Interview with Francesc Rosell, director of the Merck Chemicals Division at Spain
November 4, 2009
Merck Chemicals products are mainly oriented towards the food industry, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. What sector is at the moment brings more benefits to the company? Is it markets that have a direct relationship between them?
Our products and services are framed in three areas, differentiated in the chemical sector: the of liquid crystals, with technologies for visible communication and elements for a more clean and efficient (such as for example the photovoltaic energy) energy; 'Life Science Solutions', discovery of a new entity to its formulation in the field of functional food ingredients, cosmetics and pharmacy; and finally a proposal in the industrial field based on effect pigments and functional called 'Performance'.
At the moment due to the rise of both television and flat panel displays for personal computers, mobile phones and navigational instruments, the sector of liquid crystals is providing an important contribution, without despising the pharmaceutical market and biotechnological aspects. They are fully differentiated between these markets, each has its needs and objectives as its own strategy within the group.
Why is the presence of Merck Chemicals in the CPhI (international fair for pharmaceutical products)?
Merck Chemicals attends all editions of CPhI as a classic, by promoting the safe and rational use of assets and excipients for the pharmaceutical industry, working with entities such as EFCG (European Fine Chemicals Group). Also in this issue in an entirely dedicated to the biopharmaceutical sector stand we present our new 'gmp process solutions' plant, which will operate offering personalized services to our clients in the biotechnology sector in the field of pharmaceutical raw materials in GMP environments with highly purified water.
To what extent is the CPhI becoming important in the trade fair panorama of the European pharmaceutical industry?
The most notable of this fair is that it has run very professionally since its inception. In a few days, it brings together most of the players in the pharmaceutical sector, offering a very focused vision, contrary to other more generalist fairs. The number of visits and visitors profile is high, has been consolidated in attractive places where there are Fairgrounds and high level services.
Given the times, is required to ask you, is how far the crisis has affected Merck and if they have been forced to slow down a project or to reduce the investment in r & d?
At Merck we like to say that we think in generations and this implies that we already know the cyclical component of the dynamics of the market, it is for this reason that on the one hand in the short term we have applied prudence in our decisions, streamline spending in our operations and taking those measures at the financial level to ensure the health of the company through the necessary adaptation to the economic context. That is, a decrease of production plans, inventory when necessary, but in any case we can allow ourselves the strategic cost-cutting, such as r & d expenses or those items that have to do with the development of the organization or their talents in the medium or long term.
It is clear that the closest to private consumption sectors have had to adapt the expectations to the environment, but our strategy remains steadfast and progresses without any alteration, in fact we have confirmed our strategic plan this year. In this sense Merck has shown its commercial line recently acquired in emerging markets like China company Suzhou Taizhu Technology Development effect pigments.
Do you think that mergers between companies in the chemical industry can be a solution, as is happening in other sectors?
In my opinion, the approach in the chemical sector is more strategic than operational, is not therefore an issue of dimension or synergies of market as it can occur in other sectors. The chemical sector faces challenges that question models of business in new legislative contexts or social and corporate responsibility what adds complexity to the decision-making process. Grow in harmony with the expectations of users and society demand for an approach based mainly on the ability to innovate and manage change.
Merck has developed an ambitious plan for the future through sustained primarily in emerging organic growth and acquisitions plan that enhances our offer of value in attractive markets on our interests.
The chemistry is in virtually everything that surrounds us in our daily lives. When your company is proposed to create a new product or element, what is the first thing that takes into account?
Today the dominant attributes are outlined in Reach, security of implementation and the respect for the environment, as well as the opportunity of the socket with the expectations of our customers and business. We have various technological platforms themselves and have an extensive network of partner companies. Areas of interest are defined and the projects are followed using tools that interact with all the part relevant, however, this in no way guarantees success, as persons are who through their competence and attitude will make it possible to advance.
Take a look at the website of Merck is to discover thousands of products from fields as diverse as antibodies, proteins, enzymes, or inhibitors. What organizational level to bring together a broad range of product lines?
An exciting challenge in which we live every day, immersed the maintain that which guarantees the satisfaction of our customers, the change in time what who for one reason or another should be made to grow oriented and strategically aligned with the interests of the company.
Organizations, therefore, must have commercial structures geared to the market, our business, and these units have a profile and a dimension that make them profitable. That being said, some functional units perfectly overlapped with the interests of the business as at the corporate level framed operational activities within the mission and values of the company with a vocation for service and cost of market.
