across the Middle East and Northern Africa, and the increasing exploitation of solar power Writer: Phoebe Harper | Project Manager: Krisha Canlas

O

ver the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, global carbon emissions fell at their fastest rate since the Second World War. In line with this drop, the acceptance and use of renewable energies (RE) continued to grow on a promising trajectory.

As revealed by bp’s Statistical Review of World Energy 2021, during this time, the use of solar power across the world recorded its largest ever increase.

Although wind energy contributed the highest growth in renewable resources, solar electricity rose by an unprecedented 20 percent to 1.3 exajoules (EJ), with overall solar capacity expanding by 127 gigawatts (GW).

Until recent times, the hydrocarbon-rich economies found throughout the Middle Eastern and Northern Africa (MENA) region, have been perceived as generally falling behind in the development and deployment of RE. Saudi Arabia in particular has come under scrutiny as the world’s 10th-largest emitter of carbon dioxide, leading to a subsequent net zero pledge to reach this commitment by 2060 in time for the COP26 climate change summit.

18 | EME Outlook issue 44

Indeed, in terms of global regions, MENA has the lowest share of renewable energy in terms of overall energy consumption. The aforementioned bp report found that RE accounted for less than 1.5 percent of all electricity generation across the region, compared to the worldwide average of more than 10 percent.

In spite of this, the MENA region boasts enormous RE potential, particularly within both solar and wind power. The Middle East Institute (MEI) estimates that, if fully exploited, MENA would have the capacity to produce solar power to a level that would amount to 60 percent of global electricity demand. Across the region’s landscape, the majority of areas boast a solar potential of daily direct normal irradiation (DNI) above five kilowatts (kWh) per square metre – a key indicator that solar power is economically viable.

Fortunately, the acceptance of solar power across MENA is growing, in alignment with the increasingly affordable costs of the technology and systems to facilitate it. The technology behind PV modules is advancing, and so is battery storage, as the solar market matures.

MIDDLE EAST SOLAR INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION (MESIA)

trade, and opportunities for job creation. This is best exemplified by Morocco, where the development of a local industry surrounding solar water heaters has served to create 13,000 jobs.

Across the region, the combined energy goals of various countries translate to an expected 80 GW of renewable capacity by 2030, based on the successful fruition of these commitments. This is evidenced by initiatives such as the Pan-Arab Clean Energy Initiative (PACE), a key component of the future roadmap for renewables across MENA.

MENA RENEWABLE ENERGY CAPACITY TARGETS: Morocco – 52 percent by 2030 UAE – 44 percent by 2050 Egypt – 42 percent by 2035 Saudi Arabia – 30 percent by 2030 Tunisia – 30 percent by 2030 Libya – 22 percent by 2030 Qatar – 20 percent by 2030 Bahrain – 10 percent by 2035

INTRODUCTION

From 2015 onwards, the development of RE across MENA has enjoyed significant growth, as shown by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

In 2016, $11 billion was invested in RE across MENA – a staggering leap compared to $1.2 billion in 2008.

Reflective of this heightened investment, Saudi Arabia is now considered a global frontrunner in RE development with the country marking a world record for solar prices from the Sakaka Photovoltaic Solar Project – a 300 megawatt (MW) solar project located in Al Jouf Province. Sakaka is significant as the first ever utility scale RE project to be included in the National Renewable Energy Programme of Saudi Arabia.

In the oil-rich lands of the UAE, RE is becoming increasingly attractive thanks to the falling costs of the necessary technologies, as the country transitions from an oil exporter to major importer of natural gas. With economic conditions favouring greater RE deployment, the UAE is being encouraged to exceed its current targets. Such advancements will only be possible with the greater involvement of government agencies in regulation and tendering within the energy sector.

The growing use of RE across MENA is intrinsically linked to the area’s socio-economic development, as its deployment will not only reduce carbon emissions, but also increase economic diversification and growth, a healthier balance of

EME Outlook issue 44 | 19

EDF Renewables

EME Outlook (EO): Introduce EDF Renewables, how long it has been active in the MENA region?

Olivier Bordes, CEO Middle East (OB): As a subsidiary of the EDF Group, EDF Renewables is a leading international player in the renewable energies industry worldwide and continues to grow by moving into promising markets in the Middle East and Africa. Our company develops, builds, and operates clean energy power plants in more than 20 countries both for our own account and for third parties, alongside providing operation and maintenance.

With gross installed capacity of 13.8 GW worldwide, EDF Renewables secured a portfolio of 3.5 GW of sustainable renewable power plants in the Middle East. The company has strong positions in offshore and onshore wind power, as well as in large utility-scale solar power plants. Moreover, the company is developing a multilayer low-carbon solutions portfolio, as well as innovative solutions in the renewable energies sector: energy storage, renewable hybrid solutions and fully customised low-carbon solar solutions.

EDF Renewables is playing an unavoidable role towards a sustainable future and carbon-free energy production worldwide. One of EDF Group’s driving ambitions is to triple our business outside Europe and double our renewables net installed capacity from 2015 to 2030; which is equal to developing 30 additional GW by 2030.

EO: What does the current state of the renewable energy industry look like in the Middle East? How exciting or challenging is the space?

OB: The region is experiencing an incredible acceleration of solar development. Over the past five years, the industry has secured almost eight GW, and the combined programmes of various countries represents a global target of 55 GW by 2030. This carbon free ambition is even more accelerated now, after Saudi Arabia’s commitments to net zero emissions by 2060.

EDF Renewables is committed to supporting these programmes through investment, competitiveness, and proper execution. We are fully committed to support GCC and surrounding regions with a wide range of low carbon solutions such as hybrid plants, micro and offgrid, storage and low-carbon solar solutions.

Our strength is to offer a diverse range of innovative solutions to meet specific electricity demand versus the intermittence of renewable energies.

This includes hybrid plants that combine CSP and PV, or smaller hybrid PV battery saving fuel in off grid diesel plants. We also offer battery systems to aid the integration of large-scale projects into the system or Pumped Hydro Storage Power Plants.

Finally, EDF Renewables is looking with interest toward the promising market of Green H2 and low-carbon solar solutions.

EO: Do you have any significant ongoing or recent projects that you would like to showcase?

OB: We are very proud to support the Middle East in its energy transition and innovation is key to our utility scale wind, solar and storage projects. EDF Renewables is active in various areas through major projects, including three utility-scale solar power plants and the largest wind farm in the region.

As the largest foreign investor in the renewable sector across the region, the large-scale projects in Middle East are perfectly in line

Solar park DEWA Phase III, UAE

with our strategy and the GCC region is a strategic market for EDF Renewables.

Furthermore, EDF Renewables is fully in line with the goals implemented by Middle Eastern countries aiming to reduce their carbon footprint and to develop low-carbon energy solutions.

Once commissioned, our main projects will represent a portfolio of 3.5 GW clean power generation plants: • Phase three of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai (800 MW) is fully operational since last year, and this project already powers 160,000 homes in Dubai. We have successfully established a new Operation and Maintenance company alongside our partner Masdar: Energize O&M which will handle the plant.

• Al Dhafrah solar plant, in Abu Dhabi, with a total power installation of 2 GW is now under construction. Once completed, this state of the art solar plant will be the biggest single utility scale solar park worldwide, using over four million bifacial solar panels, 33 thousand sun trackers and will offset over 2.4 million metric tonnes of CO2, equivalent to the emissions of 1.3 million cars driven for a year.

• 300 MW solar project in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. We recently launched the construction of the solar park with our long-term partners Masdar and Nesma. This will be our first utility-scale solar plant in Saudi Arabia.

• Dumat Al Jandal, a 400 MW landmark wind farm is the largest and most powerful wind farm in the Middle East. The project is already producing clean energy and will be fully operational within weeks. The project consists of 99 wind turbine generators, each with a nominal power of 4.2 MW. EO: Are you optimistic about the future of renewable energies in the Middle East and EDF’s role within this?

OB: The Middle East region historically has a strong dependency on oil and gas. However, these countries have an amazing potential of granted solar resources available. With the increasing competitiveness of solar energy, governments have launched their transition to clean energy sources with ambitious long-term plans.

We are spectators of the solar industry being well adopted in the region and creating a lot of jobs, often switching from conventional to renewable energies. The Renewable Energy sector has a bright future in all segments - large scale, off-grid, C&I, residential area and many more.

Olivier BORDES EDF Renewables CEO and Managing Director, Middle East

Olivier Bordes has been developing projects in the Middle East North Africa region for the last 10 years in the renewables sector, as well as in the thermal and distribution fields.

Olivier is today in charge of EDF Renewables’ portfolio in the Middle East developing and operating over 3.5 GW of solar and wind iconic projects. He is managing teams across the region, based in United Arab Emirates, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Oman, and his responsibilities relate from business development of multilayer renewable solutions through construction to assets management.

He has an extensive experience in off-grid solutions development, as well as IPP project development and distribution. He holds a Master of Electrical Engineering from Ecole des Mines, France.

Wind farm Dumat Al Jandal, KSA

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

Interview: Middle East Solar Industry Association (MESIA)

INTERVIEW

As the most respected non-profit trade association in the renewables sector, President of MESIA, Ahmed S. Nada, discusses the upwards trajectory of solar energy across the MENA region and leveraging a digital presence to further its goal of promoting a solar-powered future.

Ahmed S. Nada President

T

he Middle East Solar Industry Association (MESIA) was established in 2009, as a nonprofit trade association dedicated to the promotion of solar energy across the Middle East and Northern Africa (MENA). As a highly respected and industry-leading advisory voice, MESIA continues to fully support and guide its members in an ever-evolving industry, whilst disseminating invaluable information on the potential of solar energy. Since its inception, MESIA has expanded to include over 100 local, regional, and international members. We speak with President of the association, Ahmed S. Nada, to find out more.

EME Outlook (EO): Can you talk us through the origins of MESIA; how it came about and its initial vision?

Ahmed S. Nada, President (AN): MESIA was created when a group of individual solar pioneers came together with the aim of bringing the initial knowledge of the industry to the Middle East,

22 | EME Outlook issue 44

which has historically been a region that is reliant on fossil fuel energy. The group was led by Vahid Fotuhi, who at the time was working for BP Solar, and Professor Georgeta Vidican, who used to work for Masdar Institute. After a successful launch event on November 23rd 2009, the group established a steering committee made up of the key value chain players in the solar industry. MESIA became licensed by the Community Development Authority (CDA) in Dubai to operate as a not-for-profit trade association in 2013.

These players went on to become the founding members of MESIA, successfully instilling the roots of what would emerge as the largest and most respected solar association in the MENA region, now forming a group of 70 regional and international companies and hundreds of members.

EO: Since inception, how has MESIA developed and progressed in terms of its key objectives and the messages it tries to get across?

AN: The mission of MESIA as a non-profit, nongovernmental organisation remains fundamentally the same as it was at its inception. Our primary goal remains the promotion of solar energy in the MENA region, but the world today is not the world in which MESIA was created. The market has matured, positive adoption of solar and technology has reached advanced stages, and so our goals have evolved to continue supporting our members through different means. Increasing our

MIDDLE EAST SOLAR INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION (MESIA)

digital presence has been a prime goal to become the largest digital solar network in the region by providing news, promoting digital solar technologies and creating unique promotional digital event opportunities for our members. We remain a knowledge transfer and sharing solar platform but with a digital spin.

EO: What do you find most exciting about working within the renewable energies sector?

AN: Advancing the agenda of renewables in our life in general, and solar in particular, has been the key driver and most exciting part of this journey. Today, we see how competitive solar can contribute to storage, and green hydrogen is making this journey even more exciting. Competitive solar energy prices per kWh is enabling even more green technology offerings.

EO: On the flip side, what are its biggest challenges?

AN: Like any industry, the solar industry can face disruptions in its supply chain, causing the economics of projects to be distracted from their original plans. As the world wakes up from COVID-19 and its implications on all industrial value chains, the solar industry will have to adjust. Hence, MESIA must continue to voice its mission to keep supporting its members.

EO: What trends are currently transforming the renewable energies sector across the MENA region? How are you responding to them?

AN: Each day, a new country in the MENA region sets new goals for net zero. Green hydrogen generated from renewable energy, and particularly EME Outlook issue 44 | 23

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

from solar projects, will make a fundamental transformation to our region. Further electrification means more renewables penetration to the grid, which in turn will add more pressure on storage technologies.

In terms of response, the political and economic willingness of our leadership is obvious and pronounced in the MENA region across its large economies, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Egypt and hopefully soon North Africa. MESIA continues to be part of the agenda, setting policy support and technology promotion through its digitised platform and soon, more face-to-face events.

Joumana Hosri Interview at 2021 MESIA Solar Awards

WHY SHOULD YOU BECOME A MEMBER OF MESIA? • Enjoy access to solar-industry related workshops, lectures and briefings • High-level and focused networking opportunities

INTERVIEW

• Exposure to key stakeholders in both the public and private sector • White-papers and research reports on topics related to solar technology policies • Marketing and visibility

EO: Have you got any projects in the pipeline you wish to highlight?

AN: MESIA wants to further engage with the new generation, the younger students whose education platforms will see more engagement with renewables and the electrification of their lives. It is critical to keep them engaged for the future. Next year, our Solar Awards will be celebrating their 10th anniversary, and with it, new categories have been created to reflect industry changes. Submissions are always free of charge, and we will continue holding this event as an unbiased celebration of top solar performers in the region. Also, our flagship report will again be released in January at the World Future Energy Summit, covering new areas, countries and expert contributors. To view the 2021 Outlook report, click here.

24 | EME Outlook issue 44

Oliver Bordes Interview at 2021 MESIA Solar Awards

EO: How do you see MESIA developing over the next five years?

AN: We believe it is important that we continue developing the support that we provide to our members, from positioning to entering the market, and creating incremental solutions to do so.

Ensuring we deliver both quality content and unique networking opportunities will continue to remain at the centre of our initiatives. Additionally, we would like to extend our reach to universities and students, but also training to support educational programmes and initiatives that are inclusive and will promote growth and talent within the industry.

EO: Finally, are you optimistic about the future of the sector across MENA? AN: Absolutely. It is clear from looking at GWs installed to future project announcements, and with net zero commitments expanding in the UAE and across the entire region, that the future for solar and sustainable energy sources is on a path to continuous growth. There is an increased consciousness of the need to do more about building a more sustainable world all around, and energy is at the core of it.

Complementing the production of EME Outlook, APAC Outlook, Africa Outlook and North America Outlook magazines, Outlook Publishing’s awardwinning in-house team is now utilising these same

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specialist production skills to offer a full and bespoke range of editorial, design and marketing services via its new Outlook Creative Services division.

For more information on how we can work with you in providing a plethora of completely flexible and customisable production services, please visit: www.outlookpublishing.com/creative-services

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EME Outlook issue 44 | 25

Tell us your story and we’ll tell the world.

EME OUTLOOK is a digital and print product aimed at boardroom and hands-on decision-makers across a wide range of industries in Europe and the Middle East regions.

With content compiled by our experienced editorial team, complemented by an in-house design and production team ensuring delivery to the highest standards, we look to promote the latest in engaging news, industry trends and success stories from the length and breadth of Europe and the Middle East.

Reaching a combined audience of more than 395,000 people, EME Outlook covers a full range of industrial sectors: agriculture, construction, energy & utilities, finance, food & drink, healthcare, manufacturing, mining & resources, oil & gas, retail, shipping & logistics, technology and travel & tourism.

In joining the leading industry heavyweights already enjoying the exposure we can provide, you can benefit from FREE coverage across both digital and print platforms, a FREE marketing brochure, extensive social media saturation, enhanced B2B networking opportunities, and a readymade forum to attract new investment and to grow your business.

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MIDDLE EAST SOLAR INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION | ECO BALTIA PAPA JOHN’S UAE

w w w. e m e o u t l o o k m a g . c o m

FOOD & DRINK

A SLICE OF SUCCESS

Issue 44

SLOVMAG, A.S. LUBENÍK Refractories for all furnace demands

With a customer centric focus oven-baked into the company’s operations, Tapan Vaidya, CEO at the UAE master franchise of iconic US pizza giant Papa John’s, talks expansion and consumer-led innovation

TOLY GROUP Over 50 years in the beauty industry

Writer: Phoebe Harper Project Manager: Harry Parker

P

izza - the ultimate leveller in comfort food.

With a universal appeal, the promise of a slice of pizza is a worldwide temptation. And no one does pizza quite like the iconic brand, Papa John’s.

From its roots in the US in 1984, the brand has developed a global footprint that continues to blossom. At the nexus of Papa John’s dynamic growth is the company’s UAE operations, presided over by CEO, Tapan Vaidya.

With a tasty range of pizzas, chicken wings, chicken poppers and salads, to name just a few, Papa John’s UAE boast the same sumptuous range of toppings, signature sauce and original fresh dough that are the foundation of the iconic product’s global attraction.

A SLICE OF SUCCESS Tapan Vaidya, CEO at the UAE master franchise of iconic US pizza giant Papa John’s, talks expansion and consumer-led innovation

2 | EME Outlook issue 44

EME Outlook issue 44 | 3

Michael Cunningham, Managing Director of the energy division at Camlin Group, examines optimising green infrastructure

www.emeoutlookmag.com/work-with-us

Marketi ng Oppo rtunity

PAPA JOHN’S UAE

28 | EME Outlook issue 44

FOOD & DRINK

A SLICE OF SUCCESS With a customer centric focus oven-baked into the company’s operations, Tapan Vaidya, CEO at the UAE master franchise of iconic US pizza giant Papa John’s, talks expansion and consumer-led innovation Writer: Phoebe Harper Project Manager: Harry Parker

P

izza - the ultimate leveller in comfort food.

With a universal appeal, the promise of a slice of pizza is a worldwide temptation. And no one does pizza quite like the iconic brand, Papa John’s.

From its roots in the US in 1984, the brand has developed a global footprint that continues to blossom. At the nexus of Papa John’s dynamic growth is the company’s UAE operations, presided over by CEO, Tapan Vaidya.

With a tasty range of pizzas, chicken wings, chicken poppers and salads, to name just a few, Papa John’s UAE boast the same sumptuous range of toppings, signature sauce and original fresh dough that are the foundation of the product’s global attraction.

EME Outlook issue 44 | 29

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C O L D

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PAPA JOHN’S UAE “Pizza is such a universal comfort food, especially for this market here in the UAE, which is a melting pot of nationalities from around the world,” Vaidya comments.

The giant that is Papa John’s boasts a global footprint that delivers guaranteed consistency in quality, regardless of location.

For Vaidya himself, what began as a part-time job to get extra cash alongside studying for his university degree has flourished into a 35-year career entirely founded on passion.

PAPA JOHN’S UAE – IN NUMBERS MORE THAN

1,000 EMPLOYEES

CURRENT NUMBER OF RESTAURANTS

63

WITH A FURTHER DOZEN UNDER CONSTRUCTION GOAL TO REACH

110

RESTAURANTS BY 2026

2

RESTAURANTS IN SAUDI ARABIA GOAL TO REACH

100

RESTAURANTS IN SAUDI ARABIA IN 10 YEARS

32 | EME Outlook issue 44

Tapan Vaidya, CEO

“When I used to work tables at global restaurants, not only did I like my work there, but I also fell in love with it because the rewards were instant – you took good care of your guests and they would leave you a tip, which I found extremely motivating,” he recalls.

This instilled in Vaidya a servicecentric mindset that continues to serve the business in good stead today. At Papa John’s, taking care of the customer is the central ethos behind all restaurant and service operations.

Indeed, for Vaidya, there is no revenue source that is more valuable

than a returning customer.

“I always talk to our teams about ROC – which stands for return of customers. You must take great care of every customer in every transaction so that they will only think of returning to Papa John’s. Work on ROC – not ROI (return on investment) – if you do ROC, then ROI will take care of itself.

“This is the underlying message to everyone in the company every day.”

AN APPETITE FOR EXPANSION With this philosophy, Papa John’s UAE is well-equipped for expansion, and there is no appeasing Vaidya’s appetite for growth.

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or over 75 years, True has been the industry’s most trusted commercial refrigeration manufacturer in kitchens all around the world.

The True brand is famous for its passion for cold - a long-standing commitment to ensure proper food holding temperatures in the most demanding environments.

True has been a pioneer in the supply of refrigeration in the Middle East for over 30 years, delivering quality equipment which is built to last. Major brands within the hospitality sector rely on True’s product range to deliver on freshness, and this reputation has made them a leading name in the Quick Service Restaurant industry. More recently, they have supplied Papa John’s Pizza with products for their kitchen and preparation areas, helping contribute to their growth and success in the UAE. Globally, True has been a longstanding supply partner to the chain, including winning their ‘Equipment Supply Partner of the Year’ award in the USA in 2017. Papa John’s Pizza UAE required a refrigeration product range to keep foodstuffs food-safe during a spike in demand after launch, and True Refrigeration fulfilled the brief in multiple locations across the region.

Today, foodservice operators demand higher energy efficiency in their refrigeration solutions, combined with environmentally-friendly technology, yet without sacrificing the performance necessary to safely preserve quality food products. True excel in this forward-thinking environment, having invested heavily into the development of R290-based refrigeration systems which not only exceed current mandates and standards, but are also ready for the upcoming phase-out of non-HC refrigerants.

T +49 (0) 7622 6883 0

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To ensure quality, all equipment is manufactured under True’s roof in the USA. Despite operating on a global scale, True remains a privately owned organisation, facilitating ongoing capital investment in updated facilities & state-of-the-art technologies, combined with a business strategy focused on Innovation. Exclusive features like their Reverse Condensing Unit (RCU) Fan Motor (which periodically reverses the rotation direction of the condensing fan, helping to remove excess debris from the condensing coil) help them stand apart from other products on the market. As a manufacturer, True is also highly vertically integrated, producing its own parts, shelving, glass inserts, even LED lighting modules in-house from raw materials, giving them full end-to-end control over the quality of the finished product.

