NÜVE aims to advance by riding the momentum of Industry 4.0 through its R&D efforts.

Our factory visit to NÜVE, one of Turkey's leading manufacturers of laboratory and sterilization equipment since 1968, took place as a discussion with Beril İzgin, Chairman and General Manager of NÜVE's Board of Directors. The fact that NÜVE exports 68 models of equipment to 106 countries and has introduced numerous firsts to Turkey demonstrates that it stands among rare companies in laboratory and sterilization technology. The secret to this success naturally lies in NÜVE's production using the latest technologies and, undoubtedly, the importance it places on R&D. In this study, which we have prepared with great pleasure, we touched upon many topics concerning the sector, latest technologies, R&D, R&D investments, laboratory equipment and sterilization.

Could you provide information about NÜVE? What are your areas of work and activities?

Founded in 1968, NÜVE A.Ş. is one of Turkey's leading organizations in the production of laboratory and sterilization technology. Our products have been designed and developed for use in many different fields. NÜVE products are extensively used in clinical laboratories, medical research, biotechnology, agricultural research laboratories, veterinary medicine, food, beverage and dairy industries, chemicals, automotive, defense, aerospace, ceramics, water and pharmaceutical industries. We currently produce 68 models of equipment under 9 different product groups. We export to 106 countries. We have won numerous awards in the export field. Domestically, we serve all of Turkey through 28 dealers distributed across the country. Since its founding, continuously renewing itself and always aiming higher, we take justified pride in being a company that produces many firsts in its field in Turkey.    

What are your product varieties?

To exemplify our product range: centrifuges, incubators, dry air and steam sterilizers, block autoclaves, drying cabinets, water baths, deep freezers, distilled water equipment, laminar and microbiological safety cabinets, blood storage cabinets, kit storage cabinets, climatic test chambers, climate chambers, muffle furnaces are among the equipment that come to mind initially.

As a company producing laboratory equipment in Turkey, what difficulties do you face in manufacturing?

The cost of producing a product to world standards in Turkey is very high. When you source services from the support industry in your country, the fact that it is not sufficiently developed forces manufacturers to either produce many components in-house or import most of them. Domestic producers face suspicion not only abroad but also within the country. In such an environment, as a company that places extreme importance on quality, on one hand we deal with raw materials used in production, on the other hand with advanced machinery, and on the other with tools, apparatus and test equipment needed during the period from input control to final control, and on the other hand with trained personnel, and consequently costs increase exponentially through investments in compliance with occupational health and safety legislation and environmental regulations. In return, as a domestic manufacturer, you are always expected to offer the cheapest product. In short, the realities you deal with inside the factory do not align with market expectations. As NÜVE, we place great importance on the work of our in-house R&D department. We believe that investments in R&D will return to us as higher value-added, more advanced technology products. Our greatest disadvantage in this matter is the very small number of qualified personnel in our sector. For a newly graduated colleague to become productive requires a minimum period of 3 years. Finding young colleagues willing to dedicate themselves to research and development, and ensuring their long-term work once found, is the most difficult part of the job. In short, maintaining sustainable production is just as difficult as producing itself. "To export to more than 100 countries, we must compete with world-class major brands in parallel with technology. When determining our R&D strategy, we certainly consider the R&D efforts of competing firms, but at the point we have reached today, it has become essential to produce leading technology rather than follow. In this sense, we have a goal of becoming an internationally level technology-producing brand in the coming years."

What is your perspective on R&D?

Under the heading "Laboratory and Sterilization Technologies," we produce close to one hundred models containing many engineering disciplines. From healthcare to pharmacy, from food to chemicals, from automotive to construction, dozens of sectors safely use our laboratory products. Today we are talking about 106 countries, more than 1,000 cities, more than 300,000 working units, this is a great responsibility. When successful brands worldwide are examined, we see how important investments in people and technology are. NÜVE, with a fifty-year history, has made investments in R&D for continuous product development and producing in Turkey what was not previously produced, today ranking among Turkey's important technology-producing companies competing with world brands. Parallel to all scientific studies conducted worldwide, there is a need for advanced laboratory equipment. This situation requires that currently produced laboratory equipment also reflect developing technology. A brand that has missed the technology race cannot sustain its existence; therefore, R&D is our fundamental building block.

