THE FUTURE, - Solvay

Management
improvement
46
Management improvement > INNOVATIONS 09
209865 209872
VIRTHUALIS – ENVISIONING THE FUTURE
Human factor modeling
THE PROJECT. Industrial accidents are costly
in terms of wasted lives and lost revenue.
They are also tricky to anticipate, especially when
human error is involved. A new tool developed
by a European consortium of which SIS (Solvay
Information Services) is a member, offers an
answer. VIRTHUALIS couples Virtual Reality
Environments with Human Factor software
to create real-time simulations of critical events
in existing or future industrial sites. Users interact
and learn in this dynamic and realistic
environment. Their monitored behavior offers
valuable insight into the role of humans in
accidents and helps to improve safety standards
and reduce future risk. Used in conjunction with
existing safety procedures, VIRTHUALIS is a
user-friendly tool of high value throughout the life
cycle of a plant, from design to decommissioning.
CC SIS
> Fabrizio Asdente; Massimo Benella;
Giorgio Carimati; Simone Colombo; Alessandro Lippi;
Stefano Perna.
THE SOLUTION UNIT CONCEPT LAUNCHED
AND IMPLEMENTED BY CBD INTO THE
CHEMICALS SECTOR
From Products to Solutions
THE PROJECT. The Solution Unit concept was
created in 2006 as a mean to support the
Chemicals Sector with its growth objectives. By
bringing together people dedicated exclusively to
one market, the aim was to create additional
value for Solvay, driven from a market rather than
a product approach, pulling together the range of
experiences from across the sector.
The fi nal objective was twofold: First merge all
activities of the Chemicals Sector in one specifi c
fi eld of application in order to reach critical size,
to better understand market requirements and
trends and to establish intimacy with key players;
second, reinforce market penetration of Solvay
and generate growth through the development of
new products in order to become a real solution
provider to the selected market.
Three Solution Units were born from this concept,
focusing each on a specifi c market segment:
Solution Unit Healthcare Inorganics, Solution Unit
Environmental Specialties covering soil
remediation and water treatment, and Solution
Unit Wet Chemicals focusing on high purity liquids
aiming at cleaning and etching in electronic
applications.
The Solution Unit Healthcare Inorganics has
increased profi tability from EUR 3.7 million in
2006 to an estimated EUR 5.5 million in 2009
without increase in volume, or the need for
additional capital investment. Despite the
economic recession, profi ts are expected to
increase by 10% in 2009 compared to 2008.
The Solution Unit Wet Chemicals has already
contributed to improving the results of the existing
activities and opens huge growth perspectives,
with an estimated gain of EUR 0.5 million for
2009.
CHEMICALS BUSINESS
DEPLOYMENT
> Sharon Powell; Jean-Marie Blondel;
Steve Dobson; Cédric Humblot; Claudine Lewalle;
Rodolfo Lollini; Flavio Remonato; Michael Sell;
Laurence Soeteman.
210194
SEEDS FOR GROWTH
Strategic themes
and creativity
THE PROJECT. The ‘Seeds for Growth’ project
established by the Chemicals Sector recommends two
ways of stimulating innovation for growth:
• in terms of content: focusing creativity on a strategic
theme selected by senior Sector management;
• in terms of process: stimulating creativity around the
chosen theme by organizing creativity sessions
involving 20 to 70 representatives from all horizons
and competences in the Sector.
Launched in 2008, ‘Seeds for Growth’ has focused on
the strategic theme of ‘Chemistry beyond fossil fuels’.
1 000 ideas were gathered, grouped into 50 families.
In late 2008, a jury selected the 10 families of most
promising seeds that were then studied more deeply
by the members of the CBD (Chemicals Business
Deployment) team. In late May 2009, the Chemicals
Board chose three projects among the 10 families
studied, particularly in the fi elds of CO 2 sequestration,
lightweight and insulating mineral materials, and the
recovery of manufacturing by-products for conversion
into raw materials with high added value.
‘Seeds for Growth’ in 2008 will have resulted in the
launch of three projects in areas with high growth
potential and in line with our strategic commitment to
sustainability.
CHEMICALS BUSINESS
DEPLOYMENT
> Pascale Feickens; Heinz-Joachim Belt;
Jean-Marie Blondel; Roger Gaudy;
Claudine Lewalle; Rodolfo-Eugenio Lollini;
Olivier Patat; Carlo Pini; Kris Schauvliege.