Interview With R&D Director of Kimteks Polyurethane

We had a pleasant interview with Mr. Dr. Yener Rakıcıoğlu, R&D Director of Kimteks Polyurethane, about his professional background in the industry, R&D activities at Kimteks Polyurethane and the current state of R&D culture and R&D incentives in Turkey.

Mr. Yener Rakıcıoğlu, can you speak briefly about yourself, your education, and your professional background?

I was born in 1969 in Rize. I am a chemist. I began my professional career in 1990 as a Research Assistant in the Department of Chemistry at the Faculty of Science and Letters, Istanbul Technical University. After about 10 years of work, while serving as an assistant professor, I decided to enter the private sector. I worked as an R&D and Technical Service Manager at the Department of Textile Lubricants in Gemsan A.S. for about 2 years. I first encountered polyurethane at Elastogran Polyurethanes (now called BASF Polyurethanes) in March 2003. In early 2016, I left my position as Global Technical Manager at BASF Polyurethanes Rigid Department and started working as an R&D Director at Kimteks Polyurethane.

Could you provide information about your company's R&D activities? What are your current projects and goals? What is Kimteks's R&D budget for 2018?

Kimteks Polyurethane became an R&D Center in May 2017. R&D activities are carried out across three different sections: Shoes, Rigid and Flexible&Case. We aim to create new trends in the sector with a team of 20 creative employees. We carry out many new technology development and improvement projects in cooperation with universities and leading institutions, especially TUBITAK, to meet the needs of our country and business partners. Every year, we spend approximately 2% of our total financial turnover on R&D. The share of new products emerging through R&D activities is approximately 10%. One of the most significant objectives of Kimteks R&D Center is to become one of the leading companies in terms of R&D. In line with this objective, we aim to increase the competencies, skills and number of R&D personnel, work intensively in cooperation with specialized units and universities to develop staff training programs, strengthen the Application and Simulation Laboratory infrastructure, provide the highest quality products to customers, and increase the competitiveness of our customers through innovative and advanced R&D activities.

Can you discuss the positive and negative conditions and developments in your R&D activities?

We have management that understands the importance of R&D. In this way, we have created some of Turkey's best specialized and experienced staff in their fields. Additionally, our technological infrastructure is very strong. However, we are not satisfied with these achievements and continue to improve constantly. Moreover, in recent years, financial incentives from the Ministry of Science and Technology to R&D centers have enabled us to employ more qualified experts in basic sciences and conduct many TEYDEB projects that will address industry needs. In the R&D Center, product design covers the entire process from the synthesis of molecules used in formulations, through the development of systems, to the testing of finished products via machine tests in the Customer Application and Simulation Centers.

What do you think about the impact of your company's R&D operations on sales and export figures?

At Kimteks Polyurethane, the R&D department plays a key role in entering new markets. We export to 39 countries. In 2017, approximately 33% of our sales were generated by our export department. With new products, both our export ratio and the number of export countries are increasing rapidly. In 2016, we achieved fourth place in plastic raw material exports in Turkey. In the same year, we achieved first place in polyurethane systems sales in Turkey.

What do you think about the current state of R&D culture and R&D incentives in Turkey?

Unfortunately, most industrial organizations in Turkey focus on product development rather than R&D. However, R&D's contribution to growth and competitiveness is limited. We are seeing that in recent periods, activities for high value-added and new product designs have gained momentum. This has been largely due to incentives provided by the Ministry of Science and Technology. While the number of R&D Centers in Turkey in 2008 was only 20, today it exceeds 800. In the near future, this number is expected to exceed 2,500. Additionally, the Ministry of Industry provides scholarships to the first thousand students who choose basic sciences in university entrance exams in order to create a qualified researcher base for these research centers.

As an academician and R&D Manager, what do you think about producing and designing new ideas? How should they begin and progress?

As an academician and R&D center employee, I can say that the process of producing and designing new ideas is similar in both contexts. I believe that the best ideas come from imaginative and qualified employees. Our likelihood of succeeding simultaneously in various fields is low. So if you expect an employee to produce good ideas, you should allow them to specialize in a particular field. The design process should also follow certain principles and be systematic. Issues such as target audience, purpose, working timeframes, team, equipment, materials, market information, and cost should be clearly defined.

Anything you would like to add?

For better tomorrows, I wish us all a future where a genuine R&D culture has become widespread.