Company sets sights on Africa
AMONG the objectives of delegates participating in the Belgian economic mission to SA later this month is the intention to strengthen existing partnerships in the country and increasing companies’ footprints into the rest of Africa.
With its headquarters and research centre in Courcelles in Wallonia, Belgium — where it was established by professor of food technology, Marcel Loncin, in 1946 — Sopura SA is a worldleading producer of hygiene and water treatment solutions for the beverage, brewing and food industries. The company has, over the past 67 years, established an extensive network of subsidiaries and distributors across the world, which enables it to now offer its products and services to customers in more than 70 countries, including SA.
Sopura has been active in SA since 2009, where Heineken is its biggest customer in the brewing sector. Earlier this year, Sopura further entrenched its activities in the country when it bought Syntrade, the Cape Town-based cleaning and sanitation solutions company, which was previously responsible for the contract manufacturing of a number of its products in the region.
“We want to establish a stronger presence in Africa and, because SA is important to the continent, we’re focusing increased attention there,” says Sopura CEO, Monique Coppieters. “We’ve been exporting into Africa since 1981 and are already well known in several countries on the continent. But we believe there is a great deal more we can do, using our base in SA as a springboard, particularly in other sub-Saharan countries.”
Considerable investment in research and development — the company has a team of 14 permanent researchers — combined with extensive collaboration with universities has made Sopura an international leader when it comes to technology in its field. While the company’s products are not the cheapest on the market, their effectiveness, says Coppieters, means customers achieve savings on chemicals, water and energy and significantly reduce their impact on the environment.
“Total cost in use and quality are what set us apart. Our philosophy is to develop costefficient and sustainable innovative solutions that provide answers to our customers’ specific needs. We don’t just produce chemicals. Because our products are highly specialised, it is essential that we work closely with customers before putting solutions to work.”
This involves looking at customer’s objectives, taking into consideration resources and restrictions, evaluating premises and proposing solutions.
“We then help customers oversee the project by organising on-site training and supervising progress. What’s more, we remain involved in different parts of the process for as long as is required. We’re always on our customers’ sites and provide an ongoing service that helps improve hygiene and water treatment processes and also achieves all sustainability goals in terms of economy, ecology and efficiency.”
The Sopura range comprises more than 400 items, with a core of about 80 primary products. The company is constantly improving its range and producing new innovations. This year, it applied for three new patents, the results of which were launched at the beverage and liquid food trade fair, Drinktec, that took place in Munich, Germany in September. The new products are a total food grade sanitiser; an aminefree, water-saving lubrication product; and a bottle-washing solution that uses less caustic soda at lower temperature.
As a member of the Walloon Export and Foreign Investment Agency (AWEX), Sopura is able to apply for a patent registration of extension subsidy, which covers the registration of the patent application and the costs of searching for existing patents.
This financial aid varies between 35% and 70% of the registration costs.
“These kind of incentives and the support we get from AWEX, in terms of feasibility studies, marketing advice and export aid, is a great driver of innovation,” says Coppieters.
In fact, although AWEX offers a comprehensive range of research and development incentives and has set up measures adapted to the goals and size of beneficiary companies, Belgium’s innovation system as a whole is among the best in the world. Last year, the country was ranked 10th in the European Patent Office, with macromolecular chemistry (polymers), micro- and nanotechnology as leading subjects and consumer goods, biotechnology and organic chemistry following closely.
Recent figures from the Organisation For Economic Co-operation And Development show Belgium has the fourth largest global technological advantage in biotechnology.
Moreover though, the use of research to pave the way for the future is among the six priorities set out by the Walloon government’s Priority Action Plan or Marshall Plan.
This indicates that while Belgium as a whole is a great supporter of innovation, the Wallonia region has raised the stakes even higher.
This, says Coppieters, is significant to companies such as Sopura: “Our products and the industries we serve demand ongoing innovation so research and development is of strategic importance to the success of our company.”