March 22, 2024
With support from Norway Grants and HBOR, KENDA Europe is making unprecedented investments in digital technologies and greener materials at its steel wheel factory in Croatia.
In mid 2023, KENDA launched a project at their Beli Manastir Factory named: Reinventing the Wheel – Agile Integrated Technological and Green Transition of KENDA Manufacturing HR into a Leading Regional Lean and Green Steel Forming Factory. The project and investments will make their activities more environmentally sustainable, embrace digitalisation and strengthen the local community further.
The factory currently has 8 wheel production lines where around 200 employees produce 1 million steel wheels per year. With crucial financial support for the project from European funds, KENDA is able to strengthen the factory long-term by ensuring higher skilled local jobs, opening up new markets and contributing to reducing the environmental impact of the manufacturing.
Looking toward the future
Mario Biscan, the director of the company, said “we can no longer rely on dedicated, manual work to compete in the market place, so we need to help our company and it’s employees embrace new skills and technology. At the same time, we need to take care of the effect our company is having on our local environment , and I am very pleased that we were able to get financial support from Norway Grants and HBOR to make this all possible”.
The total spend of the wider project is approximately 4.5 million Euros, with 1.3 million Euros provided by Norway Grants (operated in Croatia by Innovation Norway), over 2 million Euros supported by HBOR, and the remainder invested by KENDA. The project has been designed, developed and implemented in cooperation with Eupolis Group Ltd and International Development Norway.
Implementation already under way
KENDA is now in the process of implementing a number of new technologies across the entire production flow, including a rooftop solar installation, robotics and a digitally controlled wheel manufacture. These will achieve a reduction in energy and waste in the manufacturing and painting process, enable higher performing products to be made, and improve the working area through better lighting, stronger insulation and improved air quality.
If you are interested to know more about the investments and associated projects, please do not hesitate to contact Mario Biscan at mario.biscan@kendaeurope.com.
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