Interview with Mehmet Turhan Onur, Chairman of the Board of Ravago

The benefits that R&D provides to consumers, manufacturers, and the sector are becoming better understood with each passing day, and many firms in the chemical industry are beginning to take part in this valuable endeavor. One of these companies is Ravago, and we conducted a pleasant interview with Mehmet Turhan Onur, Chairman of the Board of Ravago Turkey and Middle East.

Could you briefly introduce Ravago?

Ravago Group, the world's leading service provider in plastics, rubber, and chemical materials, was founded in Belgium in 1961 by Raf Van Gorp. Belgium-based Ravago, which has a half-century history in the plastics sector, operates in 50 countries through more than 200 companies in sales, distribution, and recycling. Ravago Turkey, established in 1998, serves as Turkey's second-largest petrochemical producer with its headquarters in Istanbul, operating from 11 separate locations under 7 different commercial entities in the areas of production, distribution, and wholesale. Ravago, which ranks among Turkey's top 100 industrial enterprises, has 5 production facilities and 1 R&D center in Turkey.

Could you tell our readers about Ravago's R&D Center?

As Ravago Turkey, we have established an R&D center with a 3.5 million dollar investment across a 4,000 m² area, employing a total of 30 staff members, including 20 Turkish engineers. This is Europe's first large-scale R&D center for the world's leading plastics group headquartered in Belgium. At our center, where we develop projects in cooperation with TÜBİTAK, we have so far produced 5 projects. 2 of these projects were accepted and approved by TÜBİTAK. We continue discussions on the other 3 projects. In other words, in the 5 months since we began operations, we have developed 5 different projects. The center is equipped with technology and facilities that will lead the sector. It will function as an innovation hub for technology powerhouse countries such as the United States, China, and Russia. Our R&D center stands out in that it brings together many sub-divisions within the petrochemical sector such as TPE, engineering plastics, EPS, PU, TPU, and silicone rubber.

What are the reasons for establishing and operationalizing the R&D center as an innovation hub?

As Ravago, our work makes us a leading group in the sector. We must produce innovation before our competitors so that Ravago's long-standing position as a recognized pioneer firm in this sector continues in a sustainable manner. We are the world's leading company. This gives us tremendous responsibility to do our best. This R&D facility is the result of this great responsibility we feel.

What is know-how export? What is the importance of know-how export for Ravago Turkey and the sector?

Know-how does not have an exact Turkish equivalent. To briefly summarize know-how export: it is when a company sells its own production and operating methods to another company working or preparing to work in the same field. In other words, we will market a newly developed technology or production method as knowledge to the world. Know-how export is a very important matter for both Turkey and the sector. Actually, we are achieving a first for Turkey here. Very few companies in Turkey are able to export know-how. As you well know, Turkey has much more consumption than production. Because we do not produce, we must import everything from abroad. Consequently, we have a current account deficit. If we could both produce and discover new methods for production and market these abroad, Turkey's future would be wide open.

What are the projects produced at your R&D center? What do you take into consideration when determining these projects?

At our R&D center, Ravago Petrokimya Üretim A.Ş. pursues projects related to its 5 main business divisions: Engineering Plastics, Thermoplastic Elastomers, Thermoplastic Polyurethane, Polyurethane Systems, and Silicone Rubber. We pursue projects ranging from alternative raw materials with limited scope and short-term goals, to product modification projects, innovative and long-term products, to system development projects. When selecting projects, we score them on a scale we create based on the project's financial, strategic, and technological aspects, as well as the necessary timeframe and resource requirements. We have a defined number of projects that we aim to complete in the short, medium, and long term. Projects with the highest scores in each timeframe are handled with priority. We regularly review projects and replace completed ones with the next in line.

Could you tell us about the investments you have made in the R&D center? What investments and projects do you plan to undertake in the coming years?

We have invested 3.5 million dollars in our R&D center so far. However, since it is an R&D center, we continue to invest constantly. In 2018, we will increase capacity in EPS, stone wool, and engineering plastics. In the coming period, we are completing a fully automated production facility that will serve across 40,000 m² of enclosed space with a 38 million Euro investment in the Aliağa region of Izmir for RPU capacity expansion and modernization. This investment will bring us approximately 40,000 tons of additional capacity. In the near term, we plan to open a stone wool production facility in the Eastern Anatolia Region. We have completed Europe's second ceramic wool investment. In 2018, we will make our high-performance glass wool investment, achieving another first for Turkey's industry and leading sectors. Therefore, next year will be a year when we expect our investments to continue and expectations to be very high. At our R&D center, Ravago Petrokimya Üretim A.Ş. pursues projects related to its 5 main business divisions: Engineering Plastics, Thermoplastic Elastomers, Thermoplastic Polyurethane, Polyurethane Systems, and Silicone Rubber.