Plustechno is a strong female initiative that breaks the industry’s glass ceiling. We had an interview with Plustechno General Manager Assoc. Prof. Dr. Özlem Akalın, who offers extraordinary solutions for the sustainable future of the cement industry:
“The discovery of cement is an important turning point in the industrialization process of the world. In the next 50 years, cement and concrete will be the most important materials needed after water. As in every field, it is important to use it in a useful way without disturbing the balance and to respect nature. On the one hand, raw materials are taken from nature to produce cement, on the other hand, recovery technologies contribute to the environmentalist perspective of this sector.”
Plustechno is a company with 14 years of experience. Could you tell us the story of Plustechno?
Plustechno is a company founded in 2009 with female entrepreneurship and started to operate by providing technical consultancy to industrial organizations for research and development projects. This was preceded by 15 years of experience in the private sector and a master’s and doctoral program at universities. METU Chemical Engineering education enabled me to develop a questioning perspective in business life. I started to work as a newly graduated chemical engineer in the ready-mixed concrete sector, which has recently been established in our country. At first, I thought that I was in the wrong sector in the sector where civil engineers predominate, but years later, I realized that this was an advantage. The core staff of the newly established company in the private sector were experienced engineers retired from the state, their experience and our diligence contributed to the rapid growth of the company in a period of 10 years. In 1998, my master’s thesis on ‘Synthesis of melamine sulphonates based polymers and their performance in ready-mixed concrete’ was realized in a short period of 6 months and we succeeded in becoming the first domestic concrete admixture company producing raw materials in our country. At that time, when even the technical university was still debating whether chemical admixtures in ready-mixed concrete were harmful or beneficial, it is important that the managers who made this investment had a vision. From 1998 to 2009, we succeeded in becoming the fourth largest additive manufacturer of our country with the success of developing different chemical additives by developing “know how” for about ten years. These great commercial R&D achievements were also crowned by TTGV (Technology Development Foundation of Turkey) with the award for the Most Successful Thesis in University-Industry Cooperation. In 2001, my master’s thesis and in 2009, my doctoral thesis was deemed worthy of this award.
I have experienced the saying “There is good in every evil” many times throughout my life. The fact that the bosses did not see the light in the field of chemistry paved the way for me to stand on my own feet in the field of chemistry and materials. My experience, knowledge and academic achievements led to the birth of Plustechno Consultancy when several foreign companies offered me consultancy. My entrepreneurial adventure, which I started with technical consultancy, shifted towards construction chemicals trade with the sales representation of the chemical products of the international company. Until 2017, my business life based on both consultancy and trade gained a different dimension when I presented my own project to Teknopark Istanbul and was accepted. Gradually, I started to develop my own products. Between 2017 and 2023, we carried out 9 projects, received 3 international patents, 2 ISIF Honor Awards, and 4 Certificates of Achievement. With these achievements and commercial added value, we received investor support from Ziraat Participation Bank and established our production line with 50% partnership. We are currently a technopark company with the status of small-scale SME, with the ability to develop knowledge- based products and export. We are working with our young team to create added value for producers with the patent we own within the framework of the green agreement on cement production; feeling the support of our state behind us at all times.
We are talking about a company that focuses on human life and works with chemicals and the industrial sector. What are the ways of doing a business that conflicts with the planet and at the same time making it sustainable?
The earth and the universe are built on a perfect balance. Scientists are still working to understand the perfection of this balance. The balance of nature is an optimum integration of chemistry, physics, maths, biology, atoms and six energies. Human beings have been making new discoveries with the knowledge they have at that moment and developing materials that will be useful for their work since they have existed. The discovery of cement is also an important turning point in the industrialization process of the world. In the next 50 years, cement and concrete will be the most important materials needed after water. As in every field, it is important to use it in a useful way without disturbing the balance and to respect nature. On the one hand, raw materials are taken from nature to produce cement, on the other hand, recovery technologies contribute to the environmentalist perspective of this sector. Likewise, the concrete industry is a sector that contributes to the environment by disposing of sub-industry wastes. What disturbs societies is the unlimited use of these materials for investment purposes. In the Far East, building under the soil and protecting the soil and green areas above it are new trends. The more trees and soil are protected, the more the temperature difference that causes climate change will be minimized. In the sustainable cement and concrete sector, city plans, material optimization, protection of nature and more engineering studies will protect both technology and nature in the future.
What kind of a summary road map do you propose when it comes to sustainable, environmentally friendly production for the cement industry?
A sustainable cement sector will be possible by focusing on production processes with mineral additives and waste disposal. It will be possible by transferring the technology and knowledge in this field to the sector and adapting the standards. It will be possible to provide concrete production that will create added value with innovative cement production technology with high performance (Plustechno has the first patent in this field) and to focus on optimization studies as a sector. While 960 kg of carbon dioxide was emitted in the production of one ton of cement ten years ago, today this amount has decreased to 650 kg abroad. Reducing carbon dioxide by 10% in million tons of cement production provides direct benefits for the environment. In our country, the transformation of 80 million tons of cement into cement with mineral additives will be a serious innovation.