True is committed to a personalised customer experience. Supplying equipment to over 100 countries globally, True insist that any product sold can also be actively supported in the field. A worldwide network of service partners (trained and assisted by True’s expert in-house Technical Service team) allows them to provide a faster, more local service, and minimize downtime for their clients.

True Refrigeration’s proposition is built on quality, flexibility and reliability, which is why customers trust them to deliver.

Find out more at https://truerefrigeration.eu/

E trueeurope@truemfg.com

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www.truerefrigeration.eu

PAPA JOHN’S UAE

Tanmiah Food Company (TFC) Since 1962, TFC prides themselves on bringing the best to your table.

Operating across the GCC, TFC exceeds the role of a food production company, with their products and services nourishing the lives and wellbeing of millions across Saudi Arabia and beyond.

The company stands as a best-inclass, efficient, and fully integrated business, that employs over 1,700 people.

TFC supplies a wealth of high-quality food products, including fresh and frozen poultry, deli meats, ready- to -cook, and value-added products.

The company’s diverse portfolio also extends to a variety of halal products, whole chicken or in parts, including fresh, frozen, and marinated ranges.

This diverse portfolio is supported by international expertise and a relentless dedication to deliver the highest level of customer satisfaction.

Since the first Papa John’s UAE branch opened in 2005, the chain has evolved at an impressive pace.

“Currently we operate 63 restaurants, and we have multiple restaurants under construction, we hope to stand at 70 by the end of the year.

“We have great expansion plans – we are looking at 110 restaurants by 2026,” he tells us.

Fittingly, our discussion with Vaidya takes place as Papa John’s stands on the precipice of exciting expansion into Saudi Arabia – a promising avenue of further growth.

“We just opened our first restaurant in Saudi Arabia in August 2021, and we will be opening our second restaurant in Riyadh, in just one hour from now!”

In the Saudi Arabian market, Papa John’s aims to open 100 restaurants within the space of a decade.

“The Saudi opening has been fantastic and our expectations have been well exceeded,” Vaidya comments.

PIZZA-POWERED INNOVATION Feeding the brand’s expansion is an unending pursuit of innovation in 34 | EME Outlook issue 44

terms of introducing new products, promotions, and partnerships.

“Everyone is our customer, so we always have some sort of innovation going on all the time,” states Vaidya.

In the competitive arena of the quick-serve restaurant segment, differentiation and the ability to adapt is a crucial ingredient in appealing to the market. The company prides itself on identifying trends amongst its consumer base, particularly with millennials and Gen-Z. This sense of innovation fuelled by consumer trends and demands is best demonstrated by Papa John’s agility in adapting to the meatless movement that is taking the world by storm.

Veganism as a diet choice has exploded in recent years, and Papa John’s is at the forefront of catering to this heightened demand.

Papa John’s competence in this area has been acknowledged with an official award from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) for great vegan food, and the company’s partnership with leading Unilever brand The Vegetarian

A forward-thinking enterprise, TFC stands out for its commitment to sustainability, with laudable efforts in waste management, soil conservation, and undertaking green initiatives in the local community. This includes the million-tree initiative of which over 200 K trees have already been planted in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The company has several accolades to its name, including Product of the Year (Gulf) in 2019 which was awarded to TFC’s ‘Fresh Chicken Range Line’. The Company has emerged as one of the top vertically integrated fresh poultry value chain operator by achieving very high standards in all aspects of poultry operation and in March 2018 at the VIV MEA, Abu Dhabi, ADC was enrolled to the prestigious Ross 140 club, a first for a Company from Saudi Arabia, and continues to receive this prestigious accolade every year till-date.

Leading with product innovation, TFC has evolved to become a prestigious leader in the manufacturing and distribution of food and agricultural products across the MENA region.

With poultry sourced from TFC, you are guaranteed a premium quality product, free from artificial preservatives and hormones.

www.tanmiah.com

Part of Tanmiah Food Company

DELIVERING HIGH QUALITY HALAL & BESPOKE PRODUCTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST, AFRICA & FAR EAST MARKETS

The Tanmiah Food Company is one of the largest integrated poultry operations in Saudi Arabia, delivering high quality, Halal & bespoke products in the Middle East, Africa and Far East markets. We have been serving the re­ gion's food and hospitality industry by offering high quality chicken, beef and turkey products, for over 60 years.

We provide unmatched quality, guaranteed safety, impeccable hygiene, advanced technology, and absolute ad­herence to the requirements of strictly halal production.

With our meat processing plants in Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates, and our ability to produce premium tai­lor-made products, we have earned the trust of major international retailers, fast-food (QSR) restaurants, gourmet chefs to housewives across the Middle East, Africa and Far East markets.

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PAPA JOHN’S UAE

Butcher has been strategic in of the Papa John’s menu, DID YOU KNOW? this market penetration. the company constantly “This was a new CEO of Papa John’s refreshes its offering with partnership because we UAE, Tapan Vaidya, an exciting range of new realised how the company has recently received products. specialised with vegan the ‘Icons Award’ by One such example is the products and that was the RetailME, as one of the recent launch of the Papa direction that we wanted to 100 most influential John’s Fresh Soul range – a go in,” Vaidya comments. people and powerful segment designed with “We are the first pizza leaders in the Middle ‘flavours that make your chain to launch a completely East. soul sing’, inspired by the new vegan range, with vegan fresh soul genre of music. chicken nuggets and various This has been met with pizzas in the vegan variety, including huge success, with Kansas BBQ, Blue wedges loaded with vegan cheese.

Cheese and a new pulled beef topping “Veganism is a movement that is flying off the ovens. here to stay – every month and year it “A few months ago, we also is just growing and we are right there launched our new special product with the products,” he adds. called Papadias – a flatbread style Alongside the classic mainstays sandwich loaded with pizza fillings. It 36 | EME Outlook issue 44

is a product that has really taken off.

“This means that we are now able to compete against the likes of McDonald’s and Burger King with a lunch offering.”

In addition to innovation on the menu, Vaidya highlights the sustainable appeal of Papa John’s packaging, with the company using craft paper pizza boxes for its iconic product range.

“They are non-toxic, compostable and planet-friendly. That’s 99 percent of all our packaging,” he tells us.

Finally, Papa John’s partnership with Kitopi – a leader in kitchen innovation that has just officially reached unicorn status - has been instrumental in streamlining restaurant operations.

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PAPA JOHN’S UAE

“YOU MUST TAKE GREAT CARE OF EVERY CUSTOMER IN EVERY TRANSACTION SO THAT THEY WILL ONLY THINK OF RETURNING TO PAPA JOHNS” - TAPAN VAIDYA, CEO, PAPA JOHN’S UAE

FOOD & DRINK

Outlook Creative Services

Outlook Publishing’s awardwinning in-house team is now utilising its extensive production

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“As a cloud kitchen operator based in the UAE, we joined hands with Kitopi and set up Papa John’s in their cloud kitchens, we operate currently from six of their kitchens.

It allows quick access to areas that we had not penetrated earlier. This relationship has worked very well for us.”

UNCOMPROMISED QUALITY Papa John’s greatest differentiator is its approach to quality ingredients, with the company taking great pride in sourcing only the very best. Aside from this, it is the people behind the pizza to which the company owes its success.

Staff training lays the foundation for guaranteeing the consistency that the brand delivers across the world. Robust training processes ensure that all staff are at the same level, with all Papa John’s employees undertaking the same training

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processes by participating in online modules at the Pizza Academy.

Complementary to this, Vaidya himself extols a more personal approach, opening a direct avenue of communication.

“I specifically spend half an hour with all new joiners every week to communicate the vision, mission and values of the company. I make sure that right from the outset they know what is expected from them, and what they can expect from the company.”

As the company’s most precious asset, Vaidya was adamant on retaining all employees even during the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the chain lost half of its business due to widespread shopping mall closures across the UAE. “At the height of COVID-19, we had to sit down and think of what to do with all of our costs. At that point, I made the decision that we were not

going to let anyone go, because malls, restaurants - I knew they were all going to come back and then where would we find talented employees?

We soon started expanding and recruiting.

“Since that decision, we have actually opened 12 new restaurants,” he tells us.

With innovation and expansion showing no sign of abating, and an emphasis entirely geared towards returning customers, Papa John’s will continue to deliver oven-baked indulgence across the UAE market for years to come.

PAPA JOHN’S UAE Tel: +971 4 5140115 www.papajohns.ae

EME Outlook issue 44 | 39

HEIDI CHOCOLAT

40 | EME Outlook issue 44

FOOD & DRINK

CHOCOLATE THAT

INSPIRES The executive team at Heidi Chocolat tell us about the sweet taste of success for the chocolatier, where a positive zest of life is the key ingredient Writer: Jack Salter | Project Manager: Harry Parker

Food is life, and life is good.”

The year was 1994 when a passionate Swiss chocolatier and entrepreneur, set sail on a journey of exploration to share the secrets of Swiss chocolate production.

Heidi Chocolat has been inspired for more than 25 years by the story of Heidi, an innocent and curious girl from the Swiss mountains who is the hero of a book published in 1881 by Swiss author Johanna Spyri. The book is among the most well-known works of Swiss literature and one of the most translated books ever written, serving as the base for numerous movies and musicals. Heidi is a girl that loves nature, uplifts the mood of people and brings them together.

Heidi’s positive spirit and outlook in the novel, which continues to inspire people to look on the bright side of life to this day, is embodied by the business - one of the largest chocolate manufacturers in Romania - which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2019.

“My professional passion is to grow business, brands and people. I love seeing happy people and helping to make them happy,” beams Managing Director, Peter Muller. “Chocolate is obviously a good business to be

EME Outlook issue 44 | 41

HEIDI CHOCOLAT in to follow this personal mission, and it fits well into Heidi Chocolat’s vision to inspire a positive zest of life by creating wonderful chocolate moments and making premium

HEIDI CHOCOLAT A BRIEF TIMELINE 1994 – The Heidi Chocolat journey begins 1996 – Heidi Chocolat instantly wins the hearts of chocolate lovers with the first chocolate tablets 1998 – New compositions of high-quality chocolate, fillings and unique ingredients make Heidi pralines a consumer favourite 2008 – Heidi goes international, creating happy moments for people in over 10 countries 2013 – Heidi Chocolat becomes a member of KEX Confectionery Group and grows further with the acquisition of Austrian confectionery producer Niemetz 2018 – Heidi Chocolat reaches over 50 countries and new opportunities arrive with the acquisition of high-end confectioner Schönenberger, later re-named Heidi Chocolaterie Swiss 2019 – Heidi Chocolat celebrates its 25th anniversary with a redesign and a new logo

42 | EME Outlook issue 44

chocolate accessible to everyone.

Chocolate where you see the good, taste the good, crafted with real natural ingredients inspired by nature.

“Working in an industry which puts smiles on people’s faces, providing those little moments of happiness and deliciousness, and to work on new chocolate compositions is our motivation.”

Since joining the KEX Group in April 2013, the Heidi Chocolat brand has developed into a leading local, premium chocolate player, expanding internationally to around 50 countries.

UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE As a rich source of antioxidants, minerals and nutrients, dark chocolate rightly qualifies as a superfood, reaping numerous health benefits ranging from skin protection and improved brain functionality to a reduced risk of heart disease when consumed in moderation.

Developed in response to this growing consumer trend, the vegancertified Heidi Dark range was created using a special recipe that is rich in cacao content, with up to as much as 75 percent in the Dark Intense, 85 percent in the Dark Extreme and 95 percent in the Dark Supreme.

“Over the years, Heidi Chocolat developed this balanced dark chocolate which tastes intense but not bitter. The extra-thin tablet provides the perfect snap and an unforgettable chocolate experience,” acclaims Mueller.

“The special recipe and format makes Heidi Dark in particular a wellloved offering for our consumers, as well as a winner in several blind taste tests versus other products,” says Ionut Baragan, Marketing Director at Heidi Chocolat.

Meanwhile, alternative varieties provide different experiences. Heidi Grand’Or, for example, delivers the perfect mouth-watering combination of caramelised, crunchy nuts and delicate chocolate. The caramelised

Barry Callebaut Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, the Barry Callebaut Group is the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products, mastering every step in the value chain - from the sourcing of raw materials to the production of the finest chocolates.

Being the heart and engine of the chocolate industry, our mission is to be number one in all attractive customer segments. We are a business-tobusiness company, with a strong position in cocoa-origin countries and a unique global footprint.

The Barry Callebaut Group, inaugurated recently ‘The Barry Callebaut Chocolate Box’, its new Global Distribution Center in Lokeren, Belgium. The Chocolate Box is the world’s largest chocolate warehouse.

In the South East Europe region Barry Callebaut recently opened a new chocolate factory in Novi Sad, Serbia’s second largest city. The state-of-theart factory, which represents a total investment of EUR 55 million, has an initial annual production capacity of over 50,000 tons of chocolate.

It allows Barry Callebaut to supply customers with a wide range of chocolate, compound and filling products.

Barry Callebaut has also introduced 2 new Chocolate Academy™ Centers in Athens and Belgrade.

Through our Chocolate Academy™ centers we empower chocolate artisans, pastry chefs, confectioners and bakers with solutions to improve their skills in chocolate and master new techniques and trends. Our expert chefs provide technical support and deliver inspirational recipes, digital resources, engaging demonstrations and creative collaborative sessions.

The factory together with the new Chocolate Academy™ centers in Athens and Belgrade will serve as regional hubs from which Barry Callebaut can address the rapidly growing chocolate markets of Southeastern Europe and beyond.

www.barry-callebaut.com

Discover the Caramel Chocolate collection

Our Caramel Chocolate offers consumers a new taste sensation with a diverse range, based on one of the most popular flavors in the chocolate world - caramel.

What is Caramel Chocolate?

Caramel Chocolate is caramelized white chocolate. By playing with flavors and caramelization levels of sugar and milk powder we can offer the same diverse flavor profiles as we see in caramel candy and caramel fillings. Next to the flavor, the caramelization has a unique effect on the color: a pallet of blond, golden and brown colors. In our caramel chocolate Collection we offer 4 caramel chocolate variations, all different in terms of color & flavor:

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HEIDI CHOCOLAT

EME Outlook: What is your take on the industry in Romania and Europe at the moment? Is it an exciting space to be working in?

Peter Mueller, Managing Director: “Today, we are living in a hectic, constantly changing, fast-moving world. We are losing the ability to hold back and enjoy moments of pleasure and appreciate the beauty of life and nature. Technology is rapidly changing our lives, togetherness with family and friends often falls short, the consequence of which can be stress and dissatisfaction.

“In general, the industry is operating in a challenging environment with inflation peaking up, the manufacturing industry in particular facing a labour shortage, and to top it off, the COVID-19 pandemic is still not over. However, I am glad to say that we are managing the situation at Heidi Chocolat well and can keep operations going safely with the stringent health measurements we have in place and a vaccination rate far ahead of national average.

“As availability is important and the modern lifestyle influences purchase behaviour, Heidi Chocolat will also further develop direct contact with consumers through social media engagement, chocolate workshops, and building directto-consumer touchpoints through e-commerce and Heidi Chocolatier Shops to offer freshly-made compositions not available in traditional retail.”

44 | EME Outlook issue 44

and roasted nuts that are carefully placed on the surface shine golden, and unlike other offerings on the market, are not covered with chocolate, resulting in a special taste and crunch.

Another hero in the portfolio is Heidi Florentine, a handmade almond specialty inspired by a 17th-century recipe in honour of Florentine Queen Catherine de Medici, delivering a unique taste and a balanced, sweet crunch.

Those looking for a special gift can also depend on the chocolatiers from Heidi Chocolat to paint and decorate personalised chocolates, creating a true work of art worthy of any occasion.

Furthermore, Heidi Chocolat is well-known for its hand-painted and decorated seasonal figurines. From the magic of Christmas to the joy of Easter, the company captures the essence of wonder that comes during the festive seasons.

The world of Heidi Chocolat is also comprised of a truly unique product in Austria. Schwedenbomben are a Viennese specialty - chocolatecovered marshmallows with a fluffy foam produced from traditionally whipped egg whites.

The product was invented by Walter Niemitz in 1926, who created his first Schwedenbomben with the help of a

Swedish friend. “As no stabilisers or artificial ingredients are used, they are very delicate and have a short shelf life of only three weeks, meaning fresh products are always guaranteed for the perfect enjoyment,” says Roman Bugl, Marketing Director Austria.

Schwedenbomben is truly loved and regularly ranks among Austria’s top brands. It is therefore no surprise that Schwedenbomben workshops, which launched a few years ago at the Heidi Chocolat production site in Austria, have become a great success, attracting thousands of people every year.

Soon, there will also be a second workshop dedicated to Heidi Chocolat where people can make and decorate their own tablets, pralines and truffles.

This follows the chocolate workshops offered already in Lucerne, Switzerland and Bucharest, Romania, where families, friends and companies celebrate the fun of making chocolate.

“While we are offering high quality premium chocolate, we also want to provide entertainment to our consumers because chocolate is fun,” underlines Baragan.

CHOCOLATE FOR THE SENSES With a unique dedication to craftsmanship, Heidi Chocolat treats every piece of chocolate like

FOOD & DRINK

EME Outlook issue 44 | 45

HEIDI CHOCOLAT

46 | EME Outlook issue 44

FOOD & DRINK

AT A GLANCE - HEIDI CHOCOLAT VALUES: • The inspiring wisdom of nature • The wondrous taste of natural ingredients • The passion and dedication of craftsmanship • The unexpected paths of curiosity • The absolute beauty of staying positive The company also undertakes the following environmental commitments: • A culture of environmental protection and strict compliance with regulations • Determining business aspects that may have a significant impact on the environment and establishing the necessary measures • Use of recyclable packaging and investigating alternative solutions to plastic packaging • Continuous communication with suppliers and customers to improve a product’s environmental impact • Reducing waste that may occur as a result of production, transportation, stocking, operation and maintenance activities • Reducing the quantities of waste resulting from the manufacturing process

a masterpiece, carefully selecting ingredients and combining them in unique recipes to deliver the complete sensorial experience of texture, flavour and colour.

High-quality cocoa beans and a wide variety of ingredients deliver a unique balance of intense cocoa taste with fruity or spicy notes, in a velvety-fine texture of perfectly thin dark chocolate.

“We combine the traditional chocolatier’s craftsmanship and passion with a modern know-how of

today’s world. At Heidi Chocolat we value nature and natural ingredients which you can see and taste in the compositions,” Mueller tells us.

Heidi Chocolat is very proud of its expert team of chocolatiers, who can also personalise products to cater for the gift economy. Whether it’s for a loved one or friend, a birthday or wedding, a party or company event, customisation is a trend that Heidi Chocolat can easily accommodate through personalised messages or greeting cards.

At Heidi Choco World, the company’s skilled chocolatiers take their artistry and knowledge to create new recipes, personalised tablets and special chocolate treats. Visitors can also join seminars for a one-of-a-kind experience creating their own special chocolates and packaging, as well as learning about the origins and history of chocolate.

“Together with family, friends or colleagues, this is an entertaining event where you can learn more about chocolate and create your own compositions under the supervision of our chocolatiers,” Mueller outlines.

COVID-19 didn’t stop the fun either, with Heidi Chocolat introducing online seminars during the pandemic to keep chocolate lovers entertained.

“The online seminars provided some togetherness throughout the difficulties of lockdown when opportunities to meet with family or friends were limited,” says Bugl.

Earlier this year, Heidi Chocolat opened the first Heidi Chocolaterie in Vienna on Mariahilfer Street, Europe’s longest shopping mile, a unique concept where more than 150 chocolate specialties can be found.

As product innovation also continues to play a significant role, Heidi Chocolat will continue to deliver new formats and flavours whilst continuously reviewing new segments and developing trends.

“Our overall strategy is to further strengthen our position within premium chocolate compositions in Romania, in addition to expanding distribution to our core export markets,” Mueller concludes.

HEIDI CHOCOLAT office@heidi-chocolate.com www.heidi-chocolate.com

EME Outlook issue 44 | 47

CAMLIN GROUP

OPTIMISING OPTIMISING OPTIMISING GREEN GREEN GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE Driven by the twin focus of technological development and sustainable practices, we take a look at Camlin Group and speak to Michael Cunningham, Managing Director of the Camlin Energy division, to learn more Writer: Marcus Kääpä | Project Manager: Matthew Taylor

48 | EME Outlook issue 44

TECHNOLOGY

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Right now, the electric utility industry worldwide is facing both significant challenges and exciting opportunities – I see these as two sides of the same coin.”

Michael Cunningham has spent his life following his passion for technology, energy and innovation. Today he is Managing Director of Camlin Energy, a division of Camlin Group (Camlin), a company with a global presence and a direct heritage going back to 1978.

Camlin exists with the sole purpose to optimise

critical infrastructure that people, cities and communities around the world depend on, all day and every day.

“Our DNA is innovation in the areas of monitoring and diagnostic equipment for electricity grids,” Cunningham says. “We operate under three brands: Kelvatek covers our business in the UK which is primarily low voltage fault and load management equipment and a suite of services providing network operators with round-the-clock support and visibility of their low voltage networks.

EME Outlook issue 44 | 49

CAMLIN GROUP “Through our Camlin Rail division, we offer innovative pantograph condition monitoring using advanced imaging and machine learning (ML) and also an automated reconfigurable signalling power system allowing rail operators to maintain supply continuity during extreme fault conditions.”

And the third division is the

EME Outlook: What initially sparked your interest in the areas of technology and energy?

Michael Cunningham, Managing Director: “I was exposed to the area from an early age from my father, who started a technology business in the electrical power space. I had many summer jobs in his business as a child surrounded by engineers (many of whom later became colleagues); everything from cleaning windows to building prototypes.

“I studied electrical and electronic engineering at University of Nottingham, and then a master’s at University of Ulster, after which I joined my father’s company as a young design engineer. After a few years I delved into product management, as well as overseeing operations.

