At the end of all projects produced at LCTO – Limak Cement Central Technical Organization, commercialization, brand and patent issues are modeled and all targets are determined in this direction. Therefore, the projects we produce primarily for our own company and the outputs here stand out as services that will set a role model for the industry in general with the awareness they will create in the long term.
Ebru Sipahioğlu / CTO of Limak Cement
Limak Cement is among the pioneering companies of the Turkish cement sector with its efforts and the steps it has taken. You hold a particular position especially with the investments you have made in technology. Could you tell us about Limak Cement’s overall approach to technology and its general philosophy?
As Limak Cement we always focus on technology and we always carry out planning in a multidimensional manner. Information technologies and digital transformation are the priorities of our company. We follow a technical, financial, commercial and social data pool that we use both in our company and that is prominent across the sector in the world. We know that we cannot do planning on anything without measuring it first, at the point we have reached now. We are aware of the significance of measuring everything in order to make the right decisions for today and future. Every day we are increasing the percentage of establishing all of our strategies based on data. We are going on to take sure steps towards making technology an essential part of our lives.
You have major and pioneering efforts especially in the field of Digital Transformation as Limak Cement. What kind of studies are you carrying out in the field of Digital Transformation?
We have a dual transformation project that we have been working on for a long time and the outputs of which we have now started to actualize much more clearly. Information technologies and digital transformation are at the core of this goal. Our digitalization process is striding off by picking up more speed with every step we take here. We are aware that the right employment is highly essential in achieving our goals. With this goal in mind, we employ data scientists and engineers at higher rates and focus more and more on the development of these employees every day. Our technological investments in training and human resources can also be considered among these efforts.
Your R&D Center was recently registered. Could you tell us about the overall structure, employees, etc. of the center, which will continue its activities with the approval of the Ministry?
R&D and innovation are among the main elements of the sector we are operating in and our company continues its investments in this field without easing down. Recently, the Ministry of Industry and Technology certified us as an R&D Center as of 05.10.2022. Our R&D Center operates under the name LCTO – Limak Cement Central Technical Organization. Our center features cement and ready-mixed concrete research laboratories . We conduct researches here in order to make the products we manufacture more efficient, project-oriented for our customers.
Our R&D Center conducts its studies with a multidisciplinary team. Engineers from various fields such as chemistry, construction, mining, electrical and electronics, environment and software with PhD, master’s and bachelor’s degrees take office as researchers in our center. Additionally, our finance and human resources teams that we also employ in our center work as task support personnel and contribute to all studies.
What kind of studies will you carry out at the R&D Center?
Firstly, what needs to be emphasized here is the relationship between R&D and the cement industry. When the term R&D is mentioned, the first thing that usually comes to mind is releasing new products, making new inventions or creating innovative works in certain fields. However, cement already has a basic standard. Here, the products are defined with standards and the production criteria are clearly laid down. The question of what kind of research and development work can be conducted in the cement sector arises in almost everyone’s mind when these conditions are taken into consideration. On the other hand, the cement sector has the status of being a highly traditional and also an energy-intensive sector. What needs to be focused on here is what the sector needs in general, what are the aspects that need development and how the future will be envisioned in terms of the main strategy. The definition of this ecosystem in the cement sector shall exactly be made as R&D and Innovation. As a matter of fact, R&D studies can and should be carried out in the cement sector as in all other sectors when you look from a wider perspective.
We, as Limak Cement, act with the approach focusing on producing better products in our field, protecting the environment better and strengthening our digital infrastructure. At this point, we basically carry out R&D activities on aspects such as digitalization, cement production with low carbon footprint, building members compatible with digital technology and infrastructure, cement equipment, green energy, low emission technologies. We focus on how we can hand over the essential industrial know-how we have acquired so far to future generations in a more efficient and accurate way by giving due consideration to the needs and expectations of the sector at LCTO – Limak Cement Central Technical Organization. We focus on the question of how we can integrate all these to technological and digital systems. We strive to implement and model all of our projects in line with this.