“How do we measure R&D in the cement industry in Turkiye? How many patents do we have? How many of these are at a level to be transferred to the industry and what is the income they generate will guide us. Lafarge Cement, which leads cement in the world, has over 100 patents. When we say that construction is the locomotive sector in our country, it is necessary to look at such data and direct the sector accordingly. The asset value of companies will increase with patent valuations. We will witness these in following years.”
You have a “product tree”. Could you tell us what you produce for which sectors?
The roots of our product tree are the projects we carry out in the field of R&D and innovation and their outputs are patented innovative products and processes. This is the part that makes us strong, the stronger it is, the healthier it grows. Of course, with favorable climatic conditions. The positive wind that started with technoparks in our country will reach its target by using it to move forward. The economy of our country will develop depending on R&D, P&D and innovation processes. The Plustechno product tree also includes products in the field of building materials, cement chemicals, concrete chemical additives and special raw materials for the construction industry. The process, which started with trade, evolves towards products with high added value with its own know-how creation. Paint, ceramics, powder group plasticizers are included in our product range.
R&D and innovation are your backbone. What is the state of R&D and innovation both in Turkiye and in the cement industry?
As a scientist and business person who was born and raised in this country for nearly 30 years, but who is constantly aware of the developments in the world, who follows the developments as a participant within the framework of my own business, who has succeeded in combining academic and practical life and who has been confirmed with awards, I think that the sector should attach more importance to knowledge in the future. If we want to make a difference, it will be necessary to change old business models. The companies with the approach of ‘I don’t pay for patents;’ and ‘R&D; steal and bring’ have learned by experience that no progress can be made this way. With the legal process in the field of intellectual property rights in our country, we will see that information will make money in the near future. Science and technology will be the main road map of the process.
How can we measure R&D in the cement sector in Turkiye? Of course, concrete data is important. How many patents do we have? How many of these are at a level to be transferred to the industry and what is the income they generate will guide us. Lafarge Cement which leads cement in the world, has over 100 patents. When we say that construction is the locomotive sector in our country, it is necessary to look at such data and direct the sector accordingly. The asset value of companies will increase with patent valuations. We will witness these in following years.
International projects, participation in the international market through patent commercialization… You also provide consultancy services on all these processes and more. Could you tell us a little about the processes and share a sample project?
In my 15 years of private sector experience, the first five years were spent learning and developing the business. The next 10 years were the most productive time, if only there had been no industrial blindness at that time and production had been encouraged, we would have taken the company I work for now to different points. In 2009, starting from scratch with only the knowledge I had, I carried out project-based studies first in our country and then with international companies. With Betek Filli Boya, we adapted mathematics and statistics to product development by optimizing a new water-based paint mixture using the Statistical Mixing Method. In collaboration with Fibrobeton for many years, I contributed to their processes and we developed a new product and made a patent partnership. This year, our internationally registered patent won two awards at ISIF 2023. The gold medal and ARCA special award, and it was also honored with the innovation award by Croatia. I also have two patents on cement production and chemical additives. These were also deemed worthy of the Honor Award at ISIF 2021, on environmentally friendly cement production. We have many exemplary projects, and the product of our project that led to this award is a radiation impermeable composite material. It is an innovative material that is cement-based and an alternative to lead sheet. It has been completed as a Tübitak Teydep project, and now the necessary work is being carried out for its commercialization. We are working for its use not only in Turkiye but also abroad. We create new co-operation opportunities by attending conferences. We have had a trust-based cooperation with South Korea for many years. Our co-operations and productions are increasing. The importance they attach to ethical values is an important factor in their development.
At what stage do you think the relationship between sustainability and R&D is in the cement industry? Is sufficient importance given to R&D on the way to sustainable production?
The cement sector is very strong in Turkiye. Decision-makers should support studies and determine a road map not only for this sector but also for the continuation of this sector and its subsidiary sectors. In the sustainability road map, sector employees should support R&D projects by considering the needs of our country. Especially interdisciplinary studies carry new opportunities. Basic sciences-based studies are important for the studies that the sector will need.
What are your future plans and investment/project targets?
I am working for my company to grow with the investment incentive it has received and to reach its first-year targets. The projects we have carried out so far have made us a producer company. In the following period, we aim to differentiate ourselves and grow in the field of chemistry with a focus on production and research and development activities, and to be able to export abroad. We have applied for the Hamle Project in the field of chemistry-health opened by the Ministry of Science and Industry. Depending on our production quantities, this incentive will take us to the next category.