From this experience I gained a general holistic view of the business, from the customer, through design and right through to manufacturing and field engineering. This evolution has continued, and today I am privileged to have the role of Managing Director of Camlin Energy.”

52 | EME Outlook issue 44

aforementioned Camlin Energy; it is a global business outside of the UK focused on asset monitoring products for customers all over the world.

“We bring to bear a wide range of technical capability, from switching, sensing, digital, communications, advanced analytics and much more,” Cunningham adds. “This means Camlin’s solutions today are directly enabling power grids and train systems to be higher performing, as well as more resilient and more flexible.

“On top of this, the electrical power industry has a huge role to play in our shared decarbonised future. Our technologies support the uptake of electric vehicles and distributed generation. We also help monitor the condition of critical assets such as generators, transformers and circuit breakers for the grid and renewable energy sources.”

ADVANCING INDUSTRY For Cunningham, the notion of building solutions that will help manage the unforeseen challenges of the future is critical.

“As the network changes, the challenges will increase, and this will require data, analytics and insights that currently simply do not exist. Our solutions are dedicated to supporting this journey to the net-zero grid of the future,” he explains. “At present, there are nuances in the industry from region to region, for example, the UK is probably one of the more regulated utility industries in the world, but the issues faced by utilities globally are more or less the same. The electrical industry is on a journey to create the ‘grid of the future’.

“This means delivering the performance and value that society depends upon, with an ageing network and stretched resources.

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Enabling spectroscopy solutions Our enabling spectroscopy solutions can be applied in the lab, in-line at your production facility or used in the field to improve your measurement results. With nearly 30 years of experience in all kinds of industries, we’re an equipped partner to guide you in finding your most ideal setup or product integration.

Industries served Avantes spectrometers, light sources and fiber-optic sampling accessories provide the technology for spectroscopy and material characterizations in these and many other industries: • Agriculture & Food • (Bio)Medical

you need a custom configured optical bench or a specialized fiber-optic probe, we have the experience and dedication to make it happen. While we gladly develop custom-made devices, we also offer several modular and highly configurable OEM options.

Our partnership approach to working with original equipment manufacturers (OEM) is at the core of our success and philosophy as a business. To fully utilize the vast possibilities of our spectrometer systems, sales engineers work closely together with you to fulfill your every need. Our state-of-the-art design center then creates the tailor-made solution as discussed. After extensive testing, a prototype is made. Only when this perfectly aligns with your needs, we will start production.

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CAMLIN GROUP It also means delivering the robust, flexible, decarbonised network that will facilitate the zero-carbon future for us all. I believe it represents the biggest and most important challenge that the industry has faced since its early inception and roll-out, and we cannot afford to fail.

“The challenges for such network development are multi-dimensional, and will require brave new thinking, new technologies, new methodologies and new partnerships,” Cunningham continues. “But it is also tremendously exciting to have the opportunity to work on projects or technologies that can genuinely make a difference.

Government, utilities, technology providers and consumers all play a vital role, and the UK is taking a leading position in this ‘global project’, so I feel we should be rightly proud of this.”

CAMLIN IN THE COMMUNITY Camlin sees economic prosperity as essential for communities in order to thrive and the company recognises the importance of the role it has to play in this. Camlin’s community programme supports disadvantaged young people through a range of professional and personal development activities helping them on their journey to bright and active futures.

In light of this, Camlin has partnered with local organisations such as YouthAction’s Rainbow Factory and Include Youth Northern Ireland to provide mentoring and skills development, workplace introductions and performing arts projects on mental health.

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CUTTING-EDGE ENGINEERING For a quarter of a century Camlin has been trusted as a world-leading provider of engineering solutions that enhance the performance of energy and transportation networks.

When it comes to new thinking and incorporating new technologies, innovation is an ingrained part of the company’s DNA. “We have developed a rail pantograph monitoring system, the Pantobot 3D, which is the world’s first fully automated threedimensional wayside pantograph inspection and monitoring system,” Cunningham elaborates. “Over time, train pantographs receive wear and if not carefully monitored, they may eventually cut into overhead power lines and bring them down, shutting down the entire line and causing great expense and inconvenience.

“In the past, rail companies would have had to carry out manual

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The Tempa Pano team take our customers through the early concept stages of an enclosure design, right up to production and specification of products. From simple modifications such as stamping / cut-outs, laser cutting, bespoke design (e.g. welded crossmembers / specific design parts / specified thicknesses), finish RAL paint colours, material change, Forming (e.g. louvres / hems), Screen printing /silk printing right up to completely novel designs, Tempa Pano can help.

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TECHNOLOGY

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After a few years with heavy investments in high quality machinery, AH-Finmekanik will be able to meet the future.

Our target is meeting our customers’ demands through, - High Quality – We work with documented quality - High Flexibility – We can always make it - High Mix – Series from 1 to 1000 + pcs.

- Extremely short delivery terms through Partnership relations - Rapid Prototyping – Faster, better and more reliable than 3D Printing

We specialize in: Multi Axis - CNC Turning, 5 Axis - CNC Mill/Turn in all materials, Grinding, Laser engraving, and Assembly Incl. All kinds of surface treatment, from sub suppliers.

AH-Finmekanik can assist all through the process, from idear to design for manufacturing to finished produced parts.

We build partnerships and long term relations,

T+45 48 47 50 55 | E AHF@ah-finmekanik.dk | www.AH-Finmekanik.dk

EME Outlook issue 44 | 55

CAMLIN GROUP

inspections of pantographs, and many still do, but this is a relatively inefficient way to manage the situation: it means taking trains out of service for inspection, provides a snapshot at only one point and is potentially unsafe, often involving maintenance personnel clambering on top of rolling stock in the dark with a torch. Because this exercise can only be carried out irregularly, often it can mean that rail operators err on the side of caution and pantographs are replaced well before it is necessary.”

Camlin’s wayside mounted Pantobot 3D captures images of trains continually as they pass, monitoring two tracks in any direction at speeds of up to 300 kilometres per hour.

It identifies the train unit, analyses the degree of wear and chipping of the pantograph contact strip and if necessary, sends automated alerts on the condition of the pantograph, thereby improving the efficiency of the process and showing the 56 | EME Outlook issue 44

“WE BRING TO BEAR A WIDE RANGE OF TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES, FROM SWITCHING, SENSING, DIGITAL, COMMUNICATIONS, ADVANCED ANALYTICS AND MUCH MORE” - MICHAEL CUNNINGHAM, MANAGING DIRECTOR, CAMLIN ENERGY

increasingly obsolete nature of the manual process.

DATA MONITORING “We have also added a new dimension to our quality monitoring,” Cunningham adds. “If you go back into our distant past, our focus was very much about building better boxes, high quality monitoring equipment. We still do that, and we always will, but in recent years we’ve developed the process further.

“With monitoring comes data and with this comes the potential

for deeper insight and knowledge.

Of course, the amounts of data are colossal, and we’ve doubled down on areas like artificial intelligence (AI) and ML to help our customers turn data into knowledge and insight. We believe the key is the ability to layer the technologies to provide that ultimate value to our partners.”

By aligning such capabilities - highly advanced sensing and switching technologies, data analytics, worldleading software capabilities, AI and ML, deep domain network and asset knowledge - to the core issues, Camlin

TECHNOLOGY

Precision component manufacturing, to keep your business running like clockwork.

Speak to our sales team today:

+44 (0) 28 9244 9800 www.niprecision.com

EME Outlook issue 44 | 57

CAMLIN GROUP

can create in-depth insights to enable company partners to manage risk and deliver the performance and change demanded of them.

“And today we can take data not just from our own monitoring equipment but from boxes made by other companies. We think that is where the future lies: partnering with our customers and helping them use data and insights to raise standards,” Cunningham concludes.

A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE Camlin’s progressive nature does not solely encompass the utilisation of the latest technologies, however.

The company’s practices are driven by many factors, including its stoic commitment to sustainable initiatives, and the greener aspects of business that support environmental welfare.

58 | EME Outlook issue 44

Moving forward, these sustainable aspects are a key component of Camlin’s business.

“In the last year, due to COVID19, the future is something we’ve really given a lot of thought to,” Cunningham tells us. “In a relatively short time, Camlin has grown quite substantially, organically and through acquisitions, so our business was becoming more complex, diversified and difficult to manage. We therefore took the decision to focus on the core things, the things we do really well and where we have something to offer which resonates with customers:

products and services for monitoring utility assets and networks and our rail pantograph monitor.

“We had to make hard decisions, divesting parts of the business that didn’t lend themselves to that absolute clarity for the way forward. But now that we’ve made that call and can really focus, it’s good for our people and very good for our customers: they can see it and they’re reciprocating.”

Camlin exists to engineer better futures, and the company’s purpose is deeply embedded in its understanding of sustainability.

Camlin creates solutions that drive the

TECHNOLOGY

“WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING TOWARDS A NET ZERO FUTURE!” - MICHAEL CUNNINGHAM, MANAGING DIRECTOR, CAMLIN ENERGY

success of tomorrow’s energy-smart grids and transportation networks.

“We’re supporting our customers to improve the safety, reliability and efficiency of the world’s energy and transport infrastructures that people depend on daily,” Cunningham assures us. “We’re helping organisations and communities embrace the opportunities – and challenges – of a low-carbon future.

And we’re equally focused on making our own activities more sustainable by investing in our people and ensuring

our operations are kinder to the health of our planet.”

A GREEN COMMITMENT Camlin aims to achieve long-term profitable growth guided by balancing positive impact across people, planet and performance.

The company is committed to obtaining net-zero emissions by or before 2050. With this aim in the works, Camlin has joined forces with UK partner 3Keel, that helps support Camlin’s sustainability journey.

“Our Climate Action initiative that launched in April 2021 sees us calculating our scope one, two and three emissions as part of our commitment to better understanding our carbon impact,” Cunningham tells us. “We will be setting and verifying a science-based target and developing a clear climate action roadmap to address our emissions reduction commitments.

“We are looking forward to working towards a net zero future!”

CAMLIN GROUP Tel: +44(0) 2892 626 989 mail@camlingroup.com www.camlingroup.com

EME Outlook issue 44 | 59

ATOS

DIGITAL DIGIT DD 60 | EME Outlook issue 44

TECHNOLOGY

Jean-Claude Geha, Global Head of Sales for Telecoms, Media and Technology industry at Atos, discusses acquisitive growth and driving carbon neutrality through digital transformation Writer: Phoebe Harper Project Manager: Marvin Iseghehi

DECARBONISING

TAL DIGITAL DIGITAL DIGITAL DIGITAL A

t the vanguard of digital transformation and cyber security, the Atos name is synonymous with leading technological integration of worldwide renown. So much so, that for the past 30 years Atos been the digital partner to enable the seamless and secure operation of the legendary Olympic and Paralympic Games.

A key component of the Atos portfolio can be found within the dynamic and ever-shifting realm of Technology, Media, and Telecoms (TMT). Complemented by the global strengths and wide-reaching footprint of the Atos brand, this is a growing field within the company, presided over by Global Head of Sales for Telecoms, Media and Technology industry at Atos, Jean-Claude Geha.

EME Outlook issue 44 | 61

When automation yet effortless.

BMC.com/AGame

is paramount, welcome to the A-Game the Autonomous Digital Enterprise

ATOS Atos is an established leader in Cloud, Big Data, and HighPerformance Computing, providing end-to-end solutions to generate insight from organisations’ data assets. The company entails an esteemed reputation within the cloud and digital workplace, as Europe’s number one provider of managed security services, and the third best worldwide.

Essentially, Atos helps clients derive value from data through the accelerated adoption or migration of existing data landscapes to modern data platforms using on-prem, hybrid or multi-cloud environments. TMT is instrumental in this regard, as an entity that is driven by shifting client behaviours and environmental and social concerns, situated at the nexus of catering to this demand and enabling digital transformation. As such, it is a highly adaptive field where agility is paramount.

This is evidenced by the transformation witnessed within the field of TMT over the course of Geha’s career thus far, from the time of public phone booths to ubiquitous pocketsized mobile devices.

Guiding Geha is a relentless interest and fascination for the space that was sparked whilst studying semi-conductors in college, before going on to undertake a Master’s in Telecoms Management in the early ‘90s, coinciding with the birth of the new economy.

“From fixed telephony to Internet Protocol Telephony (IPT), and from dedicated connectivity to shared and packetised connectivity, we have seen Telcos transition from being confined to a local geography to going global, and then settling to regional and/ or multinational – it has been a great journey so far,” Geha muses.

Geha brings to Atos a wealth of international experience working for Telcos across North America and the EMEA region, before pursuing the opportunity to work for a systems 64 | EME Outlook issue 44

PUTTING AI TO WORK FOR TMT TMT organisations generate a rich and huge amount of data from their network and customer interactions, which could be the basis to develop: • Hyper-personalisation - Every customer of TMT is unique in terms of their context and needs. This demands capability to process a huge amount of data and create ‘segment-of-one at scale’ (i.e., several 100s of millions of customers) and drive actions e.g., product recommendation, offer management, experience management etc., in order to deliver personalised digital experiences and services.

• Autonomous Network Operations - Customers’ tolerance of service outages is diminishing as they increasingly rely on digital connectivity services for their daily life. This means detecting and fixing service issues before customers notice it as well as faster route cause analysis (RCA) becoming vital to improving customer experience and retention.

This requires processing huge amounts historical as well as real time streaming data to detect anomalies, predict degradation/outages and recommend resolutions.

• Zero-touch, Zero-trust Prescriptive Security - The cyber security landscape is evolving fast with a sophisticated threat profile, which is beyond the processing capability of the human brain. AI/ML-driven security operations to detect and respond to threats before they occur is crucial for Telcos.

• Customer Value Management – Ability to predict churn propensity at individual customer level and drive actions to mitigate the circumstances driving churn is critical to retain customers in a saturated market. AL/ML and Analytics plays a crucial role in predictive churn management.

• Improving Customer Experience - While minimising cost by leveraging intelligent chat bots with capability for natural language processing (NLP) which relies on AI. • Cognitive services to generate incremental revenue – Computer vision technologies using AI enables the creation of several additional revenue generating services for the B2B segment.

Leveraging Automation on the Path to Becoming an Autonomous Digital Enterprise

While AI for operations (AIOps) tells you something happened and gives you insights and analysis and explores what you can do with them, intelligent automation is:

ver the last year and a half, while much of the world slowed down and took a pause during the pandemic, businesses across every industry had to speed up, and often with fewer staff on hand to meet that new sense of immediacy. It was a prime opportunity for organizations to finally tap into the benefits of automation—and if they already had—expand the reach of its capabilities across the enterprise.

• Predictive — sees issues before they happen • Preventive — stops them from happening • Prescriptive — tells you how to remediate them

When automation Oyet effortless.

Automation Everywhere is one of the key tenets of the Autonomous Digital Enterprise, a framework that focuses on the future state of business as companies BMC.com/AGame adopt emerging technologies and automation to innovate during a period of persistent disruption, i.e., a global pandemic. Automation Everywhere embraces the idea of technology as a business function that works with humans, not in place of them, to enhance and improve their performance, efficiency, and innovation, so they can focus on tasks that require creativity and a higher order of thinking.

Automation Everywhere also includes the concept of hyperautomation, or automation that extends beyond mundane task replacement into more complex work through the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), robotic process automation (RPA), and other technologies that can perform higher functions like predictive analytics.

Automation can span a range of business functions, with newer technologies that include a degree of cognition, analysis, and learning that can benefit the entire business. That next level of automation is often referred to as “intelligent automation”—the whole journey from basic automation (automating actions with the least potential business impact) to fully autonomous (leveraging AI and applying a set of methods and algorithms to learn and adapt from data).

is paramount, welcome to the A-Game

Intelligent automation isDigital also at Enterprise the heart of integrated the Autonomous IT operations management (ITOM) and IT service management (ITSM) solutions and the emerging AI service management (AISM). These solutions, and advanced enterprise automation and workload management solutions, help ensure real-time service availability and performance for internal and external customers, promote problem-solving, and reduce redundancy, allowing employees to instead work on value-added tasks. Intelligent automation can also help with security and compliance, detecting and remediating vulnerabilities and compliance issues before they impact the business.

Automation and AI/ML factor heavily into the Atos mission to help its customers transition to cloud and accelerate their transformation through smart data management, Internet of Things (IoT), and ecosystems of infrastructures. By collaborating with BMC and its robust solution set, Atos provides high-end computing for big data algorithms, cybersecurity, and missioncritical technologies to ensure continued customer success.

As organizations invest their budgets wisely on smarter solutions that leverage automation, and begin their evolution to become an Autonomous Digital Enterprise, they can not only survive, but thrive in an increasingly digital-first market and meet the rising demands of consumers who are more digital-savvy than ever.

BMC.com/AGame

ATOS

B-YOND B-YOND is a fast-growing network AI company and leader in network intelligence and operation automation space.

Specializing in the development of AI-powered automation software, B-YOND has captured decades of subject matter expertise in their Machine Learning (ML) models. Based in Silicon Valley, B-Yond delivers network intelligence solutions to the largest communication service providers (CSP) in the world. Their product, AGILITY, is deployed and validated at the top 3 telcos in North America.

“A NET-ZERO PIONEER IN DECARBONISATION SERVICES AND PRODUCTS, OUR COMMITMENT TO THE FUTURE EXTENDS TO CARBONNEUTRALITY FOR OUR ORGANISATION AS WELL AS OUR CLIENTS AND PARTNERS” – ATOS, TMT integrator (SI) - as a global leader in the field, Atos was the obvious answer.

“We are a technology and an SI company which gives us a unique position compared with other SI’s, so not only do we integrate software and hardware and technology, but we produce it as well,” he comments.

Today, Atos TMT is responding to the trends that are shaping the current technological landscape, defined by the advent of 5G, Cloud, and Edge computing. As such, Telcos are pursuing opportunities to diversify and monetise 5G, whilst media organisations must respond to the expectations of an audience that demands more individually personalised and diverse mobile and connected experiences.

“At the moment, we’re seeing Telcos running two parallel tracks, as they want to secure their position with last 66 | EME Outlook issue 44

mile connectivity in fibre or 5G whilst also wanting to branch out beyond connectivity, even though that’s a large amount of their business,” Geha observes.

“Telcos want to branch out and create a position for themselves in the digital ecosystem alongside other Telcos and public cloud providers.”

Amidst this movement, Atos TMT is there to help clients with the major challenges in the space, with Application and Infrastructure Transformation and Cloudification, and Data Monetisation, thereby optimising business operations and freeing up capacity and resources for Telco customers to further focus on broadband, fixed and fibre based, or mobile based services and to enable more opportunities in the B2B space.

“As we shift towards a cloud environment and zero-touch fulfilment and assurance, we see

B-YOND’s founding team has a proven track record across telecommunications, cloud, networking, and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Over the past two decades, they have bootstrapped successful businesses that power the transformation journey and automation required to operate the network cloud at web scale.

An advocate of innovative approaches to transformation, B-YOND practices the exploration of uncharted territories, constantly experimenting to uncover insights that accelerate time to market for their customers. By encouraging others to ask “What if..” and pursue game changers, B-YOND aids in transforming concepts to reality.

B-YOND’s espousal for change continues to defy expectations; in fact, embracing change aligns with a sense of authenticity and uniqueness.

B-YOND takes pride in their proactive approach to business—by having the courage to do things differently, in a distinct style, to create solutions aligned with our customer’s business objectives.

B-Yond is continues to pursue further success in the industry in partnership with customers and business partners alike.

We are in this together!

www.b-yond.com

A I P O W E R E D A U T O M AT I O N

O P E R AT I N G NETWORK CLOUD AT W E B S C A L E

B-Yond

A C C E L E R AT I N G TIME TO REVENUE

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ATOS great savings that come from automation. Hence your cost to run assets and functions become more optimal, giving you opportunities to add value faster with an automation rich cloudified infrastructure,” Geha outlines.

At the nexus of these optimisations, is the potential of artificial intelligence (AI).

ACCELERATING AI All innovative endeavours at Atos are entirely guided by customer demand.

Indeed, Atos’ ability to serve its clients with tailored end-to-end solutions is the company’s greatest differentiator.

Atos’ technological prowess within AI has been further strengthened by the TMT division’s recent strategic

ATOS – SUSTAINABILITY CREDENTIALS • Atos is ranked number one in the IT and software services sector by the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes (DJSI) World and Europe indexes in 2020.

• Atos is named on CDP ‘A List’ for leading efforts against climate change in 2020.

• Atos is awarded Platinum by EcoVadis for its outstanding CSR performance in 2020.

• The Atos 2020 Integrated Report has been prepared in accordance with the GRI Standards and has successfully completed the GRI Content Index Service.

• Atos is awarded SEAL Sustainability Award as one of the top 50 most sustainable companies worldwide in 2020.

68 | EME Outlook issue 44

acquisition of Ipsotek - a leading enhanced video analytics software provider – that took place in April this year.

Crucially, Ipsotek offers a scalable AI platform, VISuite, that enables users to efficiently manage automatically generated alerts in real-time. VISuite can be applied to a range of functions, such as traffic management, number plate recognition, intrusion detection, and crowd management, to name a few, alongside multi-camera tracking capabilities. Ipsotek is a reputable name in the industry, having executed over 600 projects in 38 countries.

“With this acquisition, Atos, already a major player in Edge, AI, machine learning (ML) and more specifically Edge Vision, will create a unique proposition across the entire value chain and strategically reinforce its leading position in Edge and Computer Vision by adding key software capabilities and IP to its solutions portfolio,” Geha explains.

THE DECARBONISATION DIFFERENCE Alongside Atos’ industry-defining approach to tailoring solutions for clients, the company stands apart for its stance on driving decarbonisation in the digital space. Atos pioneers services and products dedicated to decarbonisation, whilst upholding a commitment to carbon neutrality both within the organisation itself, and on behalf of its clients and partners.

