ISLAMABAD: The parent company of Dawlance, Arçelik, has established its second R&D centre in Pakistan at the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST).
Arçelik is the 2nd largest manufacturer in Europe, operates in 53 countries with 83 subsidiaries and has 30 R&D centres around the world. Arçelik produces leading sustainable and innovative home appliances at its cutting-edge facilities in nine countries.
For fostering innovations in Pakistan, Arçelik established an R&D centre in Karachi in 2017 just after the acquisition of Dawlance and now is making a new investment to establish an Arçelik Global Research & Development (R&D) Centre at the National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST), in Islamabad, to accelerate its effort to grow in Pakistani market.
The new R&D centre was inaugurated with a ceremony attended by the Pro-Rector of NUST RIC - Air vice Marshal Dr Rizwan Riaz (retd), the President of Koç Holding Consumer Durables Group Dr Fatih Kemal Ebiçliolu, Arçelik Chief Commercial Officer of Turkey and South Asia Can Dinçer, Arçelik Chief Production and Technology Officer NihatBayz, CEO of Dawlance Umer Ahsan Khan and Pakistani officials.
Arçelik’s Executive Director of R&D – Emre Ouz and the Chief Executive Officer of Dawlance (Pakistan) Umer Ahsan Khan signed this historic agreement, at the NUST University in Islamabad, along with Pro-Rector RIC - Air vice Marshal Dr. Rizwan Riaz (retd). This initiative will deploy highly qualified engineers to train the youth in modern skill sets for creating a globally competitive workforce in Pakistan
Dr. Fatih Ebiçliolu, President of Consumer Durables at the parent company of Arcelik - Koç Holding, stated that “Consistently creating value for our stakeholders, expanding and diversifying our global reach, and putting our customers first are the pillars of Koc Holding's vision. We see Pakistan as a key developing market for local manufacturing, R&D and future export hubs. Pakistan is a very high-potential country in information technologies and is well on track to become a leader in STEM. We believe that the R&D centre in NUST will serve to the strategic national objective of the country. Focusing on software development, this R&D centre, marking first among our 30 R&D centres of Arçelik, will support the needs of all Arcelik subsidiaries worldwide.
Arçelik plays a leading role in global home appliance industry thanks to its R&D skills and its commitment to developing sustainable, innovative, smart, digital home solutions. Innovative technologies introduced to consumers in Pakistan promise up to 50 per cent conservation of energy, promise environmental sustainability and protect the Ecology of the planet for future generations. Vitamin Fresh technology at refrigerators increasing vitamin retention in the fruits/vegetables in crisper while Nature Lock technology increasing the life of vegetables, reducing food waste and costs to consumers. Aqua Smart washing technology has special cycles to reduce water consumption. Blast Air Conditioner, which offers a 30 per cent stronger air flow, enhancing comfort and convenience are among the innovative Technologies of Dawlance.
Arçelik’s R&D centre in Karachi caters to all product categories in Dawlance, including refrigerators/freezers, split ACs, washing machines, water dispensers, TV and small domestic appliances (SDAs). Expertise exists in all fields of product design & development including structural design, modelling/analysis, system design and testing, embedded software design, design implementation only appliance manufacturer in Pakistan with this capability.
The CEO of Dawlance - Umer Ahsan Khan stated that: "Arcelik’s partnership with NUST - the premier technology institute in Pakistan, shows our commitment to foster technological advancements in Pakistan and enable the professional development of the youth. Arçelik has been making healthy investments to foster research, modernize production and provide the highest quality products. The young engineers at NUST will gain valuable experiences, by learning about Arçelik's global quality standards, regulatory compliance and best practices.”
The Pro-Rector RIC of NUST - Air vice Marshal Dr Rizwan Riaz (retd) said “We are thankful to Arçelik for working directly with NUST to utilize the research-centric environment of this prestigious engineering institution, to complete its ongoing and futuristic R&D projects. This partnership will enable the development & testing of IT solutions, pertaining to the home appliances category, as Arçelik is expanding its footprint in Pakistan and other Asian countries, to show its confidence in the talents and scientific potential of the youth.” The entire infrastructural and running cost of this venture will be managed by the Arçelik team. This initiative will also help in gaining deeper insights into the local consumer’s needs and preferences to develop innovative solutions, based on the needs of the Asian markets. Large volumes of data will be collected and shared with the Arçelik team, for exploring the possibilities to export IT solutions, globally.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023