ESCATEC, the EMS innovator, will be increasing its Research
and Development operations significantly over the next five years growing the
headcount from 30 to 200 and the turnover from $4 million to $40 million. This
will enable the company to provide a fully integrated product design and
manufacturing service that covers every stage from taking the initial idea for
a product through R&D to product design, prototyping and then volume
production in the company’s Asian facilities.
“We have identified R&D as being the key differentiator for ESCATEC that
sets it apart from other contract manufacturing companies,” explained Daniel
Pfeifer, who has just been appointed the Head of the new Global R&D Team at
ESCATEC. “At one end of the product creation chain you have the design companies
and at the other end you have the contract manufacturers but neither knows much
about the other’s skills. As a result, product prototypes are created without
being designed for manufacture, so that, when the prototype is handed over to a
manufacturer, they find at a late stage that the design is not suitable for
mass-production. By then, it is too late to fix it without significant cost and
delay to the project. It is not joined up! We cover the gap in the market by
working in partnership with customers at every step of the way to create and
produce products.”
ESCATEC has been offering a contract R&D service to its customers for a
number of years and the proven success of this offering has led to the decision
to focus on a dramatic ramp up, which will enable the company to offer a full
end-to-end product service to an even wider range of customers. The Heerbrugg
facility will be the Global Headquarters for the R&D operation. “Being in
Switzerland means that we are close to our European customers,” added Daniel
Pfeifer. “We will be adding design centres in America, Asia and other European
locations in order to support our customers close to their R&D headquarters
and all co-ordinated from our Global R&D Headquarters. Also, by having
R&D facilities around the globe, we can use the time zones to provide 24
hour continuous support.”
Gerhard Klauser, General Manager at ESCATEC Switzerland, added, “Companies have
been outsourcing their manufacturing to third parties or using Original Device
Manufacturers for some time now. The trouble is that they are losing the
ability to differentiate and innovate as they often don't owe the all-important
Intellectual Property (IP). Our service puts the customer in control of their
destiny by ensuring that they own the IP that is developed for them, and
enabling them to use their core knowledge and skills to come up with the
product ideas that we then make real for them. It enables them to focus on what
makes them different and unique.”
Contact:
Nigel Robson,
Vortex PR,
Tel: +44 (0) 1481 233080
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