“Together, we’re a force pushing the boundaries of scientific and technological excellence to ensure that everyone can live, work and thrive sustainably in a secure information space,” Geha comments.

Atos itself has been carbon neutral since 2018 and has successfully offset the full scope of its operational emissions. Atos continues a promising trajectory to achieve net-zero by 2028, thereby neutralising all carbon under its influence including suppliers

and partners.

“The scope of our intent is 10 times larger than Atos itself and 22 years ahead of the Paris agreement’s 2050 deadline.”

In the scope of leveraging digital adoption to facilitate net zero transformation, Atos is ahead of the curve. The company has implemented a ‘Decarbonisation Centre of Excellence’ that guides global organisations through three key phases of reducing carbon in digital and business processes, operating under the understanding that climate action today simply makes commercial sense.

With EcoAct, an Atos company

TECHNOLOGY

“BY DELIVERING HIGHLY SCALABLE SOLUTIONS AND HYPER-PERSONALISED EXPERIENCES FOR THE FUTURE, WE PROVIDE A BRIDGE FOR TMT ORGANISATIONS AND THEIR CUSTOMERS TO EMBARK ON THEIR DIGITAL JOURNEY BY ENABLING THEM TO EMBRACE THE OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES OF TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCE AND CONVERGENCE THAT TRANSFORM THE WAY PEOPLE LIVE, LEARN, WORK AND COMMUNICATE” – ATOS, TMT

that partners with businesses, organisations and governments. One such example includes EcoAct’s work with Telefonica, where a strategic supplier engagement programme has been implemented to set ambitious Scope Three emissions reduction targets in alignment with the most recent climate science.

OVERCOMING OBSTACLES Alongside responding to the climate crisis, COVID-19 is an equally pertinent topic within a modern context that all businesses have had to address and react to. The pandemic has been a true catalyst to change and shape our technological behaviours.

Throughout national lockdowns worldwide, Telcos have been expected to manage the demand of heightened connectivity, as everyone went online with staggering amounts of bandwidth being exchanged on a daily basis – particularly in streaming and virtual communications between separated friends and families.

This renewed focus in streaming expansion is reflected in Atos TMT’s acquisition strategy, as the company seeks to enhance its offering.

“In the media space, we’re interested in enhancing our position when it comes to streaming, combined with customer experience and data monetisation,” Geha tells us.

“We believe these are some of the key elements for media companies in the streaming space trying to create more value for end users and focus more on their core business.

“At this stage of media streaming, there may be possibilities for some companies to agree to having someone else running their platform – because owning or running a streaming platform is no longer the big key differentiator, but rather content, end user experience, and targeted services.”

As media giants like Netflix and YouTube lower their streaming quality to avoid network congestion, this paves the way for investments EME Outlook issue 44 | 69

ATOS

in network functions virtualisation (NFV) and 5G, thereby bringing forward the timeframe in telecoms strategies and creating opportunities for consolidation.

In the technological sphere, the COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a heightened emphasis on a personalised user experience (UX) and accessibility, as evidenced by live sports where digital technology 70 | EME Outlook issue 44

is increasingly leveraged to provide immersive virtual experiences.

Inside the company itself, Atos remained steadfast in spite of turbulent times, with its technological capabilities well-equipped to adjust to remote working and providing telesupport for customers, partners and third-party services.

“We held our own as a company and kept on supporting our

customers throughout the crisis,” Geha comments.

“We have seen major disruptions in terms of ways of working, business models, travel regulations and security. On the other hand, we have witnessed some impressive and innovative approaches to adapting to the challenges.

“Looking ahead, we see many opportunities and a clear requirement

TECHNOLOGY

to positively reshape our collective futures, rather than merely return to the previous status quo.”

FUTURE HORIZONS Looking ahead, Geha himself is passionate about delivering TMT across the global market, benefitting from the worldwide reach of the Atos name.

“Atos has a vast global presence with over 105,000 employees in

over 70 countries, but TMT wants to strengthen its presence in other countries by entering into new geographical areas such as the Baltics, Nordics, Central Europe, and new areas of Africa and Latin America, and India.

“We will leverage the greater Atos multi-industry presence to expand the TMT industry,” he explains.

Alongside the Media space’s acquisitive expansion into streaming services, Atos’ Telco arena will pursue further opportunities in AI/ML. “We already have these capabilities but we’re always seeking more. These are key assets that will help in the zero-touch fulfilment and operation offerings. It will also offer us the capability to serve our customers with more predictive and prescriptive services and capabilities, most importantly on the operational side which creates the desired end user experience for our customers.”

Complimentary to this, within technology Geha has identified an opportunity to leverage acquisitions that will enhance the Atos lab as a service offering. As cases surrounding 5G, Cloud, and IoT become increasingly complex, this will essentially enable technology companies a low-risk entry into a certain use case for specific technologies with the necessary testing in place for truly effective deployment.

Above all, Atos TMT will continue to focus on the people behind the technology.

“Our first and foremost priority is to invest in our people with both competence lift and augmentation, increasing what we already have in house,” explains Geha, with a particular emphasis on the hybrid cloud space in 5G Mobile Edge and security.

“Secondly, to integrate and to provide technology, you need partners, they are key in the tech space not just to us but all players in the space.

“DECARBONISATION HAS LONG BEEN A PRIORITY FOR ATOS, AND WE BELIEVE THAT THROUGH BOLD CLIMATE ACTION A NET ZERO FUTURE IS POSSIBLE” - JEAN-CLAUDE GEHA, GLOBAL HEAD OF TMT, ATOS

“In the coming year, we want to focus much more on certain partners and partnerships because it’s these effective relationships that amount to a win-win situation for both parties and their customers.”

With a people-centric focus guiding their expansion, the TMT division of Atos is guaranteed a prosperous future.

tmt@communications.atos.net https://atos.net/en

EME Outlook issue 44 | 71

DESERT INK

72 | EME Outlook issue 44

CONSTRUCTION

CONTEXT-DRIVEN

PLACES Creating exciting places with local materials and native plants, desert INK demonstrates what can be achieved when smart, ecological and human-centric thinking is placed at the forefront of the development process Writer: Marcus Kääpä | Project Manager: Sam Love

When I first arrived in Dubai in 2002, landscape architecture was seen more as glorified gardening; it was all about conquering the desert by introducing lush greenery, flowers and trees everywhere. But over the years we have managed to demonstrate that landscape architecture has far more to offer than just window dressing– it’s EME Outlook issue 44 | 73

DESERT INK about people and crafting spaces which enhance their lives. It’s about the city environment and creating places that benefit the community positively.”

EME OUTLOOK: WHAT, FOR YOU, MAKES DESERT INK STAND OUT IN THE INDUSTRY? Duncan Denley, Managing Director: “I believe we stand out thanks to a combination of our passion for innovation and creativity coupled with our sensitivity towards sustainable goals. There are many huge landscape practices which dominate the industry, but our boutique studio is more able to pursue atypical projects with unique creative outcomes.

“Being unique, flexible and versatile in what we do allows us to escape the confines of mass standardisation, and so prevents us from a stagnant, rigid formula leading to repetitive projects.

Our projects therefore tend to be diverse and do not follow a template.

“The other side of the coin with regards to standing out is our passion and incorporation of sustainability in all we do. We always strive to source local materials that reduce transport emissions and make use of a local workforce that helps the community. With green projects like Terra - The Sustainability Pavilion at Dubai EXPO 2020, we made use of recycled materials along with plants, stone and materials from the local region and this philosophy is mirrored across a variety of our projects.”

74 | EME Outlook issue 44

Architecture is a broad industry, the roots of which stem from a wide variety of different practices that each contribute significantly to the overall sector and the face of the societies we live in today.

Where construction and interior architecture represent the bones and beauty of the buildings themselves, landscaping works with its sibling subsectors to achieve a grand result that extends beyond the structures and into the surrounding space. In effect, landscaping completes the external environmental potential of an architecture project and blends it into the world beyond.

FROM INTEREST TO INDUSTRY Duncan Denley, Managing Director of UAE-based landscape architecture practice desert INK, was always destined to work in the sector.

“Growing up I was very interested in art, geography, science, design and architecture,” he reflects fondly.

“I have a specific memory of being 14 years old and speaking with a career guidance counsellor. They fed my interests into a monstrous old computer that ended up producing a range of professions, one of which was ‘landscape architect’.

“This really planted the seed for me and, having always been interested in gardens and the outdoors, I started to direct my attentions towards a career in landscape architecture. When it came to higher education, I followed this path at the University of Sheffield in the UK.” Denley’s journey into the sector would see him gain a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Landscape Architecture and Town and Country Planning before undertaking a year-long internship across the pond in Chicago, followed by a fifth year completing a diploma in landscape architecture back in Sheffield, obtaining a distinction and solidifying his education prior to the start of his career.

TileLine Established in Dubai 2015, TileLine a regional production company, specialising in consultancy and the supply of ceramic, porcelain and mosaic flooring applications for award winning commercial and residential projects.

TileLine advises the region’s prominent businesses across both private and public sectors, with projects including 5 Star hotels and resorts, amusement parks, community destinations, as well as creating luxury exterior spaces for individual homeowners.

TileLine has developed their own brand, Sukabumi Porcelain, a luxury range used in beautiful swimming pools and striking landscape and has exclusive partnerships with leading global manufacturers.

www.tileline.ae

Velosolutions We have seen the positive impact of cycling in people’s lives and we are on a mission to make cycling accessible for everyone through pump tracks, bike trails and skills parks.

In the UAE, we have just started and it is exciting to see the overwhelming response to our first project that is in Fujairah.

As we are finishing phase 1 of the Abu Dhabi project, we are confident that in the coming years, we will be building great cycling facilities all over the UAE with the support of government and community developers.

T +971 55 860 7910 E info@velosolutions.com www.velosolutions.com

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EME Outlook issue 44 | 75

DESERT INK “From there, I went straight to Dubai where I remain almost 20 years later,” he says. “It has been really rewarding to be able to be part of the amazing projects and opportunities that have presented themselves here.”

Founded in 2015, desert INK is part of a much larger organisation which includes multiple companies focused around the landscape industry – The Desert Group. desert INK specialises in providing landscape architecture consultancy, comprised of a talented team of landscape architects, architects, urban designers and engineers.

Operating from their studio in Dubai Design District, the team holds an envious portfolio of award-winning projects spanning Africa, Asia and their home market in the Middle East.

In just a few short years and through the delivery of several notable flagship projects, desert INK has built a strong following in the industry. Its consistently out-of-the-box thinking is in high demand and the team finds itself sought after to lead multidisciplinary teams addressing ever more ambitious projects.

EME OUTLOOK: COULD YOU ELABORATE ON THE ROYAL GRAMMAR SCHOOL GUILDFORD DUBAI PROJECT? Duncan Denley, Managing Director: “We are very interested in using landscape as a tool for learning. desert INK worked with Cognita, an educational group that builds and operates schools around the world. They hold a similar belief that landscape is not just an ornamentation but instead can offer many opportunities for learning, problem solving and character development.

“The building itself was designed by Bogle Architects, a brilliant UK-based practice, and we got involved with the project in 2018. Natural materials, plants and landform were used to generate visual and textural interest and allow the students to better connect with nature during playtime and outdoor lessons. Research shows that outdoor learning offers more interest and traction with students, so we created numerous gathering places to promote taking lessons outside. For the equipment, we avoided the usual garish plastic pieces that are often a common sight in playgrounds favouring wood and rope equipment supplied by a wonderful UK-based company, Timberplay.

“Shade is of course such an important aspect of a school project in this climate. To deliver this, we first studied the shade patterns of the building using computer modelling, then ensured that tree planting was distributed to shade those areas still receiving direct sun. To supplement this, we applied a military camouflage netting strung between palm trees to form a dappled shade which feels like you are sitting beneath a tree canopy.

“These biophilic principles are what we really believe in and thankfully, so did our client Cognita. It is really rewarding to see our work positively impacting the community, improving peoples’ lives and engaging the public. My friend’s own children attend the school, and it is great to see them enjoying the landscape which desert INK created.”

THE BLOCK

Grammar School Guildford Dubai project 76 | EME Outlook issue 44

The firm collaborates with numerous industry stars including architects Grimshaw, NORR, Killa, AEDAS, RMJM and leading developers including EMAAR, Masdar and Tecom to name but a few - and has been a key player in creating some of the most exciting projects in the region. One such project, The Block, stands as a representative of the company’s innovation where site-found waste material was repurposed to create an iconic public park.

CONSTRUCTION

“Desert Group is committed to enhancing and impacting lives” - Desert Group “The Block is an urban park based in Dubai’s Design District, and it was a commission that we secured through an international design competition,” Denley explains. “When we first arrived on site it was littered with huge concrete blocks, around the size of a car at 25 tonnes each, stacked upon one another; more than a thousand of them. After talking to the client, it turned out they were

surplus from the construction of the Dubai Water Canal and that they were destined to a landfill.

“We of course took full opportunity of this, turning this major site challenge into a unique design asset.

We incorporated as many of the blocks as possible into the design as retaining walls, exercise structures, stages, climbing walls and play features. Even the boundary wall

of the park is constructed using the blocks. We then named the park after these unique elements, and it became known as ‘The Block’.”

A wonderfully intriguing addition to Dubai’s Design District, The Block is now recognised globally as a wonderful example of design innovation driven by sustainable goals and is cherished by a wide variety of users from multiple demographics.

EME Outlook issue 44 | 77

DESERT INK

TERRA – THE SUSTAINABILITY PAVILION Illuminating the possibilities of sustainable architecture for a progressive future, Terra – The Sustainability Pavilion, Dubai EXPO 2020 stands as an iconic representation of ingenuity in the ecological sphere. This saw desert INK collaborate with internationally renowned architecture firm Grimshaw to deliver the project. Where Grimshaw designed the building itself, desert INK designed the landscape and public realm on top of and surrounding the structure.

“We developed the landscape design to showcase and ‘prove’ many of the sustainable principles that most clients are reluctant to test,” Denley elaborates. “When it came to landscape, we hoped that the project would accustom people to a new urban landscape that differed from the standardised norm, and the notion 78 | EME Outlook issue 44

that using a lot less water, power and other inputs can still make for a wonderful and attractive place.

“We pioneered the cultivation and application of local plant life to make this happen. When people think of

water-wise landscapes, they tend to think of dusty, unattractive gravel gardens, perhaps with a lonely cactus.

We wanted to demonstrate that water wise landscapes can be rich, green, sustainable and visually interesting.

We collaborated with our sister Desert Group company What Al Sahraa that operates one of the largest plant nurseries in the Middle East. They were able to gather seed from the nearby mountains, deserts and a few local growers and test these native plants. Many of the plants themselves were a brilliant success and thrived during cultivation. The great thing about these plants is that they can tolerate droughts and intense heat, and they thrive when given much less water than plants that are not native to the region.”

The use of native plant life throughout the project serves a multitude of purposes. This is exemplified by the

CONSTRUCTION use of grassland plants that are placed in a thin layer of soil on the structure’s rooftops, insulating the building and helping it maintain a cool temperature throughout.

“It also looks fantastic and promotes native wildlife, particularly butterflies and other insects that in turn attract birds of course. The landscape is now filled with butterflies and the sound of native birdlife,” Denley adds.

BEHIND DESIGN These kinds of projects are at the forefront of desert INK’s future plans, and they would not be achievable without the commitment of the studio’s experts and employees.

“Our colleagues at desert INK are the

“Creating exciting places which enhance lives” - desert INK

number one asset, because we are not selling a product; we are selling our design ideas,” Denley assures us. “We are only as good as the people that are part of our team, and we are proud of their excellence and diversity.”

The studio harnesses the architectural knowledge and ideas of a wide range of experts from all over the globe. The team is composed of people from varied backgrounds and takes pride in the equal male to

female ratio.

“The team at desert INK is fantastic and we have some great thinkers,” Denley continues. “Recruitment is such an important aspect of the business as well. Our strong social media presence for example isn’t primarily aimed to attract clients, but rather to draw in talent. Each year we engage with universities, such as Sheffield and Edinburgh in the UK, and Cape Town and Pretoria in South

Africa. In the last month we have delivered keynote lectures to leading universities in India and Thailand.

“Recruiting the very best minds in the industry is a constant task and our rigorous, continued search will continue to set us apart in the future.

You can’t afford to be reactive when it comes to recruiting. You always need to know who will be the next person to take the team to the next level.”

This acquisition of talent is key to desert INK growing its global footprint while retaining its unique service as a boutique landscape architecture practice, developing its smart and ecological designs in the Middle East and beyond.

Tel: +971 4 551 7447 hello@desert-ink.com www.desert-ink.com

EME Outlook issue 44 | 79

CHEMKOSTAV

BUILDING SINCE Celebrating 25 years in the construction sector, we take a look at Chemkostav, and speak to Tibor Mačuga, CEO and Chairman of the Board, about how the firm has changed and what lies ahead Writer: Marcus Kääpä | Project Manager: Sam Love

80 | EME Outlook issue 44

CONSTRUCTION

1996

L

andlocked between five neighbours, Slovakia is famous for its rolling landscapes and the world’s highest number of castles and châteaux per capita. And fittingly, alongside these historic builds, construction stands as one of Slovakia’s renowned present-day sectors.

“It is definitely an exciting space to be involved in,” begins Tibor Mačuga, CEO and Chairman of the Board at Chemkostav. “The current construction market of Slovakia is - for the most part - beneficial, as it allows everybody the space and opportunity to innovate.”

Chemkostav has developed over time to become a professional construction company that has managed to build its position in the market thanks to the combination of quality, expertise

EME Outlook issue 44 | 81

CHEMKOSTAV and the qualifications of its staff and workforce. This year, the firm celebrates its 25th anniversary having been established with only 46 employees in 1996, and it’s fair to say that its present-day operations have grown since those of its inception.

“Initially, we focused on leasing manpower across the border into the Czech Republic for the construction of structures such as the KORADO factory - a business that produced radiators in Česká Třebová,” Mačuga says. “Our primary activity was in the construction of concrete buildings, yet as the company grew, we expanded our portfolio into additional areas like building reinforcement, transport and mechanisation, armature, metal bending, and earthworks. We make use of all of these services internally and offer them to other companies as well.”

According to Mačuga, it is Chemkostav’s nature of operating across the public and private sectors that makes the company ideal for clients and investors alike. With an 80 percent majority focus on the private sector, Chemkostav has had the ability to win a multitude of contracts over its 25-year service, expanding its business to become what it is today.

“Right now, we have around 300 staff in employment, but on-site we also make use of specialists and professional subcontractors to bring this number up to 600-700 talented experts working for the firm,” Mačuga informs us. “Chemkostav specialises in the residential sector, hospitals, administration buildings, markets and factories, but also operates in the infrastructure sector, a key example being that of water supply and sewer systems, water treatment facilities, and even areas such as interior tiling and façade works.”

Of course, Chemkostav’s success comes down to the people behind the firm.

Employees who are both financially motivated by a construction project 82 | EME Outlook issue 44

and who have a deeply rooted and collaborative loyalty to the company, are dedicated to Chemkostav’s continued growth and the high quality of the firm’s operation.

Equally, long-term cooperation with investors and external businesses has allowed Chemkostav to maximise its capacity and potential while simultaneously allowing growth and expansion both in terms of services and locations.

STAND OUT CONSTRUCTION The firm’s service quality is exemplified in its many projects, such as the construction of Slovakia’s first OBI store, as Mačuga explains.

“We had never encountered anything similar to this in the past, and for our company this project was both a huge opportunity and a great experience,” he tells us. “We were tasked with designing and building a store for OBI – the German multination home improvements and

PPA CONTROLL PPA CONTROLL group of companies offer reliable partnership for investors, supplier of technological assemblies, construction companies with integration of professional services in the automation of technological processes and implementation of electrical distribution systems.

We provide our customers with comprehensive, professional services of highest quality and optimal solutions in areas of power engineering (incl. nuclear and renewable resources), industry and infrastructure.

The energy that we put into the technical development of our own switchboards and decades of their continuous production is a guarantee of quality.

www.ppa.sk

EME OUTLOOK: CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE TOUGHEST TIMES THE COMPANY AND THE SECTOR HAS HAD TO FACE? Tibor Mačuga, CEO and Chairman of the Board: “Despite the current excitement in the space, construction in Slovakia has not been without its past challenges.

“One of our most difficult periods was the financial crisis in 2008-2009, but we came out of this having adapted, working harder and stronger than ever in the years that followed. It was rather the COVID-19 pandemic during 2020 that proved to be the hardest year in our entire history.

We have never seen such a disheartening financial turnover; it was a 50 percent drop from the previous years, and a record loss for the company.

But it was amazing to see our employees rallying to help us stabilise.

“Alongside external financial support and a widely agreed temporary wage reduction of 40 percent to avoid layoffs, we faced the situation together and went on to adapt to the pandemic, and ultimately overcame the issues that arose.”

CONSTRUCTION

Electric Systems Automation Control Measurement

Studies and analysis, designs, supplies, assembly, recovery and service in the areas of: • Instrumentation & Control • Automated Control Systems • Electrical Systems • Production of Switchboards • Information and Telecommunication Systems • Technological Equipment for Motorway and Tunnels • Administration of Industrial Parks and Buildings

PPA CONTROLL, a.s., Vajnorská 137, 830 00 Bratislava, Slovakia, tel.: +421 2 492 37 111, +421 2 492 37 374, ppa@ppa.sk, www.ppa.sk

PPA inzerat 2021 ENG 160x97.indd 2

07.10.21 18:42

The Chemkostav team

EME Outlook issue 44 | 83

CHEMKOSTAV supplies retail chain, which was the first one to be built in Slovakia.

“The project was also complicated

by COVID-19 restrictions, especially taking into account German-based clients and investors who could not visit the site. The building has a floor

EME OUTLOOK: CAN YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR CAREER AND CHEMKOSTAV’S ORIGINS? Tibor Mačuga, CEO and Chairman of the Board: “Since my youth, I had always known that I wanted to work in the construction sector.

plan of 10,500 square-metres (sqm) including a garden centre and was a uniquely designed project in its own right.”

