‘Ansell invests nearly $ 2m in R and D centre’

The newly constructed Research and Development centre (R and D) of Ansell Limited, an industrial solutions company was opened on Thursday at the Biyagama Free Frade Zone to increase manufacturing capacity.

Ansell Lanka Limited has invested $ 1 to 2 million on a 16,000 square foot, state-of-the-art R and D centre to manufacture better products in protective solutions for customers. “We have one of the biggest manufacturing plants in Sri Lanka and it is fitting to have the company's first research and development centre in Asia to be set up in Sri Lanka. We have three more in Malaysia, Mexico and North America,” Ansell Global, Managing Director, Magnus Nicolin said.

“We also have 18 manufacturing plants in various countries of which are mostly in Asia. We are geared to sell ‘injury avoidance’ and see tremendous growth potential in Sri Lanka,” he said. Hand injuries are the most common injury at industry level and we deliver the best hand protection technology. Over 40 percent of sales are accounted for by Europe and 24 percent are from emerging markets such as Russia and China, he said. “Our choice of country was influenced by not only the level of productivity in Sri Lanka, but innovation and free thinking. We deploy lean and Kizen management techniques and believe that Sri Lanka is a good place for innovative manufacturing,” he said.

BOI Chairman Dr. Lakshman Jayaweera said that Sri Lanka produces 153 metric tonnes of natural rubber. It is an industry that employs 300,000 people in the rubber trade value chain. The country has secured 23 percent of the global natural rubber market that gives premium prices. The industry generated $ 857 million in exports recording a 28.7 percent growth for the past year. The global industry growth is 4.6 percent. Research and development is key to product innovation and adopting to sophisticated technology will ensure competitiveness of the product. The R and D facility will create a conducive environment in a growing consumer market, he said.Ansell is a large exporter of surgical gloves. The decision to set up an integrated manufacturing R and D facility is to serve the unmet market potential. The country needs to make a conscious effort to improve on innovation and identify resources in this regard. Sri Lanka’s strength is the sizeable pool of professionals and entrepreneurs who could transform the country in to a knowledge hub, he said.

Ansell accounts for 20 percent of latex industry volume and uses 7 percent of total rubber production for manufacturing purposes. The company is the pioneer in introducing latex technology and dipped manufacturing process in Sri Lanka.

-SJ