The increase in production due to the increase in demand in almost all industrial sectors causes carbon emissions, waste generation, increased energy and water consumption, and consequently the emergence of many different deformations. What needs to be emphasized and meticulously examined here is the actions that industrial organizations has to take in order to reduce their environmental impact in response to this intensive production.
Are the studies at this center only intended for your own company and brand? Or will you also offer support to other companies in the sector?
Commercialization, brand and patent issues are modeled at the end of all projects produced at LCTO – Limak Cement Central Technical Organization and all goals are set in such direction. Therefore, the projects we produce primarily for our own company and the outputs they produce stand out as services that will in fact serve as a role model across the sector with the awareness they will create in the long term. In this context, we can easily state that we have taken significant steps and conducted studies not only for ourselves, but also for the Turkish cement industry.
How do you think the studies at the R&D Center will affect Limak Cement?
We consider that working with such an organization has raised awareness particularly among the executives and all employees of our group on R&D and innovation. You start to have a corporate R&D ecosystem over time as there is an increase in the opinions and ideas produced here. This actually entices you into thinking outside the box, increase your creativity and see almost everything from a more questioning perspective. Additionally, cooperation and teamwork among all employees starts to increase in the relevant process. You are also make major leaps to recognize the value of customers and act accordingly. Also, the prestige and reputation of your company becomes higher over time in addition to the many different advantages that this situation offers. Everyone working in your organization starts to follow technological advancements more closely and the rate of collaborations demonstrate an increase over time. The rate of collaborations with universities, non-governmental organizations, public institutions and organizations start to increase and more productive collaborations are started to be established here. As these collaborations increase your visibility in the sector, you also begin to better analyze both the agenda and sectoral needs, and take actions promptly and appropriately to get the leadership position in your sector. Your interaction and communication with fresh graduates also increases when you have an innovative perspective. Communication with Generation Z stands out as a very significant matter in today’s business world. From this perspective, it is possible to say that we also have strengthened our communication with Generation Z.
We are conducting necessary studies to reduce emissions in line with our 2053 net zero carbon targets with a carbon capture and zero waste approach in all of our efforts.
Green and environmentally friendly production, as well as sustainability are among the most important agenda items in the cement sector. What role will R&D play in these changes in the future of the sector, including Zero Carbon?
The increase in production due to the increase in demand in almost all industrial sectors causes carbon emissions, waste generation, increased energy and water consumption, and consequently the emergence of many different deformations. What needs to be emphasized and meticulously examined here is the actions that industrial organizations has to take in order to reduce their environmental impact in response to this intensive production. Our LCTO R&D Center focuses on this point in all of the studies it carries out. We are conducting necessary studies to reduce emissions in line with our 2053 net zero carbon targets with a carbon capture and zero waste approach in all of our efforts. “Green Transformation in Industry” targets asserted to reduce carbon emissions equivalent to sustainable and clean production technologies, reduction of clinker usage rate and alternative fuel usage can only be possible with R&D Center strategies as this point we have now reached. And we shape all of our studies in line with this.
What will be your overall efforts and strategy for the upcoming period?
As LCTO R&D Center, we have planned our strategies for the short, medium and long term. Introducing environmentally friendly products to the sector with our R&D and Innovation studies which play an important role in the sustainability strategy as well as studying the use of alternative fuels and raw materials and producing cements and concrete members with low carbon footprint through use of the results of these studies in the industry, CDW (Construction and Demolition Waste) are among matters that we focus on.
Being an energy-intensive sector, the cement sector is one of the strongest paths leading to providing infrastructure to the circular economy through industrial symbiosis (i.e. recovering the waste of one sector in favor of another sector) studies. This characteristic features a number of innovative topics. And as Limak Cement, we are including the topics of artificial intelligence and digitalization, autonomous systems, VR, virtual reality applications etc. in our long-term strategies and we placing emphasis on our studies in this direction.