Chemkostav has a great deal of experience when it comes to designing, constructing and developing large structures in the residential sphere. This can be seen in the firm’s recently completed fouryear contract seeing the completion of 1,800 apartments in ‘Južné mesto’ (South City), Bratislava, forming a residential area consisting of six buildings collectively.

“It is currently being built and will be the largest housing complex in the city, and the construction includes complete infrastructure, engineering

“Following school, I initially was not accepted into university and so I spent a year working for Pozemné stavby - Košice, a construction company, after which I was accepted into higher education. Following graduation, I worked a five-year stint at Pozemné stavby - Prešov, and became head of the department at Tesla Stropkov, and in this position, I was responsible for design, construction, and the investment of projects.

“Thereafter, I started my own business in the Czech Republic where I focused on supplying labour, and then in 1996 together with partners - we founded PSJ – Chemkostav, while turning our attention to Slovakia as a turnkey construction contractor. 2003 saw our separation from co-owner PSJ Holding Jihlava, with Chemkostav becoming the company we know today.

‘Tri veže’ (Three Towers) project, Bratislava

“I have been with the firm since the start, and it has been a privilege to watch it grow.”

Jußnā mesto, zĘna B1, Bratislava

84 | EME Outlook issue 44

CONSTRUCTION

Ržchlostn† cesta R2 Zvolen vžchod - PstruÁa

Staromestsk† office Bratislava

Rezidencia pri radnici KoÁice

“THE GOAL IN THE COMING YEARS IS TO LOOK TO RECRUIT SKILLED INDIVIDUALS INTO THE COMPANY’S FOLD SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO GROW A TEAM WITH A STRONG MARK OF QUALITY, AND ONE THAT WE ARE UNDOUBTEDLY PROUD OF” – TIBOR MAČUGA, CEO, CHEMKOSTAV networks and transport connections,” Mačuga elaborates. “It has been a demanding project with regards to quality, but that is what we pride ourselves on, after all.

“Then there is also our ‘Tri veže’ (Three Towers) project in Bratislava.

At the time of construction, it was one of the largest buildings in the capital and remains one of the most dominant structures in the city. In the infrastructure construction sphere, the largest project we have built is ‘Čistá Torysa’ (Clear Torysa) in the East Slovak region, where about 400

kilometres of sewerage and water pipelines were laid, several dozen wastewater treatment plants and pumping stations were built, and up to 35 municipalities were connected to a shared network.”

“At the same time, we want the company to be stable across the region,” he continues. “By gradually building Chemkostav according to these aims, we no longer hold ourselves to ambitions of such growth and expansion in volume, but instead we aim to maintain and develop our quality services and cultivate a better company image.

“The goal in the coming years is to look to recruit skilled individuals into the company’s fold so that we can continue to grow a team with a strong mark of quality, and one that we are undoubtedly proud of.”

With this in the works, Chemkostav’s vision of the years beyond will include collaborating with universities across the country to help build the potential of young talent in the sector for the construction and development of a future Slovakia.

BUILDING INTO THE FUTURE The future of Slovakian construction continues to look promising. For Mačuga, the running goal of the firm has always been the idea of making Chemkostav a medium-sized company that is able to respond flexibly to the market demands.

Tel: +421 56 688 0811 chemkostav@chemkostav.eu www.chemkostav.eu

EME Outlook issue 44 | 85

SLOVMAG, A.S. LUBENÍK

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MINING

We speak to Milan Kvetko, Commercial Director of SLOVMAG, a.s. Lubeník, about enhancing the handling and processing of refractories in Slovakia Writer: Jack Salter | Project Manager: Thomas Arnold

MATERIALS TO HANDLE THE HEAT

A 60-year-long tradition of shaped refractories production, as well as vast experience with the diverse chemical, mechanical and thermal conditions in furnaces of various types, helps us to provide our customers with the most suitable refractory solutions,” opens Milan Kvetko, Commercial Director of SLOVMAG, a.s. Lubeník (SLOVMAG).

Used in furnaces and kilns, refractory materials must be chemically and physically stable at the highest temperatures.

Of the most important materials used to manufacture refractories, namely the oxides of aluminium, silicium and magnesium, SLOVMAG produces materials on a magnesia basis to be utilised for heat aggregates linings.

Since 2008, SLOVMAG, one of the largest producers of refractory materials in Slovakia, has been a member of Russia’s number one refractories producer, Magnezit Group, who own several factories including the country’s largest refractory brick production facility.

Kvetko adds that the costeffectiveness of the refractories supplied are taken into consideration.

“Our flexibility makes it possible to react even to our customers’ most specific refractory requests.

Our R&D in new products helps our customers to prolong the lifespan of refractory linings in their furnaces, thereby increasing their performance whilst creating a safer working environment.”

MADE FROM MAGNESIA The steel industry is the biggest consumer of basic refractory products, which are used to line hightemperature equipment.

Operating its own magnesite mine, processing and manufacturing facility, SLOVMAG’s product portfolio for the steel sector includes a line of magnesia, magnesia-chromite and magnesia-carbon shaped bricks, EME Outlook issue 44 | 87

SLOVMAG, A.S. LUBENÍK

MAGNESIA-BASED REFRACTORY MATERIALS

SLOVMAG produces magnesiabased refractory materials, which can be utilised in: FERROUS METALLURGY Refractory products on a magnesia basis can be utilised in steel-making heat aggregates linings.

NON-FERROUS METALLURGY Products for non-ferrous metallurgy include bricks and mortars for copper, lead, zinc and nickel heat aggregates production. They can be used in anode furnaces, converters, drum furnaces, flash smelting furnaces, and more.

CEMENT INDUSTRY Refractory materials can be utilised here in the burning and transiting zones of cement rotary kilns. Products for this sector enable linings to adjust to certain conditions and temperatures in accordance with thermal zones and rotary kiln diameters.

LIME INDUSTRY Available in rotary and shaft kilns, magnesia-based refractories for this sector can be utilised for lime burning heat aggregates linings.

STORAGE HEATERS SECTOR Magnesia brick can preserve heat in the heating systems of block storage heaters.

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supplemented by unshaped mixes and mortars.

Although refractories aren’t visible as a final product, they are part of the production process in many industries. As such, there are more than 550 shaped products with different physical properties and chemical compositions across SLOVMAG’s entire portfolio, which also caters for non-ferrous metallurgic, cement, lime and storage heating applications.

“We can produce these products in approximately 2,000 various shapes, and the portfolio is complemented by almost 200 different bulk products,” reveals Kvetko. “Linings for the production of steel, lime, cement and non-ferrous metals cannot perform without our bricks.

“The unshaped products, made of dead-burned magnesia and various additives, include ramming and gunning mixes, mortars and filling mixes. In addition, we can flexibly adapt to specific customer requirements and create the required quality for them, thus expanding our production portfolio.”

A few years ago, SLOVMAG achieved FAMI-QS certification, the worldwide Quality and Feed Safety Management System for the sector of Specialty Feed Ingredients, before penetrating the caustic calcined magnesia market, which is used as an additive in agricultural compound feed or industrial fertilisers.

“We consider customer satisfaction as the most important condition for the long-term success of our company,” Kvetko emphasises. “This is why we do our best to manufacture high-quality products and to support them with high-level technical solutions and services.”

iCargo Since iCargo’s establishment in 2006, the company provided transportations of refractory products for SLOVMAG, a.s. Lubeník.

After years of cooperation, as our relationships have strengthened, we have become like one team.

We always try to choose the best transportation methods, which suits SLOVMAG’s needs, specific requests, and destination, while taking into consideration transportation time and costs.

We carried out transportations from China, where we used ship container transportation to European seaport, and then the transport continued by railway to the final destination. We are also able to transport goods by the intra-European waterway.

For example, we used the Danube to transport goods to Slovak port Komarno and then the railway to Lubenik. We transport the SLOVMAG production by railway to former CIS countries, like Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan.

Furthermore, we carried out container transportations to the USA, or railway transportation to the European countries.

We handled the challenging Justin-time system transportations for SLOVMAG when the furnaces in Norilsk, the city beyond the Arctic Circle, were in reconstruction. It was necessary to transport the goods by railway to port on Yenisey river, which is navigable only during a short period in the summer.

For 15 years, we have been trying to contribute to the success of SLOVMAG, a.s. Lubeník in the world.

GLOBAL FOOTPRINT SLOVMAG delivers products to countries around the world, predominantly in the European Union, Eastern Europe as well as the likes of

www.icargo.sk

OUR SERVICES TO YOUR SUCCESS

SERVICES

Forwarding experts working for you • Preparation of customised proposals for the transport of goods • Finding an effective solution for the client • Types of transportation: - Rail transport - rail cars shipment or logistics trains - International truck shipment - Combined transport rail/road - Oversea container transport - Oversea conventional shipping

With our many years of experience, we are your partner for tailor-made logistics solutions through the primary use of rail transportation to full logistics solutions.

• Tracking of cargo, informing clients about the location and the estimated delivery date • We always seek the most cost-effective and technologically advantageous solution for our customers tailored to their needs • Enviroment-friendly transportation: our goal is to get as many goods as possible on the railway, but it must be economically beneficial for our customers • We are able to transport a wide range of commodities,for example raw materials, chemical goods, machinery products, by different types of transporting like bulk cargo, liquid cargo, palletized cargo, etc.

Head Office: Jašíkova 2, 821 03 Bratislava, Slovakia | E office@icargo.sk | www.icargo.sk

SLOVMAG, A.S. LUBENÍK the Balkans, Turkey, US and the Middle East.

As the company’s product range covers several industrial territories, SLOVMAG’s business partnerships consist of both long-term and short-term contracts for many sub-contractors, whether they are smaller or bigger companies in the region. The supply chain is managed centrally, with most suppliers located in Slovakia and some relationships

spanning over 20 years.

“We have verified suppliers, but we also establish cooperation with new contractors,” Kvetko outlines.

“Stable cooperation, high-quality products and services in our business network ultimately create a symbiosis of successful outcomes for all participants.”

For several years now, SLOVMAG has been significantly addressing the renewal and modernisation of its

AT A GLANCE SLOVMAG’S ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES

COMMERCIAL-TECHNICAL SERVICE: - Design of furnace lining shapes and selection of proper refractory materials.

- Preparation of technical documentation.

- Engineering supervision.

LOGISTICS: The role of the logistics department is to ensure the transportation of refractory materials (by rail, truck, vessel and air) according to the requirements of external and internal customers. Other activities connected with logistics include delivery preparation for customs control, and the purchase of strategic raw materials.

RESEARCH AND LABORATORY: SLOVMAG’s own laboratory has special equipment to provide chemical analysis and relevant physical and thermomechanical properties.

GRAVEL AND AGGREGATE: Dolomite is a by-product resulting from extraction and magnesite ore processing. After extraction, the dolomite is separated, then crushed and graded for various fractions.

FEED PRODUCT: Caustic calcined magnesia is used as an additive for feed compound and industrial fertilisers. As a rich source of magnesium, it is available for livestock and vegetable production.

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production facilities and premises.

Despite the challenges surrounding COVID-19, this hasn’t stopped SLOVMAG from investing in new equipment to enhance the handling and processing of materials.

Existing presses have been overhauled, whilst new presses, press moulds, a CNC milling machine and chamber hardening furnace have been purchased to support the company’s expanding product portfolio, satisfy specific customer requirements, as well as increase flexibility and independence from external service providers.

“We are continuing to modernise the laboratory with new vibrating mills, muffle furnaces and a benchtop spectrometer to make the work in the laboratory more efficient,” adds Kvetko. “A new drilling rig in our mining operation will also reduce the financial burden of repairs whilst ensuring safety and efficiency in the extraction of raw materials.”

Last year, SLOVMAG trialled the operation of an automatic measuring system (AMS) for measuring emissions that occur in shaft furnaces during the firing of magnesite raw material. At the treatment plant centre, the company replaced two dedusting devices to ensure the reduction of solid pollutants in the working environment by returning the

MINING

“WE CONSIDER CUSTOMER SATISFACTION AS THE MOST IMPORTANT CONDITION FOR THE LONG-TERM SUCCESS OF OUR COMPANY” – MILAN KVETKO, COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR, SLOVMAG, A.S. LUBENÍK dust collected back to the production process.

Meanwhile, the launch of a project to modernise the preparation of pressing materials, which involves the introduction of automatic dosing and mixing of materials, is close to completion. This will reduce the consumption of raw materials,

“In connection with this, we want to set up and put into operation a packaging line that will reduce the physical demands of the storing and packaging process, whilst increasing the protection of products,” Kvetko says.

“The priority for this year and the following year is also the reconstruction of the tunnel kiln in order to improve the firing quality of our core products.”

Kvetko notes that, due to high transport costs, imports from the likes of China fell sharply and demand for complete products from the European market increased, boosting demand for SLOVMAG’s products as a result.

“As we have invested a lot in recent years, we have also raised our production capacity and can receive more orders. Although demand has increased, we want to continue to meet the requirements of our customers and ensure the quality of our products,” continues Kvetko.

“Specifically, we want to sharpen sales of fired products such as magnesia-spinel bricks to the lime industry, as we have invested heavily in new moulds for special shaft kilns for firing lime.”

Though there is ongoing unpredictability in the market and the world, Kvetko hopes that SLOVMAG will succeed in fulfilling its main goals.

“We also want to raise sales of magnesia-chromite bricks for the non-ferrous metallurgic production of copper and lead. In addition, one of our priorities is the diversification of MgO-C bricks into the steel industry,” he concludes.

electricity, and the emission of solid pollutants.

BOOSTED DEMAND The introduction of robotics, with future investments to be tailored towards an enhanced extraction capacity, is part of SLOVMAG’s ongoing strategy.

SLOVMAG, A.S. LUBENÍK Tel: +4215 84 81 11 11 marketing@slovmag.sk www.slovmag.sk

EME Outlook issue 44 | 91

SOHAR STONES

Jamie McTaggart, General Manager

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MINING

QUARRYING FOR QUALITY IN OMAN

Aggregates are used in a variety of applications across global industry. We speak to Jamie McTaggart, General Manager at Sohar Stones LLC, about the company’s operations and expansion in the Oman region Writer: Marcus Kääpä | Project Manager: Thomas Arnold

S

ituated south-west of Saudi Arabia and neighbouring Yemen, Oman is known for its part in many vast industries, such as oil and gas refining, and its substantial mining operations.

Mining in Oman is largely divided into the areas of metals and bulk mining, while its location in the Middle East allows it to access multiple growing markets and economies, for instance, Southeast Asia. For Jamie McTaggart, General Manager at Sohar Stones LLC (Sohar Stones) - a leading producer and supplier of aggregates both locally and internationally, Oman has become home to a significant number of quarrying operations, which in turn has benefitted the region considerably.

“These operations have made Sohar Stones a key player in the supply of aggregates to Qatar over the last four years, including several significant investments strengthening our position in the market,” he begins. “Surprisingly, during the last two years with COVID-19 having EME Outlook issue 44 | 93

SOHAR STONES created worldwide disruption, we have experienced very little impact on our aggregate export business.

Our export volumes have remained consistent with Sohar Port managing their operations efficiently and uninterrupted.

“We have definitely seen some big changes in the local market which contributes to around 10 percent of our business. Now the vaccination

AT A GLANCE SOHAR STONES PROJECTS Sohar Stones has a reputation for high-quality aggregates in both Qatar and Oman. The company’s quarry was one of the first operations in the area and has supplied many of the key projects in the region, including Sohar Port Expansion Project, Hamad International Airport Qatar, Batinah Expressway and many other key projects in the GCC, such as: • Asian Beach Games Project – Oman • Sohar Industrial Area Phase Seven - Sohar Oman • Shinas Port Expansion Project - Oman • Liwa Plastics Project - Oman • Batinah Sea Protection Works - Oman • Al Ain Industrial Area Nael Cement - UAE • Gate Primary Minerals Company - Qatar • Qatar Primary Minerals Company - Qatar • Al Jaber Engineering - Qatar

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programme in Oman has significantly progressed, we are starting to see projects starting up and a marginal increase in our local sales volumes in the company.”

SOHAR STONES Sohar Stones is part of the Badr Investment Group LLC (Badr). The group has been established for over 20 years and was formally known as Ali & Abdul Karim Group Co. LLC. Through Badr, Sohar Stones provides high quality crushed rock aggregates in a variety of grades for use in concrete and asphalt products, as well as supplying sub-base, fill materials and armour rock to the market.

“We pride ourselves on our diverse portfolio and international reputation made possible by our innovation, drive and a dedicated workforce of over 800 staff in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region,” Jamie says. “We supply a range of high-quality gabbro aggregates for the asphalt and concrete industry in various grades to suit our customers’ requirements, with safety and quality at the forefront of all our operations.

“Our quarrying operations are situated deep in the mountains of the Sohar region and strategically

located near Sohar Port to fulfil our export requirements. Our main client in Qatar, Gate Primary Materials Company (GPMC), manage the export operations from Sohar port to Messied Port in Qatar.”

Sohar Stones has been operating since 2006 and has supplied a significant volume of aggregates and rock in the development of Sohar’s infrastructure and its port, as well as exporting the majority of its production to Qatar.

CONSTRUCTING A CAREER Jamie started his career in 1989 following college, after which he joined Tilcon Ltd (Tilcon) based in the north of England as a young trainee.

At that time, Tilcon was one of the leading producers and suppliers of building materials, including aggregates, ready mixed concrete and asphalt throughout the UK. “Throughout my 17 years with Tilcon and then later Tarmac Ltd after an acquisition in 1999 by Anglo American, I gained experience in all aspects of the industry, finally settling in the quarry management side of the business where I found my true passion,” he explains. “I had always had ambitions of working overseas,

MINING

General Engineering Services LLC (GENSERV)

A LEADING ENGINEERING SERVICES COMPANY SINCE 1982!

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and in 2006 when an opportunity arose with Lafarge Middle East for a significant two-year limestone quarrying operation to supply a large oil and gas project in Ras Laffan, my bags were packed and I finally left the UK for Qatar.

“After completion of the Qatar project, in 2008 I accepted an opportunity to lead the quarrying business for Fujairah Bulk Shipping LLC (FBS) as General Manager in the UAE. FBS was owned by Pacific Basin Shipping and the Government of Fujairah and was initially a trading business exporting rock and aggregates to Qatar.”

The company grew rapidly and in 2009 Jamie was promoted to Chief Operating Officer managing two large gabbro quarries, an export business and a land reclamation project requiring over 57 million tonnes of rock supplied from the quarrying business.

WHAT ARE AGGREGATES? Aggregates are granular materials that are used, for example in the construction and building industry and are predominantly applied in the production of both concrete and asphalt.

Alternatively, aggregates are often used for base courses for roads, pipe bedding, drainage, water filtration and a multitude of other uses throughout the construction industry and become a very important and versatile resource for worldwide use.

EME Outlook issue 44 | 95

SOHAR STONES

EME OUTLOOK: CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF YOUR STAFF AND SUPPLY CHAIN? Jamie McTaggart, General Manager: “The key to any successful business is the staff. At Sohar Stones we are fortunate to have a dedicated and hardworking team, and it is this dedication that ensures our business goals are achieved and our company continues to grow. Sohar Stones has also secured key suppliers for our critical spares and parts for our crushers and heavy equipment, locally in Oman and as far as South Africa and the UK. “Hardrock Quarry Solutions is one of these suppliers. Located in South Africa, they have proved invaluable in the supply of quality wear parts for our processing equipment. Providing a cost-effective solution, as well as extending the life of our parts, in turn reduces downtime in our operations.

“Genserv is another key supplier of spare parts for our growing fleet of heavy equipment. Sohar Stones have recently purchased two excavators including a Volvo EC750 and EC480 for face loading and quarry development, as well as two Volvo L150 wheel loaders for sales loading.

Genserv also provide a service contract to ensure these machines are operational 24/7.

“Sourcing quality spares for our equipment is key to maintaining our high plant availability and ensuring we continue to meet our production targets.

“Currently, shipping items from any location worldwide is challenging and we experienced delays over the last 12 months, so it’s critical our procurement and maintenance team plan ahead and maintain a healthy stock of critical parts in our on-site warehouse facility.”

“I left FBS after four years and was appointed Country Operations Manager in Azerbaijan for Aztikitiyol, who are a leading supplier of aggregates and asphalt with multiple operations strategically located throughout the country,” he continues. “During my time in Azerbaijan I recruited an international operations team who successfully designed, installed and commissioned several aggregate and asphalt plants in the country, as well as providing materials to key projects including sports stadiums for the Baku 2015 European Games.”

Jamie has since worked in various senior operational roles in the quarrying and mining business in continents including Asia, Australia, Africa and Europe, before joining Sohar Stones in January 2020. And over the course of his career, Jamie has had the privilege of watching the industry, and Sohar Stones itself, grow and develop.

MINING

“WE PRIDE OURSELVES ON OUR DIVERSE PORTFOLIO AND INTERNATIONAL REPUTATION MADE POSSIBLE BY OUR INNOVATION, DRIVE AND A DEDICATED WORKFORCE” – JAMIE MCTAGGART, GENERAL MANAGER, SOHAR STONES LLC

GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT This company growth stems from the continual investment in its services to better its potential. In 2019, Sohar Stones invested in an additional processing plant to double its production capacity to over 2.5 million tonnes per annum. Also included in the investment were a fleet of dump trucks to ensure an uninterrupted supply of rock from the quarry to the company’s crushers.

“It was at this time that we significantly increased our export volumes and built upon our reputation

for quality and consistency in the GCC region,” Jamie explains. “Over the next two years we further invested in upgrading our heavy equipment with the purchase of Volvo material handling equipment from its Oman dealer General Engineering Services LLC (Genserv), as well as construction of an on-site workshop facility to ensure maximum plant availability is obtained on all our plants and equipment.”

