Dr. Yener Rakıcıoğlu, R&D Director of Kimteks Poliüretan

We had an enjoyable conversation with Kimteks Poliüretan R&D Director Dr. Yener Rakıcıoğlu about his professional background in the sector, R&D activities at Kimteks Poliüretan, R&D culture in Turkey and the current state of R&D incentives.

Dr. Yener Rakıcıoğlu, could you briefly tell our readers about yourself, your education and professional background?

I was born in Rize in 1969. I am a chemist. I started my career in 1990 as a Research Assistant at Istanbul Technical University, Faculty of Science and Letters, Chemistry Department. After approximately 10 years of work, while still an Assistant Associate Professor, I decided to move to the private sector. I worked for 2 years at Gemsan A.Ş. as Head of Textile Oils Department R&D and Technical Services. My first encounter with polyurethane in sectoral terms was in March 2003 at Elastogran Polyurethanes (now known as BASF Polyurethanes). At the beginning of 2016, I left my position as Global Technical Manager of the BASF Polyurethanes Rigid Division and started working as R&D Director at Kimteks Poliüretan.

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

Kimteks Poliüretan became an R&D Centre in May 2017. R&D activities are carried out under three separate divisions: Footwear, Rigid and Flexible-Case. With this team of 20 highly creative individuals, we aim to create new trends in the sector. To assist with the needs of our country and business partners, we are carrying out many new technology development and improvement projects primarily with TÜBITAK, as well as with universities and leading organizations in our own sectors. Each year we spend approximately 2% of total revenues on R&D. The share of new products resulting from R&D in our total revenues is approximately 10%. One of the most important goals of our R&D Centre is to be one of the first companies that comes to mind when R&D is mentioned within our own sector. In line with this goal; increasing the competencies, capabilities and number of R&D personnel, intensive cooperation with expert units and universities on enriching personnel training, strengthening Application and Simulation Laboratory infrastructure and providing customers with the highest quality products, improving customers' competitiveness through innovative, sector-leading R&D activities, are all part of Kimteks Poliüretan's R&D Strategy.

Could you discuss the positive or negative conditions and developments you face in your R&D activities?

We have management that understands the importance of R&D very well. Thanks to this, we have assembled the best workforce in Turkey, each expert and experienced in their field. Our technological infrastructure is also very strong. We continue to develop all of this continuously, not considering it sufficient. Furthermore, in recent years, the incentives provided by the Ministry of Industry and Technology to R&D centres have enabled us to employ more highly qualified specialists in Basic Sciences and conduct many TEYDEB projects that will provide solutions to sector needs. Our R&D Centre covers the entire process from product design, starting with molecule synthesis for use in formulations, system development, and testing the final form of the product with machine trials at the Customer Application and Simulation Centre.

How do you interpret the impact of your company's R&D operations on sales and export figures?

At Kimteks Poliüretan, R&D plays a key role in entering new markets. We export to 39 countries. In 2017, approximately 33% of our sales came from our export unit. With new products, both our export rate and the number of countries we export to are increasing rapidly. In 2016, Kimteks Poliüretan ranked 4th in the Plastic Raw Materials Export category for all of Turkey, and 1st in Polyurethane System Sales for all of Turkey in the same year.

How do you evaluate R&D culture in Turkey and the current state of R&D incentives?

Unfortunately, most industrial establishments in Turkey operate on a Production-Development (Ür-Ge) basis rather than R&D. Only Production-Development's contribution to development, growth and competitiveness remains limited. In recent times, we are seeing R&D activities accelerate, particularly toward high value-added and new product design. The incentives provided by the Ministry of Industry and Technology have had a major impact on this. In 2008, the number of R&D Centres in Turkey was only 20, while today this number has exceeded 800. It is stated that this figure will rise to 2,500 in the near future. Additionally, the Ministry of Industry enables the creation of qualified researcher infrastructure to work in these R&D centres by providing high-level scholarships to students who select basic sciences among the top thousand in university entrance examinations.

You have both an academic background and work as an R&D Manager. How should the process of generating new ideas and project planning start and progress?

The process of generating new ideas and project planning is similar both as an academic and as an R&D centre employee. The best ideas are created by qualified employees with broad imagination. We have little chance of being successful in many areas at the same time. Therefore, if you expect an employee to produce good ideas, you must allow them to specialize in a particular area. Project planning must have certain principles and a system. Target audience, objectives, work time frames, team, equipment, materials, market knowledge, costs and similar matters must be clearly defined.

Any final remarks….

For a better tomorrow, I hope for a future in which a genuine R&D culture has become widespread.