A vigilant approach

All things combined, Wikov is actively bolstering its position on all fronts, remaining proactive in the face of global pressures by emphasising improvements in efficiency and productivity.

To this end, innovations and investments will be defining for the business during 2019, as Růžička explains.

“I expect the company to begin developing a very complex modular system which will enable us to offer a large portfolio of customised industrial gearboxes in a very short time and for a very reasonable price,” he says. “We also aim to design a new super high- density planetary gearbox for ultra large size wind turbines.”

Driven by industry trends that are largely centred around the rise of new technologies and the growing market entry of new competitors, this strategy stands to keep Wikov at the forefront of the manufacturing industry, despite the uncertain climate.

Providing forecasts for the coming year, Růžička concludes: “Looking ahead, I expect railway vehicles shall have a good future, especially in city transportation and commuting trains, while I expect there will be growing standardisation, improved manufacturing efficiency and integrated electronic intelligent systems.

“Equally, I hope there will soon be greater opportunities in regard to both renewables and in heavy duty applications that have been neglected for a few years.

“However, these things aside, the overall situation may well be dictated by increasing protectionism and potential trade and business wars.”

TheGCC is developing a taste for dairy.

Take the fresh milk category, for example. While the region may not be blessed with the natural elements one might associate with cattle raising, its climate being extremely dry and terrain arid, consumers are drinking more and more freshly produced milk.

In 2017 the GCC consumed some 757.2 million litres of it, and by 2023 the market is expected to hit 1.18 billion litres, growing at a rate of 7.6 percent a year.

The rising affluence of the region’s consumers has encouraged the demand for premium and innovative products, including vitamin fortified, lactose-free, low-fat and sugar-free variants, in turn, providing an impetus to the fresh milk market growth.

Likewise, GCC citizens are becoming aware of milk’s nutritional benefits. It is a rich source of essential nutrients, such as calcium, protein, vitamin A,

vitamin D and phosphorus, helping to keep the body hydrated and supplied with both micro and macronutrients to support optimal health.

Moreover, fresh milk helps to strengthen bones, maintain muscle mass, improve the circulatory and skeletal systems, boost metabolism, lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases, increase immunity and support favourable body composition.

Governments in the GCC are responding to this trend in kind, with many making investments into new and efficient technologies for the handling of fresh milk, from production and cooling to storage.

Enter Al Rawabi

This rise in demand (for milk and juices) is also being served by organisations like Al Rawabi Dairy Company, owner of a purpose-built, enormous cattle farm based in Al Khawaneej, Dubai, with further operations in Oman and Qatar.

Al Rawabi Dairy Company is supplying the GCC’S heightening demand for dairy products and fruit juices, this having introduced a series of firsts to the region in its early years