Sohar Stones is currently looking into a significant investment and expansion plan to increase

its processing capabilities and strengthen the company’s position as one of the leading producers and exporters of rock and aggregates in Oman.

“On top of this expansion, we are reviewing our development plans to ensure we maximise our mineral reserves and ensure our sustainability in the region for many years to come,” Jamie continues. “Our Board of Directors are extremely ambitious and are always on the lookout to grow our business and drive innovation within our operations.”

And these investments fall in line with Sohar Stone’s plans for the coming years.

“As well as the expansion plans to increase its output capacity, the company is continually looking to grow its client base in Oman and considering other overseas opportunities for export,” Jamie affirms. “We have recently begun talking to clients in Bangladesh and we’re looking to strengthen these new relationships in the future.”

SOHAR STONES Tel: +968 2200 4100 enquiry.ss@badrinvest.com www.soharstonesllc.com

EME Outlook issue 44 | 97

THYSSENKRUPP INDUSTRIAL SOLUTIONS MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA

DIGITAL MINING EVOLUTION 98 | EME Outlook issue 44

MINING

We speak to Dr. Wilfred Barkhuizen, CEO of thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions Middle East & Africa, about the company’s delivery of industry plants and systems across countries, and its expanding digitalisation in the field Writer: Marcus Kääpä | Project Manager: Joshua Mann

Compared to other areas in the world, I would say the African continent is probably one of the most challenging environments, but also probably has the most untapped and unexplored minerals deposits globally,” begins Dr. Wilfred Barkhuizen, CEO of thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions Middle East & Africa (thyssenkrupp).

“The long-term outlook for Africa is also very promising, considering the battery minerals and hydrogen potential of the continent.”

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THYSSENKRUPP INDUSTRIAL SOLUTIONS MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA

It is fair to say that the African mining sector is an exciting place to operate within. thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions is a business segment of thyssenkrupp, an international group of companies comprising largely independent industrial and technology businesses.

In collaboration with its customers, thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions is a leading partner for the engineering, construction and service of industrial plants and systems. Top-quality solutions and a global network ensure the delivery of efficiency, reliability and sustainability over the entire life cycle of each project, and set benchmarks in terms of value added and resource-friendly technologies.

“We deliver such projects across multiple countries, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, South Africa, Egypt and Morocco,” Barkhuizen informs us. “Our mining business, with around 3,500 employees, is distributed with offices around the globe in all the major mining hubs.

“We partner with our clients who range from the largest mining companies in the world to the junior miners.

Our product focus is on comminution (crushing and grinding), materials handling and providing state of the art digitalisation and automation solutions. Our products are supported by our international service network, including 12 service centres around the globe with very unique manufacturing and machining capabilities.”

LEADING WITH TECHNOLOGY For thyssenkrupp Mining Technologies, digitalisation offers great potential for improving process efficiency and competitiveness in engineering, on both the construction site and in services. New and innovative solutions such as digital twins or Building Information Modelling (BIM) are much in demand and are elements of operation that place companies ahead of the competition in the space.

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Continental Conveying Solutions Continental is the most comprehensive, high-performance conveyor belt systems provider in the world.

We offer a wide range of products, services and technologies for mining and industrial applications. Our fullservice capabilities include planning and commissioning, technical advice, training, digital monitoring and on-site maintenance for the life of the conveyor operation.

Dr. Wilfred Barkhuizen

EME OUTLOOK: HOW DID YOU COME TO WORK IN THE MINING SECTOR? Dr. Wilfred Barkhuizen, CEO: “I started my career at the underground platinum mines in Rustenburg. Thereafter I joined Joy Global, now part of Komatsu Mining Corp, mostly focussing on life cycle management for opencast mining equipment.

“During that stage of my career I wanted to get closer to engineering and product design and joined thyssenkrupp in 2004 as an electrical and electronic engineer for cement plant and mining projects, and during the next 17 years with thyssenkrupp I was fortunate to be exposed to engineering design and implementation, operations and business development in the mining industry.

“I only realised later in my career that I did not specifically pick the mining industry, but the mining industry fascinated me, offering me all the challenges and inspiration I looked for in an engineering career.”

As your global innovation and development partner, we strengthen mining, mineral processing and construction projects around the world. We do this by exceeding your specific needs and requirements.

That’s because we push the boundaries of what’s possible by developing solutions for tomorrow’s challenges.

Continental develops pioneering technologies and services for sustainable and connected mobility of people and their goods. Founded in 1871, the technology company offers safe, efficient, intelligent, and affordable solutions for vehicles, machines, traffic and transportation.

In 2020, Continental generated sales of €37.7 billion and currently employs around 233,000 people in 58 countries and markets. In 2021, the company celebrates its 150th anniversary.

www.continental-industry.com

Continental Conveying Solutions Continental is partnering with numerous Original Equipment Manufacturers around the globe, pushing the limits of what is possible with every single project.

We provide our customers with the highest value, quality and record-breaking solutions, including conveyor belts, accessories and components, corresponding services and digital solutions for predictive maintenance and process monitoring.

All while putting sustainability at the center of what we do. This is how we help our customers and their customers to improve performance, increase uptime while reducing the environmental impact – no matter where in the world they are.

Sustainable Engineering done together – today.

www.continental-industry.com R

THYSSENKRUPP INDUSTRIAL SOLUTIONS MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA

“We offer products with future technology through our skilled and experienced teams today, and alongside continuous service support as close as possible to our client’s locations,” Barkhuizen tells us. “In most instances our products are market leaders, and therefore are normally part of the critical process streams in minerals processing plants which also demands the highest level of agility from our service teams.

“We have a strong focus on digitalisation and sustainable solutions, and our In Pit Crushing and Conveying (IPCC) systems and innovative application of High Pressure Grinding Rolls (HPGR) technology in process design, are just some of the examples to showcase our green technology.”

Along with the engineering and process know-how of the

company’s engineers and its digital competencies, thyssenkrupp Mining Technologies combines decades of experience from the worldwide installation of thousands of plants and machines with state-of-the-art data-based solutions. To increase the availability and productivity of plants and processes the main levers are identified to offer customers suitable solutions. This is what the company calls ‘Digitalised Expertise’.

“Being a technology driven company, we aim to continuously improve our products through technological advances and incorporating experience gained from our numerous global installations,” Barkhuizen affirms. “At the top of this list is also our new Eccentric Rolls Crusher (ERC®) and HPGR Pro. The advances on these products will have dramatic effects on plant

ADVANTAGE THROUGH DIGITALISATION thyssenkrupp’s digital products and services cover two main areas: evaluate and predict, and automate and optimise. Within evaluate and predict, the company combines solutions such as drone inspections, remote maintenance, or performance and conditioning monitoring. In this way, individual components and complete industrial plants can be monitored and their operations analysed over their entire life cycle – from the initial idea to development, production, use, maintenance, and recycling. Condition-based predictions allow preventive measures to be taken, malfunctions avoided, and both availability and productivity significantly increased.

Meyerton Engineering Meyerton Engineering (Pty) Ltd is a highly established mild steel and stainless steel fabricator. This family business was found in 1980 and has flourished over the last 41 years both nationally and internationally. Their mission is to provide customers with professional technical support and reliable products.

Over the years the company has not only expanded to a 33 000 metresquared site but also in its capabilities to service the ever increasingly demanding market place. Their scope of supply has broadened over the years covering diverse environments including chemical, mining, power generation, air pollution control, iron, steel and aluminium production to name but a few. There are dedicated workshops for steel fabrication, with the capacity of around 250 – 300 tonnes per month and all painting and blasting is done in-house.

Meyerton Engineering prides themselves in many high standard certifications such as a Level two B-BBEE, ISO 45001:2018, ISO 3834-2, and ISO 3834 and ISO 45001. Coupled with working hard to maintain these high quality standards, Meyerton Engineering believes in investing in its employees through the provision of on-going training on a regular basis.

Meyerton Engineering has a high esteem for their client base as they are reliable and play a pivotal role to the success of their company.

Automate and optimise comprises solutions for automated operations, for example fully automated storage systems, remote-controlled ship unloaders and bucket wheel excavators, or digital inventory management. These solutions help to increase the productivity and safety of plant and machinery while simultaneously reducing operating costs.

Digitalisation brings a major innovative boost for the plants and machinery of thyssenkrupp’s customers in the chemical, fertiliser, mining, cement and other industries — and this leads to higher performance and product quality. While production and technologies used to be the main focus, the development of service offerings will play an increasingly important role in the future. This opens up enormous potential for both plant manufacturers and plant operators alike.

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www.meyertoneng.co.za

Mild & Stainless Steel Fabricators

• • • • • • • • • •

Rotary Kilns Hoppers Scrubbers Cyclones Fan Casing Bag Filters Precipitator Filters Ducting Stackers Feeders

• • • • • • • • • •

Vessels Rakes Distributors Reclaimers Storage Tanks Double Bunded Tanks Pressure Vessels Structural Steel Chutes Liners

www.meyertoneng.co.za

Manufacturing Excellence.

THYSSENKRUPP INDUSTRIAL SOLUTIONS MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA

Zengear Azispex trading as Zengear identified a shortage of key skills in the South African and African mining, process and materials handling markets leading us to establish a team of skilled competent atrisans and profesionals, including, but not limited to alignment, bearing and gearbox specialists. Our primary goal is to service value into these industries by reducing project lead times, increase equipment uptime, reliability and reduce downtime.

Zengear have established strategic partnerships with leading OEMs i.e.

Thyssen Krupp Industrial Solutions to achieve our goals. Zengear belives in customer satisfaction, there is always room for improvement and scope for growth. We pride ourselves in the assistance with any request or problem our clients might have.

www.zengear.co.za

Testing facility

throughput and performance and will open the opportunities for innovative process flow sheet design, due to the capabilities of these products.

Together with the digitalisation and automation products, there is an exciting outlook for the ‘mine of the future’.”

EXPANSION AND DEVELOPMENT As part of its plan to grow its services, thyssenkrupp has focused investment on the aforementioned digital side of service, but also its multiple sites and facilities, in order to move forward as the optimum choice for industrial

EME OUTLOOK: CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE COMPANY’S SUCCESS? Dr. Wilfred Barkhuizen, CEO: “Simply put, our companies’ employees are critical to our business. Their capabilities, expertise and reputation are well known in the industry, the sought-after skills of our employees is the reason why we are seen as a technology leader in the industry.

“The necessity of a unique, skilled and agile team that can swiftly adapt to industry changes is core to success. With teams such as ours we are able to come up with innovative solutions to often complicated engineering challenges and stay ahead of the industry.

“We create partnerships with our clients and suppliers to ensure the sustainability of the whole value chain of the solutions we offer to clients.”

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plant and system projects in the mining space.

“The main service hub for Africa was established in 2008 in South Africa, to service the large population of HPGRs within the continent,” Barkhuizen explains. “During the last decade, our service centre in Chloorkop has continuously grown and expanded its capabilities to service and refurbish our complete product range.

“In November of 2018 we opened our training academy; a location at which we develop exceptional skills in Africa. We aim to produce the best artisans for the continent, we are registered with merSETA, and following a 36-month training period related to grinding, crushing and materials handling equipment, our apprentices qualify as fitters, turner machinists and boilermakers. We are very proud of them all.”

On top of this, thyssenkrupp opened service outposts in

MINING

Providing field services and engineering solutions to industry specifications.

Specialized gearbox and bearings services.

Design Machining Drive solutions On site alignment Consulting Field services Process equipment Drive train assembly and installation

zengearengineering Jody Germishuizen +27 71 402 1465

www.zengear.co.za

Magde-Mari Delport +27 66 300 5576

jody@zengear.co.za maggie@zengear.co.za

FACILITATING CHANGE Moving forward, thyssenkrupp is targeting a growth strategy in the next few years as a result of many opportunities presenting themselves in the market, as well as pursuing innovative approaches to seeing company services engage closely with clients.

“There is definitely a focus on our digitalisation and automation products as well,” Barkhuizen says.

“This is with a specific goal to show clients that they can optimise plant performance and lower operating costs through this optimisation.”

Inside the Service Centre Mozambique, Zambia and Ghana, highlighting the company’s ambitions and aims for growth in the places where its services are most in demand.

“For the Middle East and Africa region we have also established a service centre in Turkey,” Barkhuizen informs us. “Backed with highquality products and customised

technological solutions, the Turkish service centre enabled us to meet our customers where they are.

“With commitment and highly skilled personnel, this service centre is also capable to manufacture and service a wide range of thyssenkrupp products, and we already see that this is producing a positive impact for both us and the customers in the region.”

Tel: 010 215 6300 info.tkissa@thyssenkrupp.com www.thyssenkrupp-industrial-solutions.co.za

EME Outlook issue 44 | 105

TOLY GROUP

50 YEARS IN BEAUTY Andy Gatesy, CEO and Chairman of Toly Group, tells us about the company’s origins beginning with his father, and the people-centric nature of the business that has not changed to this day Writer: Marcus Kääpä | Project Manager: Matthew Taylor

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MANUFACTURING and Chairman of the group, Gatesy has - and continues to - carry these family values, ensuring that they exist throughout the business.

“We are celebrating 50 years in Malta this year, it’s quite the milestone!”

Gatesy announces proudly. “Our heritage stems from the production of compacts for products like face powders, blushers and eyeshadows; that’s how it started. But all these decades later we are able to offer packaging solutions across the whole makeup category as well as those classic products we started with.

“Through our wide network of partners, we have the ability to offer complementary technologies in the beauty space, such as custom fragrance caps and skincare packs, and we have built our business serving the large legacy brands across the industry.”

FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS TO A GLOBAL LEADER

We are in the beauty industry, leading with quality, innovation and family at heart - that’s our makeup.”

In 1956, a Hungarian man by the name of Dr. Zoli Gatesy left his country of birth for the UK. A toolmaker by trade, Zoli’s entrepreneurial spirit led him to establish a toolmaking and injection moulding business 10 years later. While looking for suitable manufacturing locations he turned his attention to Malta, where he founded Toly Products in 1971; the foundation of an internationally spanning business that exists today.

For Toly Group (Toly), the wholesome family core of the company has not changed since its infancy, but rather grown with the mantle of leadership having been taken up by Zoli’s son, Andy Gatesy, in 1991 – a position that he still holds. As the current CEO

Toly remains a privately owned company with a continuous focus on the beauty industry, and one that has expanded internationally in recent years, consequently diversifying its product base to include makeup, skincare, fragrance and promotional packaging. Toly’s services also include Toly Research, Toly Design Studio, manufacturing and a full-service solution designated to speed-tomarket, ultimately giving each Toly customer a unique experience.

“In 1990, Toly was approached by a large legacy brand - Chanel - to invest in a new plastic coating technology for a high gloss resistant surface,” Gatesy says. “Originally, we were a good manufacturer with a competitive advantage and great quality, but we didn’t have state-ofthe-art technology at the time. This investment and partnership with Chanel really changed our business; it was a real turning point in our company history.”

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TOLY GROUP

“WE ARE VERY PROUD TO HAVE MOVED FORWARD SO SUCCESSFULLY WHILE HAVING RETAINED THE VALUES THAT MY FATHER LAID DOWN SINCE TOLY’S BEGINNING” - ANDY GATESY, CEO AND CHAIRMAN, TOLY GROUP And for Gatesy, Toly’s history means more than just the development of a company, it is the legacy of a dedicated founder and father.

“Unfortunately, my dad passed away in 1991,” Gatesy reflects. “I took over as CEO and Chairman at 27 years old; I was young and at the head of a company during a critical growth period. We were at around the six-million-euro mark when it came to business value, but over time we have grown, our team has worked hard and two years ago we reached the 100-million-euro mark working with 29 out of 30 top beauty brands worldwide.

“We are very proud to have moved forward so successfully while retaining the values that my father laid down since Toly’s beginning.”

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STAFF-CENTRIC BUSINESS Despite the overall success of Toly, the past two years has been a challenge for the company, and indeed the wider sector. By the nature of its business in the beauty industry - one that focuses on marketing image and presence – the worldwide impact stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic has been substantial.

“Over the course of the pandemic it was fragrances and cosmetics that were most impacted,” Gatesy explains. “If you think about it, the reason is quite simple. People wear makeup and dress up when they head out to the office, or to a party, or out for dinner, and when people were stuck at home during lockdown these activities became non-existent for the most part.

TOLY GROUP CORE VALUES: PEOPLE Toly is a people company with a strong family spirit. Toly is a way of life.

PASSION Toly is passionate about work, passionate about its people and passionate about packaging.

PRIDE Toly has an enormous sense of ambition and pride in seeing its people develop, the company develop, and its products being used by the world’s leading brands.

CREATIVITY Innovation is in Toly’s DNA. The company aims to be the most creative company in packaging.

These products are either produced in company factories or through Toly’s global network of trading partners.

Fire Safety Security Servicing

99 Mill Street, Qormi, Malta | (00356) 2278 5200

firetech.com.mt

TOLY GROUP “Face masks didn’t help either, covering half of the face, especially as wearing less makeup was better for mask cleanliness. Last year our business was impacted around 17 percent top line, and to combat the decline caused by COVID-19 we worked together. Everybody at Toly, from management down, made salary sacrifices, and brought these back up to 100 percent over time.”

By doing so, Toly protected the employment of its staff and kept its people safe. For Gatesy, the company’s manufacturing plants in Asia provided the business with the advantage of foresight.

“Our plants in Asia were hit by the impacts of the pandemic first, so we were able to learn and adapt early on and apply these teachings throughout the company as COVID-19 spread internationally,” he tells us.

President George Abela

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EME Outlook: Can you tell us about the President of Malta’s visit to the company factory?

Andy Gatesy, CEO and Chairman: “We are very proud that the company has been operating in Malta for 50 years, and because of this we are an important stakeholder in the success of the country; Malta is small after all, so we are well-established here.

“Initially during the pandemic, we could not host a party as we wished, so we had multiple government figureheads visit the company, and the President of Malta also visited our factory in person.

“This was great because by profession he is a family doctor based in the village next door to where the factory is, so when he walked through the factory, everybody gave him a round of applause and many spoke to him as they knew him personally or through relatives. This is how Malta differs from other places because everything is connected, and even at the highest level of government, people are human, and it provides a great sense of community.

“We spoke to the President about our sustainable packaging and plans for the future, and it was great to have him take a look around a factory that has been a part of Malta for so long.”

Firetech – Let’s play safe!

F

iretech has been providing Fire, Safety and Security services solutions for three decades and is now a successful second generation provider committed to keeping customers safe.

First established by entrepreneur Simon J. Camilleri, Danjela Bianchi, the founder’s daughter, is proof positive that proper succession planning can reap dividends for business as well as family stewardship of assets.

Firetech provides a range of products and services that includes the supply, installation and maintenance of fire protection systems, including fire extinguishing, fire stopping and fire suppression systems; fire alarm systems including detection and control devices; access control, intrusion systems, CCTV, and other security systems; as well as a raft of related products such as hall porters, nurse call systems, gate automation, emergency lighting, safety signs, and queue management systems, amongst others.

The company has developed and deployed information technology systems that underpin a well-trained and motivated team who maintain ISO 9001:2015 accreditation. The management team is committed to systems and methodologies that recognize the importance of Quality, Health, Safety and Protection of the Environment.

Firetech aspires to the highest quality standards in the fire and security industry internationally with a track-record of projects in the region. Clients range from the Malta Police Force to Farsons, Corinthia Group, Valletta Design Cluster, Gap, Tum Invest, Elbros, Trident Park, MCAST and not forgetting Toly!

Nobody on the Firetech team ever seeks to rest on their laurels; the company is constantly looking out for the best products available in terms of performance, reliability and value for corporate, hospitality, private or public customers, whether they are at sea or on dry land. Partners include companies such as Siemens, Hochiki, Realtime, BTV, Cortex, FranklinHodge, Visonic, and Everlux, just a small selection of the world class companies who Firetech are proud to be associated with.

Firetech has invested significantly in developing a state-of-the-art workshop to deliver the best service possible.

The main office, warehouse, workshop and showroom is located on the edge of the prestigious Central Business District, opposite HSBC Bank headquarters and a stone’s throw from Bank of Valletta’s administrative centre.

All imported equipment for sale is solely manufactured to the highest BS specifications or equivalent, by ISO or other internationally approved or accredited manufacturers. The Directors visit factories and personally inspect the products.

Firetech further ensures that the products are accepted and approved by the local Fire Service Directorates in the countries in which it operates.

Danjela says: “What we do impacts on people’s lives.

It is vitally important that everyone we come into contact with can rely on us to do things right. We mean what we say and we do what we say.”

99 Mill Street, Qormi, Malta | (00356

99 Mill Street, Qormi, Malta

|

T (00356) 2278 5200 | www.firetech.com.mt

TOLY GROUP

“WE ARE DRIVEN BY OUR CORE VALUES THAT ARE SIMPLE: PEOPLE, PASSION, PRIDE AND CREATIVITY” - ANDY GATESY, CEO AND CHAIRMAN, TOLY GROUP

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MANUFACTURING

A legacy of delivering

Delivering all life’s essentials from wherever, to wherever.

expressgroup.com

RETHINKING MANUFACTURING Toly’s presence spans the globe, with offices in the US (Los Angeles and New York City), Europe (France, Belgium, the UK, and Malta), and Asia (Hong Kong, China and South Korea).

On the manufacturing side, Toly also boasts a 20,000 square-metre factory plant in Malta.

“The plant opened up two years ago and operates with a core focus on sustainability and agility in mind,” Gatesy explains. “Through this factory, we are rethinking manufacturing, and this is a really important aspect of us being a sustainable company.

“We are a plastics manufacturer but also offer glass and paper packaging and have a global network of partners that look into sustainable solutions.

Our joint venture with a partner in Hong Kong offers and promotes paper packaging, and we are always on the lookout for partners who offer sustainable concepts.”