According to which strategies do you plan your R&D activities? What is the mission of R&D in your company?

Modern humans are in constant change. Especially over the last 20-30 years, the pace of technological development is staggering. During this period, humanity has moved from Industry 1.0 to 3.0, and today developed countries are investing in Industry 4.0. In the near future, customized products will be produced by robots in factories with almost no human presence. A country's continued existence is directly proportional to how much it invests in technology. NÜVE, especially over the last 10 years, has accelerated investments in people and technology in its R&D department. By hiring well-trained electronics, mechanical, biomedical, and chemical engineers as well as graduates from biology programs and subjecting them to a series of trainings, it has increased its R&D personnel. Engineers in the R&D department receive training at national and international levels, visit national and international technology fairs, and follow technical publications to keep their knowledge constantly up to date. To export to more than 100 countries, we must compete with world-class major brands in parallel with technology. When determining our R&D strategy, we certainly consider the R&D efforts of competing firms, but at the point we have reached today, it has become essential to produce leading technology rather than follow. In this sense, we have a goal of becoming an internationally level technology-producing brand in the coming years. What are the investments made in R&D and what do you base these investments on? "Laboratory and Sterilization Technology" is a very special subject for our country. Unfortunately, there are no dedicated departments in university engineering programs for this field. Therefore, if we want to continue conducting R&D, we must first invest in people. Mechanical, electronics, biomedical, chemistry and biology departments at universities are our main areas. Since engineering programs at universities include general education, we can only assign R&D projects to successful graduates after subjecting them to long-term training of 2-3 years within our organization. Additionally, since our R&D and production R&D activities must comply with international standards, we need to invest in a very extensive document archive. As each standard includes specific tests, investment in test equipment becomes inevitable. Starting R&D work for a new project brings many risks. For this reason, we must invest in sound market analysis, clinical evaluations and innovative technologies.

Could you tell us about your R&D activities?

Today, developments in computer and GSM technology have made it easier for people in daily life to access and use technology. This has created a desire among equipment users to monitor their work remotely, record data, or access the equipment at any time as if they were at the equipment itself. For all of this to happen, equipment must be connected to the internet. The N-Smart and N-Wise microprocessor-based control systems we use on the equipment we manufacture are capable of meeting all these demands. For users who do not want to remain connected to the internet, the N-Prime microprocessor-based control system was developed, which enables all work to be recorded in memory and allows data transfer via USB when desired. Thanks to our R&D efforts in recent years, our equipment has been equipped with GSM, ethernet and computer technologies to meet user demands. Since all technologies worldwide will soon become compatible with Industry 4.0 in the near future, we are trying to adapt quickly to this change. With the project we are currently working on, we will enable real-time user access to all our equipment wherever in the world. Additionally, our software development work continues on improving our current technology, which enables our service engineers to connect to equipment and resolve technical problems remotely. Our R&D work continues on technologies that will meet data storage needs using cloud technology.

Apart from production, how are the training activities provided to your personnel to serve your customers better?

Training is one of our most fundamental and deeply rooted practices at NÜVE. Planned twice yearly according to identified needs, training for our employees and dealer network personnel is completed; developments, changes and innovations are conveyed, providing current and necessary knowledge and skills.

What are your views on domestic production in laboratory and sterilization technology?

Every day, manufacturers enter the sector in certain product groups. We support quality domestic production and fair competition. The increase in the number and competition of quality domestic products in domestic markets plays a major role in the development of the support industry. An advanced support industry is indispensable to production. All of these are important steps in our country's industrialization process. We oppose low-quality, non-standard "under-the-table" products.

Could you provide information about your latest investment or technology?

Our project titled "Advancement in Laboratory and Sterilization Equipment Production, R&D and Quality Control Test Quality Improvement and Export Breakthrough," which ranked 2nd among successful projects under the Ankara Development Agency's Advanced Technology High Value-Added Financial Support Program, is currently ongoing.