This variation in services and offers

sets Toly apart from the traditional industry models seen in the manufacturing space. It is the company’s vision to create a global beauty product development platform made up of a network of internal capabilities and external partners, in order to form an ecosystem that offers an innovative new full-service.

Toly’s strength lies in its ability to offer its customers not only diverse and sustainable packaging solutions, but also design and branding services, and even audio and visual production to support customers and meet their needs.

At the core of the company, Toly’s vision is to grow from its primary position as a packaging manufacturer to a beauty development platform.

“Our mission is to partner with our customers and world leading brands, as well as new brands, to help them launch and bring their amazing products to the market,” Gatesy adds.

For Gatesy, the company’s purpose

is to make a positive impact on everybody and everything it reaches.

It is the lives that the business impacts and makes better, rather than the money made, that separates Toly from the rest of the industry.

“It’s not about the money and growth,” Gatesy affirms. “If, on our journey forward, we lose our passion, family spirit and soul at the expense of profit and growth, it will be the biggest mistake in the history of our company.

“We are driven by our core values that are simple: people, passion, pride and creativity, and these will remain central to our business in the future as it has been in the past.”

Tel: +356 21693520 info@toly.com www.toly.com

EME Outlook issue 44 | 113

SAVIOLA HOLDING

REGENERATIVE Manufacturing Working solely with 100 percent recycled wood, Saviola Holding and the Composad furniture division embody the circular economy. We peel back the layers with Senior Managing Director, Nicola Negri Writer: Phoebe Harper | Project Manager: Matthew Taylor

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MANUFACTURING

It’s not like recycling a bottle to make another bottle – we take that bottle, and we upcycle it to make a ring of diamonds.”

With an eco-ethical business model centred entirely on the concept of upcycling, Saviola Holdings (Saviola) is a wholly vertically integrated, privately-owned Italian enterprise, specialised in producing quality furniture designs made from 100 percent recycled wood.

“If you really want to save the world, buy our products instead of furniture that involves cutting down new trees.

Every day, we save 10,000 trees,” continues Senior Managing Director at Composad, Nicola Negri.

A later addition to the original Saviola business, Composad was conceived by the company founder Mauro Saviola back in 2000 – an entrepreneur with an innovative view on manufacturing who wasn’t afraid to go against the grain.

Today, the entire Saviola enterprise is composed of four separate business units; wood, chemicals, furniture (Composad), and Saviolife (fertilisers).

As a proudly Italian, privatelyowned company, Saviola marked a significant departure for Negri prior to his experience working for various multi-nationals across Europe – a journey that began within the tyre division of Pirelli in the UK. Despite this, Negri was enticed by the prospect of a new challenge, combined with the company’s unique and forward-thinking stance as an eco-ethical company.

“In 2015, Saviola was already in the new era of sustainability. It was these fundamentals at the company that I found remarkable, and so I decided to take the risk,” Negri tells us.

“The emphasis on eco-technology was the most attractive part of my saying yes to the offer.”

EME Outlook issue 44 | 115

SAVIOLA HOLDING DRIVING THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY ‘Eco-technology’ at Composad represents the company’s greatest differentiator as a furniture manufacturer. This is embodied by the cyclical process used to create the designs, whereby items of furniture are produced centred on quality, design, and beauty, with zero use of virgin wood.

SAVIOLA HOLDINGS – IN NUMBERS

€508

MILLION REVENUE

1,471 EMPLOYEES

1.2

MILLION TONNES OF WOOD RECYCLED EVERY YEAR

6

MILLION READY-TO-ASSEMBLE FURNITURE UNITS MADE EVERY YEAR

850,000 TONNES OF RESIN PRODUCED EVERY YEAR

2.5

MILLION SQUARE METRES OF INDUSTRIAL AREA

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This is where Saviola’s strengths as a robust, fully vertically integrated business come to the fore. It all begins with the sourcing of raw materials.

Composad designs depend entirely on a source of recycled wood, which is provided by Saviola in the form of the particle boards, as the company’s core business.

“Saviola has its own collection system as a strategic part of the company, where we collect wood from around Italy, Switzerland, and France, so we are nearly fully independent in terms of collecting wood,” Negri tells us.

Across the entire chain, united under one single vertical flue of materials, the wood business unit is complimented by Saviola’s chemicals division, where the company produces the resins and glue needed for the particle boards. The only materials outsourced by the company, is the energy required in these processes.

Bratek BRATEK is specialized in the production of chemical products and spraying devices for panel cleaning during edgebanding.

Putting our philosophy into practice meant shaping a product range that ensures a high-quality edgebanding process and less defects waste.

Leading companies, such as Saviola Holding & Composad itself, rely on us in order to face the most challenging aspects of the edgebanding process and to maintain top standards.

Our customers’ trust represents a source of great pride for us and is the result of our constant commitment to customer support.

www.bratek.it

MANUFACTURING

Choosing Bratek means saving your time and money. ✓No more extra cleaning hours ✓Significant defects waste reduction ✓Increase of your edgebanding machine performance

The Never-Ending Quest For Perfection Bratek – Your Edgebanding Experts

GREEN ON GREEN The bespoke furniture that Composad offers exceeds the remit of just recycling, and instead cottons onto the popular trend of upcycling – the means by which materials are reused to create something with a higher value than the original resources.

“The wood that we use was originally cut to make pallets, which is then crushed when the pallet can no longer be used, or we take the window profiles from buildings that are going to be renovated or destroyed, or old furniture,” Negri outlines.

This is then collected by the company and used to make the furniture that is then sold with a far higher market value than the one-euro pallets that comprise the materials.

“We really are green on green – green because its 100 percent recycled wood, and green because of emission-free in logistics,” he comments.

Elaborating on this statement, Negri returns to the added value of the vertically integrated business model that establishes Composad as a highly differentiated company boasting a zero CO2 emissions footprint in terms of the transportation of materials in the production process.

The nexus of these progressive operations is to be found in the rural commune of Viadana – which Negri fondly refers to as ‘Viadanawood’, the woodworker’s version of Hollywood – located between Milan and Bologna.

“Here you will find an incredible conglomerate of these three companies, where we make the glue, the particle boards, and the furniture. So, from a logistical point of view, we have zero carbon emissions,” he explains.

“Working from this one location – unique in the world - is absolutely essential in terms of our fundamentals in using 100 percent recycled wood and our emphasis on zero-emissions.”

www.bratek.it OUT OF THE WOODS For many, the COVID-19 pandemic posed an unprecedented hurdle, particularly considering Italy was one of the first countries to be hit, resulting in a complete halt on all activities across the country during the third week of March 2020, including manufacturing.

“During that week, we couldn’t even deliver what we already had in the warehouse,” Negri recalls.

Yet in terms of navigating crises, Negri came seasoned with experience. This is where his background in multi-nationals provided valuable preparation in establishing the confidence to survive turbulent times.

“Management sat round the table, and we said, guys, this has already happened – it happened in 2009 when the financial crisis hit Europe, and I bring my experience because I have already been through that crisis EME Outlook issue 44 | 117

SAVIOLA HOLDING when sitting in the board of Wavin.”

Indeed, Negri recounted that the UK was the first European country to suffer the impact, with his company’s facilities undergoing a significant financial loss. At that time, the Wavin board identified the need to convince other big companies across Europe that there would be a ripple effect that would see everyone affected.

In anticipation, Negri observed a similar reaction at the outbreak of COVID-19 and acted accordingly.

“At the beginning of COVID-19, we were saying that it was a Chinese affair that wasn’t going to come here, in the same way that we thought the

financial hit was a US affair. We are so integrated these days that whatever happens wherever in the world will surely hit everybody – exactly as it was in 2009.

“We realised that we were never going to be able to convince a generation of managers that this crisis was also going to hit them. Each year there was a focus on how to do more than the previous year so there was no way that you could explain that next year, our budget will be down – management will never accept that. So, first, we had to convince the management that change was coming.”

A PERFECT VISIONARY THE LEGACY OF MAURO SAVIOLA...

Saviola Holdings was conceived in 1963 by Mauro Saviola. With a proudly Italian family heritage, Mauro’s son Alessandro Saviola took the helm of the company following his father’s passing in 2009.

It was the allure or Mauro’s legacy that first attracted Negri to the company, when in 2015 he was approached by Alessandro to come on board and champion its re-direction.

“What interested me so much was the story of the company’s founding in 1963 by Mauro Saviola – the man was a perfect visionary. He dreamed of producing particle boards with 100 percent recycled wood. And in 1973, just 10 years after, he achieved that goal.”

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In preparation, Composad and the wider Saviola group implemented a ‘fire-brigade exercise’, whereby the company outlined three potential scenarios and forecasted the financial impact on the company for each outcome.

“The first - and worst scenario - was that COVID-19 was going to hit us tremendously, and then at the start of 2021 we will be able to recover and start again. Secondly, that it will last until just after the summer of that year, and the third – best scenario -, that we would begin to recover before the summer,” he explains.

“We put down these three scenarios and worked out the cost reductions that we would need to put in place to prepare. Since then, we have been continuously controlling the situation to best understand which scenario was beginning to take reality.

“Once you put down a plan with your imagination, you begin to recognise how far you are from one or the other and take the actions necessary to follow the plan that you have in place.”

The headwinds of the COVID19 pandemic have of course been trialling for the company, with the expected drop in sales that were suffered universally, and with the continuing aftermath of the disruption on worldwide supply chains, which Negri believes is only just starting to be fully realised.

“Due to the length of container queues around the world, it is now that the delays are hitting and the supply chain will become critical particularly for the next two years.”

Indeed, Negri likens the current state of play within supply chains to a boat adrift in the doldrums, simply waiting for the winds to start up again.

“From a supply chain point of view, we have been like a sailboat. When the wind stops, it’s not that the boat stops. At the beginning of last year, there was no major impact and the boat was still going, but it’s really this

MANUFACTURING

“Our claim at Composad is – yes, it’s all true” - Nicola Negri, Senior Managing Director, Saviola Holding year that we are feeling the effects of COVID-19 on the supply chain as the wind drops.”

This presented a particular struggle for Composad, with just 10 percent of the company’s sales based in Italy and the remainder spread worldwide.

Yet, thanks to these pre-emptive management tactics and the advantageous headwinds due to a global shift in consumer behaviour, Composad has been able to emerge from the crisis relatively unscathed.

“Despite our drop in sales in 2020, we were able to re-adapt the company towards that loss. We did this without affecting our immediate EBITDA margin, since this is the figure considered as the most important indicator for stock exchange listed companies.

“This was the target that we put down with all three different scenarios that we prepared for.”

This was also thanks to the advent of remote-working, whereby customers became entirely dependent on home offices.

“From a customer point of view for Composad, staying inside for everyone changed the face of our homes. About 40 percent of our Composad products are in home

offices, so you can imagine what happened to our requests!”

For the years ahead, Composad will focus on refining and improving its existing processes and methods of operation, to continue doing what it already is, but even better.

With an overarching mission to extend the brand’s messaging to the younger generations and communicating Composad’s visionary mission to the end user, Negri will continue to bring the Saviola name out of the woodwork.

“We are not fake news or marginal

– we really make it all of our furniture with absolutely no use of virgin wood,” he concludes.

“Our claim and our new logo at Composad is – yes, it’s all true.”

SAVIOLA HOLDING Tel: +39 0375 7836611 composad@composad.com www.composad.com

EME Outlook issue 44 | 119

ASCO INDUSTRIES

PASSION IN

PRECISION Since 1954, ASCO Industries has thrived as an historic family-owned aerospace engineering business supplying manufacturing of quality Writer: Phoebe Harper | Project Manager: Matthew Taylor 120 | EME Outlook issue 44

MANUFACTURING

T

he rule at ASCO Industries, is to always be one step ahead.

Ranked by Flight International as one of the worldwide Aerospace Top 100 Companies, ASCO Industries (ASCO) was established in 1954 and continues to run as a family-owned business. Recently, the company was acquired by Switzerland-based

Montana Group.

ASCO continues to be presided over by generations of the Boas family, with CEO Christian Boas currently at the helm. Today, the company enjoys an esteemed reputation as a world-class supplier in the design and manufacture of high lift structures, complex mechanical

assemblies, and major functional components.

This global recognition is the direct result of ASCO’s innovative stance as a leader in technological progress, incorporating the most advanced techniques within its production methods. The company caters to a diversified client base spanning EME Outlook issue 44 | 121

ASCO INDUSTRIES the international aerospace sector, offering industry-leading engineering solutions in a highly competitive landscape.

ENGINEERING PRECISION ASCO’s overarching commitment to its people and products, guaranteed at every stage of the manufacturing process, is that of precision. ASCO upholds the belief that precision in aerospace translates to a focus on the details, whilst maintaining a perspective of the bigger picture. As such, ASCOs’ quality management systems and procedures are held to the highest level of international requirements.

A focus on continual innovation is the cornerstone of ASCO’s technological prowess. The company recognises that this constant pursuit of improvement serves to create a leaner organisation with more environmentally-friendly manufacturing techniques, securing long-term financial strength

“ASCO CAPITALISES ON ITS WORLDWIDE RECOGNITION AND KNOWLEDGE AS AN INDUSTRY BENCHMARK IN THE DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT, MANUFACTURE, TREATMENT AND ASSEMBLY OF COMPLEX HIGH LIFT ASSEMBLIES AND CRITICAL STRUCTURAL SUB-ASSEMBLIES, TO REMAIN AN INDUSTRY LEADER OF TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS WITHIN THE AEROSPACE INDUSTRY” - ASCO INDUSTRIES to the benefit of all stakeholders whilst successfully meeting customers’ objectives.

Its innovative solutions are enabled through continuous R&D and partnerships undertaken with both customers and academia. ASCO’s products are comprised within two main areas; design and build, and build to print.

Within design and build, ASCO sustains its worldwide market position in high lift devices, developing

EARLY BEGINNINGS ASCO Industries enjoys a proud reputation within the realm of aerospace manufacturing thanks to its rich heritage. The ASCO story began in 1954 in a small workshop in Brussels, with Emile Boas and his close collaborators.

In 1965, when the Belgium army invited tenders for the fifth echelon reconditioning of the mechanical parts for its vehicle park, ASCO was chosen to conduct the renovation of all military vehicles.

In 1973, ASCO opened its first HQ facilities in Zaventem, followed by the inauguration of ‘ASCO 1’ - the first link in a major industrial complex. The 1970s were a dynamic period of activity for ASCO, preceding the early ‘80s when conventional machine tools began to be replaced by computer-controlled numerical machines.

ASCO continued to be awarded military contracts by the Belgium Ministry of Defence, including within the framework of the acquisition programme of the M113. Gradually, the assembly plant became reliant on robotics, calculators and 3D computer imaging for maximum precision and timesaving.

122 | EME Outlook issue 44

deployment mechanisms and support systems for WING’s movable leading edge slats and trailing edge flaps. Its strength in this area is reflected by the fact that ASCO has become the preferred partner of choice for most of the world’s commercial aircraft fleet in the design and manufacture of enhanced lift and landing solutions.

In this segment of the business, the Concept Design Phase (CDP) is crucial, as the stage where ASCO’s design and stress engineers develop

MANUFACTURING

sales@bmtaerospace.com | www.bmtaerospace.com

Airborne Excellence Mr. Benoit Reynders Chief Executive Officer

BMT Aerospace is part of the BMT Group, an industrial, family-owned holding company that invests in high precision machining companies with market leadership positions.

BMT Aerospace provides manufacturing capabilities for the global Aerospace market. We are specialized in making high precision products and complex assemblies for turbine engines, leading and trailing edge devices, complex actuations, APU’s (auxiliary power units) and helicopter drive systems. For our customers we are “fit for purpose”. We enable this through our 3-plant strategy. The benefit for our partners? Flexibility, agility, cost optimisation and bandwidth.

Our Engineering and Program Management teams’ focus is quality, fast moving industrialization and execution in deliveries. As BMT Aerospace, we believe in genuine partnerships throughout the whole process, from decision to delivery.

BMT is a primary source for the market of highprecision aerospace gears, shafts and gearbox assemblies. Our legacy is huge as we are part of almost every existing program in Aerospace.

Main customers are Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, Embraer, GE Aviation, Honda, Honeywell, Irkut, Safran, Sukhoi, Collins, Rolls-Royce, Sikorsky, Pratt & Whitney and many more.

The reason for our success? Our loyal, skilled and motivated employees. Because of them, BMT succeeds to keep up with the evolving market and reinvent ourselves to stay relevant for our customers.

BMT Aerospace locations: Oostkamp, Belgium Fraser, Michigan, USA Iasi, Romania

EME Outlook issue 44 | 123

ASCO INDUSTRIES

AT A GLANCE - ASCO ACTIVITIES ENGINEERING - ASCO maintains technological leadership through excellence in engineering and ensures that its engineers are well educated and equipped with the most advanced tools and technology to allow ASCO to develop competitive and award-winning products.

INDUSTRIALISATION - ASCO’s industrialisation department defines the means and methods for the start-up of new products along with the continuous improvement of existing projects.

PRODUCTION - ASCO continuously invests in its production facilities and the training of its operators and engineers. ASCO’s teams ensure that the most modern technological developments are implemented in a costeffective way to support its customers’ requirements.

SUPPLY CHAIN - ASCO’s global production and assembly sites are equipped with state-of-the-art production machinery and are supported by a well-regulated quality supply chain. ASCO expects the best from its production and supply chain to produce the highest quality and most reliable products for an increasingly demanding marketplace. new aircraft technology concepts integrated with the customer’s design team. This extends to verification tests, final release and review authorisation of 3D models.

In build to print, ASCO demonstrates its flexibility in catering to various customer demands with the manufacture and assembly of high-precision five axis components produced in hard and light metal alloys. This includes landing gear, structural parts, fuselage, interfaces and attachments.

124 | EME Outlook issue 44

QUALITY - ASCO’s procedures are maintained to the highest industrial requirements with ASCO’s quality management system being registered in EN 9100. ASCO focuses on total quality and continuous improvement in all its processes and relationships.

AIRCRAFT PROGRAMMES - ASCO looks towards the future of the aerospace industry and for new opportunities to develop high technology solutions for new aircraft platforms. That’s why ASCO’s research programmes include the development of new concepts using innovative materials and processes. ASCO is working with key customers, major OEMs and academia to pave the way towards greener aviation via the European Clean Sky research initiatives.

What are the strengths of BMT Aerospace’s global footprint and the range of applications that you offer?

BMT provides gears and gearboxes to the aerospace industry with very high quality expectations. We are masters in translating the engineering drawings of our customers towards a cost effective, high performance production process. We are top class in making the impossible possible. Our footprint ranges from Eastern Europe through Central Europe to North America where two of our three plants are completely vertically integrated, resulting in a onestop shop. We combine the best in class engineering capabilities with low cost production capabilities.

How do BMT Aerospace incorporate digitalisation and Industry 4.0?

BMT Aerospace has always been an early adopter when it comes to the implementation of Industry 4.0 concepts. For the last decade, we have been working on creating a digital twin, which enabled us to improve our quality, cost, and on time delivery. Data capturing and analysis are the drivers to continuously improve our performance. Recently, BMT Aerospace has been awarded for his data driven approach as the winner of the 2019 Factory of the Future, which is the highest distinction for applying Industry 4.0 concepts within the Belgian industry.

T +32 50 24 90 00

|

How is the aviation industry recovering the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic?

While commercial aerospace, representing 50% + of the BMT Aerospace revenue stream was severely hit by a historic drop in air traffic during COVID-19, we are now seeing early signs of demand recovery. This recovery is however marked by slow growth. It will likely be another two years before market goes back to pre-pandemic levels for narrow body aircraft. As for the wide body we do not expect recovery before the ned of the decade.

We expect increased vertical integration of the supply chain and see the related matters of material cost and staff availability as challenges to the industry’s ability to meet the growing demand.

E Sales@bmtaerospace.com

|

www.bmtaerospace.com

ASCO INDUSTRIES

Tylco Lube Since 1936, Blaser Swisslube has stood for lubricant solutions that offer measurable added value and are gentle to people and the environment.

The family-owned Swiss company develops, produces and sells a comprehensive range of metalworking fluids for a variety of industries.

With a team of application experts, customised services and excellent products, Blaser Swisslube helps manufacturers fully capitalise on the potential of their machines and tools and turn the metalworking fluid into a key success factor – a Liquid Tool.

www.tylcolube.be

ASCO’s relentless pursuit of excellence in engineering has been met with several awards throughout the company’s operation. Ultimately, this precision-centric focus extends to ASCO’s dedication to on-time delivery in accordance with the customer’s exact requirements.

A significant ongoing initiative for ASCO is the company’s recent joint venture with Sabca and Sonaca Group on the BeLightning project. This entails activity to build horizontal tails and related components for the F-35 Lightning II fifth generation fighter jet.

With all production activity centred in Belgium, the BeLightning project complements ASCO’s continued production of flaperons (moving flight control surfaces) for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. It is this pride in both projects and products that led to Montana Group’s purchase of ASCO as an esteemed manufacturer of aircraft parts, to expand the aerospace enterprises’ 126 | EME Outlook issue 44

“OUR PHILOSOPHY IS SIMPLE: IT IS BASED ON PRECISION AT ALL LEVELS. PRECISION BY PEOPLE AND OUR MACHINES, WHATEVER ROLE THEY BOTH HAVE, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE MEANS WE AS A COMPANY PUT AT THEIR DISPOSAL” - ASCO INDUSTRIES offerings. Through the acquisition of ASCO, Montana Group will strategically further its competencies in product design, testing, and the manufacturing of hard metal components and assemblies for wing and fuselage structures.

PRIDE IN PEOPLE ASCO recognises that with their industry-leading reputation comes a level of responsibility to the people surrounding and included in the business; both in terms of customers and the employees whose careers rely on ASCO’s success.

As a third-generation family-run business, ASCO instils an intimate way of working at all levels of the business that highly values staff and the company’s relationship with the wider community.

By fostering strong partnerships, ASCO seeks to work closely with customers, which in turn mobilises the internal team to value working together, distilling a spirit of entrepreneurship and creativity.

The ASCO enterprise today totals approximately 1,000 members of staff working in manufacturing sites in Belgium and British Columbia.

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A powerful lever on your overall costs, with positive effects on tool life, cycle time, workpiece quality and machinist satisfaction.

Test us. It’s worth it. blaser.com/aerospace Our representation in Belux: N.V. TYLCO Lube S.A Gentse Steenweg 117 bus 24 B-9160 Lokeren www.tylcolube.be

EME Outlook issue 44 | 127

ASCO INDUSTRIES

Over Machining Centers OUR STRENGTHS “Be smart, be clever, be efficient” We strive to play a key role in the management of the production processes of our clients.

Our aim is to improve efficiency in the manufacturing activities, not only by replacing obsolete machineries with completely retrofitted “like new” ones, providing exclusive customisations designed on the client’s needs, but also with innovative Artificial Intelligence software solutions, that can turn yours into a Smart Factory.

We provide our clients with a comprehensive portfolio of activities including predictive maintenances, brake down services and spare parts replacement.

OUR GOAL

“AS THE BACKBONE OF THE BUSINESS, ALL ASCO ENGINEERS ARE COMMITTED TO MAINTAINING EXCELLENCE THROUGH THE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF HIGH TECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS FOR HIGH LIFT DEVICES AND COMPLEX STRUCTURAL ASSEMBLIES” - ASCO INDUSTRIES The know-how of ASCO’s fleet of technicians is industry-leading, with unparalleled in-house capabilities.

This is fostered through the active promotion of continuous professional training on all elements pertaining to current technical and commercial matters.

As the backbone of the business, all ASCO engineers are committed to maintaining excellence through the design and development of high technology applications for high lift devices and complex structural assemblies, whilst also working towards technologies and processes to create a greener environment.

By prioritising professionalism through teamwork, communication, 128 | EME Outlook issue 44

education, and training, ASCO is able to attract and retain qualified staff who truly want to make a difference in the industry. These individuals prize a culture centred on collaboration and the generation of new ideas, whilst pursuing personal challenges that will help them fulfil their individual potential.

The company also champions a continuous development programme for all stakeholders in order to develop mutually beneficial relationships.

Leveraging the competitive advantage of its heritage in the sector, ASCO and its innovative, precise engineering will continue to define the future of aerospace.

Our top priority is to be a reliable and supportive partner to allow our clients to be as competitive as possible on the market. We are also aware of the impact our lives have on the environment thus, we provide customizations or product solutions to reduce waste and consumptions during the production.

“HUMAN+MACHINE” APPROACH Despite being aware of the role technologies and Artificial Intelligence solutions play in the business growth, we firmly believe that human resources are the key element of every successful business and we everyday work to increase problem solving and teamwork skills among our staff.

www.overmc.eu

MANUFACTURING

IMPROVE YOUR EFFICIENCY OVER IS A LEADING PARTNER FOR MANUFACTURERS OF AEROSPACE AND INDUSTRY SECTOR, PROVIDING HIGH-LEVEL MACHINING CENTERS RETROFITTING AS WELL AS BEST-IN-CLASS MAINTENANCE SERVICES.

Over Machining Centers Europe s.r.l. | Via D’Antona n. 1/11 | 29010 Pontenure (PC) Ph. +39 0523 1557222 | info@overmc.it | www.overmc.eu

EME Outlook issue 44 | 129

ECO BALTIA

SUSTAINABILITY

THE LEADING LATVIAN

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMPANY

Across the Baltics, material recycling and waste management is led by a few key operators placing sustainability at the fore. We speak to Māris Simanovics, Group CEO of Eco Baltia, to learn more about the industry Writer: Marcus Kääpä | Project Manager: Nicholas Kernan

We were the icebreakers in the industry.”

Māris Simanovics has always held an interest in the potential of sustainable practices. Prior to his career, Simanovics’ studies saw him pursue a bachelor thesis regarding the marginal cost of packaging waste collection in Latvia. The resulting project work allowed him the opportunity to gain employment as a consultant with a waste repurposing company; it was an experience that would shape and favour Simanovics’ future career, and, after veering into the sphere of finance, ultimately led him to his current position as Group CEO of Eco Baltia.

Operating out of Latvia, Eco Baltia stands as the largest environmental management group in the Baltic region and provides a full circle waste management service, from collection and logistics to the processing and wholesale of recycled materials. The company deals with the successful

Māris Simanovics, Group CEO management of household and construction waste, on top of other environmental services to private companies.

“There have been some recycling companies that have continued to promote their sustainable services, but none that have been welldeveloped or kept up with the latest technologies - this is where we differ,”

Simanovics explains. “We have always focused on utilising the latest and greatest in the field, starting with applying the best technology available, and travelling in search of ideas that we can incorporate into our company.”

The company, which services more than 45,000 clients across Latvia and abroad, not only acts as the leading entity in the space, but also provides stable employment, welfare, professional development and the highest level of labour safety for almost 2,000 employees across two countries.

“There are two main business lines to Eco Baltia,” Simanovics says. “The first is our environmental area, related to everything waste and environment, where we deal with waste collections, sorting, sanitary services and area maintenance. The second is our PET and plastic recycling branch, from which we provide a range of products that come from recycled materials.

EME Outlook issue 44 | 131

ECO BALTIA “The sector is such an interesting space to work in. There are a tonne of developments happening at any one time, and for me personally, I love the mission of the company. It is great to know that we are doing good and making an impact, while finding value in that which has been used and ignored.”

Eco Baltia has been able to make a significant mark in the industry due to the nature and history of the area in which it operates. In the post-Soviet era, Latvia and the Baltics were left with a multitude of landfills quite literally littering the region.

“With the past introduction of European policy, the Latvian government paid a lot of attention

ECO BALTIA AT THE CORE

to the issue of landfills across the country,” Simanovics elaborates. “At that point, every village had a landfill, and it was necessary to restructure these old areas and build new ones capable of incorporating recycling initiatives in the region.

“Nowadays, we can see more businesses who understand the value of waste management, and are taking advantage of the recycling space.

From rubber to plastic compounds, waste is growing as a useful and valuable resource. Take rubber for example, it can be repurposed and used in football fields, tiles, as well as asphalt, and – having worked with the Technical University of Latvia regarding research in this area – the inclusion of rubber can increase the lifespan of such products.

Repurposing such materials provides endless possibilities when it comes to development.”

WASTE AND WATER

VISION: To become an international smart environmental company.

MISSION: To find a value in each and every thing.

VALUES: • Determination • Creativity • Responsibility • Opportunity • Courage • Initiative

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On top of this, Eco Baltia understands the importance of continuous development. The company has driven itself to remain ahead of the curve when it comes to investment and the latest practices, and in this sphere three developments stand out as the most significant.

The first of these is the monitoring and reduction of Eco Baltia’s CO2 footprint. Despite the company’s intrinsically sustainable nature as a waste management and repurposing business, CO2 output still remains at the forefront of its actions.

“Even though our activities are considered environmentally beneficial, we are still very cautious and attentive when it comes to tracking our CO2 output,” Simanovics reiterates. “For this reason, we have started to exchange our truck fleet from diesel to trucks that use compressed natural gas (CNG), and we are the first in the sector to undertake this change. We currently have 10 and the number is increasing.”

Sorema - Previero SUCCESSFUL COMMISSIONING OF A TURNKEY RECYCLING PLANT FOR POST CONSUMERS PET BOTTLES PREVIERO-SOREMA has recently sold some turnkey plants to increase PET flakes production capacity in the Latin America area. These plants have an output range between 2.000 kg/h and 9.000kg/h of PET washed and re-granulated flakes, starting from postconsumer bottles collection.

A plant for PET bottles includes the following sections: automatic feeding, prewashing, de-labeling, wet grinding, hot washing, rinsing with flotation and drying.

Bottles and flakes detectors’ for material and for colours are also incorporated in the lines, all under a single Sorema supervisor system SCADA, for an efficient local and remote control.

Our company also offers the possibility to integrate in the line a wastewater treatment plant based on following sections: Filtering phase - Chemical treatment - Biological treatment - Sludge Dewatering phase, and super filtration modules (quartzite filters, activated carbon filters, ozone and reverse osmosis treatments, etc.) so that the customers are sure to reach the maximum of quality and efficiency with the minimum of management problems.

The PET “Bottle to Bottle” washing and recycling plants were smoothly started-up. The lines managed to achieve the prefixed targets of product quality and quantity with the full satisfaction of the customer for the plant as well as for the partnership developed in such difficult times of COVID 19.

www.sorema.it

40 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN DESIGN, MANUFACTURING AND INSTALLATION

OF PLASTICS RECYCLING PLANTS

Your preferred partner in RECYCLING SYSTEMS. From single modules to turnkey projects.

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ECO BALTIA Water usage exists as the second significant initiative. Eco Baltia reuses water in all of its recycling activities and has invested in the establishment of water treatment facilities that allow the company to use the same water multiple times, before releasing it into the sewage system once cleaned.

“Lastly, and most importantly, we

EME OUTLOOK: CAN YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT ECO BALTIA’S COMMUNITY-CENTRED INITIATIVES? Māris Simanovics, Group CEO: “We have an extensive history in the education sphere in Latvia.

Eco Baltia previously had a schooling project through which we would work with multiple schools to educate students and pupils in the area about the importance of recycling and environmental practices.

“In recent years, we have narrowed down our community initiatives to public practices such as improving the infrastructure for those areas that need it. An example of this is introducing biological waste collection sites, where people can correctly dispose of gardening waste and other forms of bulky waste.

“We are conducting surveys to find out what people want and need from us, and we have a bunch of different initiatives in each municipality, like specific days where people can get rid of their bulky waste free of charge.

Our idea is to provide people with solutions to their problems so that they are environmentally aware and not forced or tempted to get rid of waste unethically or incorrectly.”

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are continuously focusing on our different KPIs with the aim of reducing the amount of waste that goes to landfill overall,” Simanovics tells us.

“This means that we are aiming to improve our sorting capabilities in the collection sector to limit such waste.

“Eco Baltia was the first company to begin textile sorting on a large scale, despite it not being required by law; it was our private initiative to start this up and see it through. We are improving our sorting capabilities all the time, and in our recycling facilities we have been continuously looking to find new ways of sorting material by-products. Take bottles for example, they always used to produce a mass of additional materials such as caps or labels, so we have set up specialised lines that separate and treat this by-product mass to then be recycled.”

EXTERNAL ACQUISITION Eco Baltia’s original operations solely covered Latvia, however as the company has grown out across the Baltic region it has both worked alongside and acquired businesses to bolster its services and growth potential. One such acquisition is that of the Lithuanian company Ecoservice, a group of companies that consists of three business lines, waste collection, processing, as well as city street cleaning and maintenance.

“Prior to this acquisition we only bought companies in Latvia,” Simanovics explains. “Now, we have this strategic view where we want to become a smart international environmental company, and so we ended up buying the largest waste management and environmental solutions company in Lithuania.

“WE WANT TO BECOME A SMART INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL COMPANY, AND SO WE ENDED UP BUYING THE LARGEST WASTE MANAGEMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS COMPANY IN LITHUANIA” - MĀRIS SIMANOVICS, GROUP CEO, ECO BALTIA

Māris Simanovičs revealing the new CNG-powered vehicles at an opening event

SUSTAINABILITY

Bales of bottles ready for recycling

A textile hill to represent the importance of textile sorting during a campaign

Sorting containers

One of Eco Baltia’s recycling factories in Jelgava

“We are now working with the Ecoservice team to integrate our businesses and bring the best knowledge back and forth across the border. This is an interesting aspect of our operation because it opens up new opportunities for us when it comes to product recycling. The most exciting part of this is that it gives way for further development and international expansion in the future.”

MOVING FORWARD Eco Baltia harbours the goal of expanding its waste management and recycling solutions to the area of

construction and demolition waste, with by-products in these sectors proving to be varied and valuable, but the company is also looking to increase its market share in household waste collection.

“We are planning to build a new state-of-the-art facility for secondary materials coming from households,” Simanovics adds. “A large focus of ours is also on upgrading our existing polymer recycling lines to accommodate the needs of the market, our goal is to become the leading RPET producer in the region.

“At the moment, with everything

Recycled plastic granules

in our sector developing very fast, Eco Baltia is looking at growth and development to promote a sustainable and recycling-heavy society across the Baltics and, eventually, beyond.”

Tel: +371 67 409 828 info@ecobaltia.lv www.ecobaltia.lv

EME Outlook issue 44 | 135

EVENTS

MECOC 07-09 December | Ritz Cartlon, JBR, Dubai, UAE | https://mecocmiddleeast.com

Overcoming Today’s Challenges M ECO C WILL gather the technical experts from across the world to discuss the latest technology related to metallurgy corrosion and coating for various industries and to network with key industry peers. Taking place on 7th December – 9th December 2021 in Ritz Carlton, JBR, Dubai, the forum will enhance communication and help in exchanging knowledge between the major stakeholders.

The event will feature technologies from GCC and globally that will help oil and gas producers, power generators, aviation industry and marine to enhance their productivity more effectively in today’s challenges including maintenance and reliability in areas of machinery. The event is also set to include key service providers and engineers involved in equipment design, standards, maintenance 136 | EME Outlook issue 44

and reliability practices that evolves around the instrumentation control and automation equipment prodigy of heavy industries in GCC by providing an all-new perspective on the technology and engineering expertise necessary to power a sustainable outcome for the industry.

MECOC will be a high net worth technical conference with the latest innovations available in the market to showcase the importance of the current need today and to adapt the best practices to benchmark the costeffective methods that will enlighten the end users and operators. The conference will provide a platform to connect with both regional and international experts, while focusing on all aspects of production, manufacturing and processing entities in the wider world.

TOPICS & TRENDS • CORE ISSUES WITHIN THE INDUSTRY • SMART AND HIGHLY ENERGISED • EFFICIENT & RELIABLE EQUIPMENT • LATEST PRACTICES AND TRENDS • NETWORKING • OIL & GAS TRANSFORMATION

Register your attendance at https://mecocmiddleeast.com

An Event by

MIDDLE EAST METALLURGY CORROSION & COATINGS A Global Platform for Oil, Gas and Energy

info@aldrichme.com | +971 4 2790800 |

@MECOC2021 | #MECOC2021 | www.mecocmiddleeast.com

THE FINAL WORD To round off each issue, we ask our contributing business leaders for their views on the same question

What or who has been a source of inspiration for you during your career?

Jean-Claude Geha Senior Vice President and Global Head of Sales, Atos TMT “There are two aspects – the technology that we have been working with for many years can do so much good for humanity, to simplify and improve our daily lives. Most importantly, it can create opportunities and include a lot of people that were not previously included, particularly in health and safety, employment, education, and banking to name a few.

“The other aspect that influences my passion for this industry is the possibility for us to have a tremendous impact on a green society, and help humanity face this big eco-challenge. What we work with every day is very useful in this space across all sectors.”

138 | EME Outlook issue 44

Andy Gatesy CEO and Chairman, Toly Group “This had to be my father; he was the pioneer behind Toly. He fled Eastern Europe and his home country twice in his life in search of a better one, and he constantly believed in his future, proving that he had the resilience and showing strength through adversity. And from this, he not only learnt new skills but remained a positive person - a man of the people – and the mixture of these things formed the backbone of our company that lasts to this day.”

Duncan Denley Managing Director, desert INK “For myself personally, nature has been a huge inspiration to me all of my life. As a child I largely spent my time outside, building things to take into the woods, going on camping trips with family, all those kinds of things. Sadly, I think that we see this less in kids today, and I know

how much nature can fuel creativity and wellness. All of my greatest inspirations in the area of landscaping architecture have come from outdoors activities, whether that is a simple walk, hiking, camping or windsurfing.

Nature brings out our best ideas.”

Michael Cunningham Managing Director, Camlin Energy “My inspiration is definitely my father, for having the vision and courage to create something out of nothing.

There is a type of heroism I feel in that, and I am also inspired daily by the dedication of many of my colleagues.

I am lucky to be surrounded by highly talented people, working hard and trying to do things that make a difference.”

Are you a CEO or a Director with a company story to tell?

Contact EME Outlook now!

The UAE master franchise in the fast-paced food industry with expansion on the menu...

PAPA JOHN’S UAE

FOOD & DRINK

See page

A SLICE OF SUCCESS

36 28 PAPA JOHN’S UAE

With a customer centric focus oven-baked into the company’s operations, Tapan Vaidya, CEO at the UAE master franchise of iconic US pizza giant Papa John’s, talks expansion and consumer-led innovation

FOOD & DRINK

Outlook Creative Services

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#yestosheese

Writer: Phoebe Harper Project Manager: Harry Parker

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P

“YOU MUST TAKE GREAT CARE OF EVERY CUSTOMER IN EVERY TRANSACTION SO THAT THEY WILL ONLY THINK OF RETURNING TO PAPA JOHNS” - TAPAN VAIDYA, CEO, PAPA JOHN’S UAE

izza - the ultimate leveller in comfort food.

With a universal appeal, the promise of a slice of pizza is a worldwide temptation. And no one does pizza quite like the iconic brand, Papa John’s.

From its roots in the US in 1984, the brand has developed a global footprint that continues to blossom. At the nexus of Papa John’s dynamic growth is the company’s UAE operations, presided over by CEO, Tapan Vaidya.

With a tasty range of pizzas, chicken wings, chicken poppers and salads, to name just a few, Papa John’s UAE boast the same sumptuous range of toppings, signature sauce and original fresh dough that are the foundation of the iconic product’s global attraction.

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“As a cloud kitchen operator based in the UAE, we joined hands with Kitopi and set up PJ in their cloud kitchens, we operate currently from six of their kitchens. It allows quick access to areas that we had not penetrated earlier. This relationship has worked very well for us.”

UNCOMPROMISED QUALITY Papa John’s greatest differentiator is its approach to quality ingredients, with the company taking great pride in sourcing only the very best. Aside from this, it is the people behind the pizza to which the company owes its success.

Staff training lays the foundation for guaranteeing the consistency that the brand delivers across the world. Robust training processes 2 | ensure that all staff are at the same level, with all Papa John’s employees undertaking the same training

foods@buteisland.com

processes by participating in online modules at the Pizza Academy.

Complimentary to this, Vaidya himself extols a more personal approach, opening a direct avenue of communication.

“I specifically spend half an hour with all new joiners every week to communicate the vision, mission and values of the company. I make sure that right at the outset they know what is expected from them, and what they can expect from the company.”

As the company’s most precious asset, Vaidya was adamant on retaining all employees even during the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the chain lost half of its business due to widespread shopping mall closures across the UAE. “At the height of COVID-19, we had EME Outlook issue 44 to sit down and think of what to do with all of our costs. At that point, I made the decision that we were not

going to let anyone go, because malls, restaurants - I knew they were all going to come back and then where would we find talented employees?

We soon started expanding and recruiting.

“Since that decision, we have actually opened 12 new restaurants,” he tells us.

With innovation and expansion showing no sign of abating, and an emphasis entirely geared towards returning customers, Papa John’s will continue to deliver oven-baked indulgence across the UAE market for years to come.

EME Outlook issue 44 | 3

PAPA JOHN’S UAE Tel: +971 4 5140115 www.papajohns.ae

EME Outlook issue 44 | 13

EME Outlook issue 44 | 13

undertaking the same training level, with all Papa John’s employees ensure that all staff are at the same world. Robust training processes that the brand delivers across the for guaranteeing the consistency Staff training lays the foundation success. pizza to which the company owes its from this, it is the people behind the in sourcing only the very best. Aside with the company taking great pride its approach to quality ingredients, Papa John’s greatest differentiator is

made the decision that we were not with all of our costs. At that point, I to sit down and think of what to do “At the height of COVID-19, we had UAE. shopping mall closures across the of its business due to widespread pandemic, when the chain lost half the disruption of the COVID-19 retaining all employees even during asset, Vaidya was adamant on As the company’s most precious they can expect from the company.” what is expected from them, and what that right at the outset they know values of the company. I make sure communicate the vision, mission and with all new joiners every week to “I specifically spend half an hour communication. approach, opening a direct avenue of himself extols a more personal Complimentary to this, Vaidya modules at the Pizza Academy. processes by participating in online

www.papajohns.ae Tel: +971 4 5140115 PAPA JOHN’S UAE

Papa John’s UAE has told its story.

UNCOMPROMISED QUALITY

JOHN’S UAE - TAPAN VAIDYA, CEO, PAPA PAPA JOHNS” THINK OF RETURNING TO SO THAT THEY WILL ONLY IN EVERY TRANSACTION CARE OF EVERY CUSTOMER “YOU MUST TAKE GREAT

for us.” relationship has worked very well had not penetrated earlier. This quick access to areas that we from six of their kitchens. It allows cloud kitchens, we operate currently with Kitopi and set up PJ in their based in the UAE, we joined hands “As a cloud kitchen operator

years to come. indulgence across the UAE market for will continue to deliver oven-baked returning customers, Papa John’s emphasis entirely geared towards showing no sign of abating, and an With innovation and expansion he tells us. actually opened 12 new restaurants,” “Since that decision, we have recruiting.

We soon started expanding and would we find talented employees? going to come back and then where restaurants - I knew they were all going to let anyone go, because malls,

foods@buteisland.com www.outlookpublishing.com/creative-services F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N V I S I T:

Sheese. The Original Plant-Based cheese, since 1988. cheese does, except it’s dairy free. grates, crumbles and bubbles. In fact it does everything regular Our award-winning Sheese toasts, grills, melts, bakes, stretches,

Now, why not tell yours? Our bi-monthly magazine EME Outlook is essential reading for Yes it does!

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Issue 44

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