Recently, several companies and innovators are diligently engaged in innovational works to fight out the coronavirus pandemic. Taking the challenges into opportunities is the best troubleshooting approach .They help to effect sustainable results. Innovation is the government’s top priority and main agenda. Ministry of Innovation and Science has invited companies and innovators to engage themselves in innovational works.
In unprecedented manner Ethiopia has worked ardently to invite firms and individuals to engage in creativity. In this case, Asians put foods on their tables because they are involving in imitation, innovation and creativity tasks. This means that these people are mostly self-employed, entrepreneurs, set-family-and-community-based businesses.
The writer is of the opinion that Ethiopia has wide-opened its door to youths’ innovation and creativity at this time of hardship. Previously, Ethiopia had been engaged in importation of innovational technologies and equipment through reaching comprehensive strategic agreement with few Asia countries. Due to this, many companies and vibrant youths are getting out of the market, becoming bankrupt and having pessimist outlooks.
Currently, the government, especially, Ministry of Innovation and Science, has realized the contribution of the energetic youths in the creative and innovational works. In welcoming the Ministry’s invitation, Yascal Company comes up with cutting-edge mechanical ventilator to save the lives of corona virus victims thereby monitoring inhaling and exhaling power of their lungs.
The innovator, under Yascal Company, named Tensaye Berhan has created the mechanical ventilator.
He notes that this ventilator mainly works on breathing regulation. It could replace the purpose of a lung. The coronavirus disease aims at attacking the lung. Therefore, there is a need for a device that is capable to replace the lung. The ventilator has a capability in controlling air pressure, air parameter and the amount of air getting into the lung. It can prolong the life span of victims of the pandemic.
It is built twining inhaling and exhaling machines, sensory tube, and micro and display processors. Actually, there is a shortage of mechanical ventilator at global level, particularly, in the Africa continent. In this regard, United States vows to lend its hand in provision of ventilator. Nevertheless, the number of ventilators US donates is not enough? Therefore, focusing on home-made mechanical ventilators is taken as one of the decisive measures
Therefore, such innovation draws the attention of The Ethiopian herald staff. Then, The Ethiopian Herald has approached Chief Executive Officer of Yascal company, Samuel Yitbarek is willing to brief our esteemed readers on the activity of the company and its innovational works.
Herald: What initiated the company to innovate the mechanical ventilator?
Samuel: We do such innovational work taking into consideration the coronavirus diseases risks in the lives of our society. The company has been engaged in creativity to respond to any upcoming disastrous incidents. Of course, there are alternative solutions to respond to the current phenomena.
Though prevention is one of the major approaches to combat the disease, making a home-grown mechanical ventilator is pertinent to save the lives of our society. As we have experienced for 20 years in process automation, it is not as such difficult for us to make the mechanical ventilator.
Herald: Does the company primarily focus on innovational works? If yes, could you brief us about that?
Samuel: Yascal is a family business that was established through a vision of innovation and sustainability. Its commitment to redefine quality means the Ethiopian market has pushed the company to harness this industry to its untapped potential. Its approach in producing are represented through key values that propel the leading company in sector.
The trade mark of our brand lies within our drive to innovate new solutions using the resources in our own backyard. Innovation remains the core value in our approach to produce quality and sustainable solutions.
Our fully equipped labs are dedicated to creating new method to solve the common issues for our clients to increase efficiency, production and profitability. Our motto is “Innovation is our daily routine”. We are relentless in our pursuit of sustainable and organic adhesive solutions which is how we began using indigenous resources found in the lush terrains of Ethiopia to create products of the utmost quality.
In creating our own adhesive recipes using local ingredients such as the false banana tree, potato, corn, cassava and casein, the company has also created the first commercial cassava farm in Ethiopia. As a leading company, we are determined to harvest the purest ingredients.
Herald: How do you manage quality in the company’s products?
Samuel: Yascal takes responsibility in its products and maintains a strong commitment to continually improve its manufacturing. The company has implemented quality management system and it is ensuring the commitment is consistent with our mission and mission to create an innovative and reliable company in producing and supplying the best quality of starch, starch products and casein glue that will take Ethiopia and Africa to new heights.
Herald: What are the dreams the company envisages to achieve r?
Samuel: We envision Yascal to be the most trusted and leading provider in the adhesive industry for Ethiopia and the whole of Africa. Our products include a variety of adhesives such as starch and casein glue aside from a wide range of industries in search of quality and sustainable solutions.
Yascal was founded 20 years ago in the living room of a hard- working and curious entrepreneur by the name of Yitbarek Alemu. As the father of Yascal, Alemu remains to be the heartbeat of this company and a renowned chemist who dedicated his life to discovering new ways to provide realistic and maintainable solutions. Yascal is unique at its core because of our value of innovation and daring to create alternatives and tailor-made products.
Yascal is determined to become the leading company of local adhesive production in various industries, effectively substituting imported goods and services with home grown and competitive alternatives. Our growth will enable us to lead in many markets and categories throughout Africa in accordance with our core values and responsibilities.
Herald: what kind of products is the company producing currently?
Samuel: Yascal is currently producing casein based labeling adhesives. Our proficient and professional staff, along with our multiple quality checkpoints in the production process, ensure that our production of adhesives match international quality.
The adhesives are fit for machineries which spends up to 50, 000 bottles per hour. The company has given priority for the value of quality. At Yascal, quality means our adhesives are efficient, properly packaged, and easy to use and retain chemical integrity.
Herald: Is the company producing research aiming at problem solving and business purpose?
Samuel: Our approach in developing our products pairs research that is heavily focused on the latest industrial trends and technology with our assessment of the needs of our target markets. Since the founding of Yascal, the company has expanded to three processing plants in Addis Ababa.
Herald: What is the current capital and numbers of employed in the company?
Samuel: Yascals production generates 50 tons in a day with an annual turnover reaching 30 million Birr. There are about 150 employees that help us to achieve satisfactory result.
Herald: What are the cores Standards of the company to attract customers?
Samuel: As a family business, Yascal has developed core values we live and work by. One of our highest placed values is innovation. Since the inception of Yascal, we embrace our daily work with the need to be innovative, cutting edge and current with world standards.
This means consistency synergizing scientific innovation with local context. In addition, it also means persistence in understanding the challenges of our customers and solving their problem.
Herald: to what extent is the importance of quality management for the company?
Samuel: The Company has committed to building long lasting partnership with our customers based on our commitment to quality and sustainability by providing technical support and solutions. This value has a special place in the Yascal brand.
We strive hard to come up with best quality in our products, in our services and our relationships with our partners and customers. Our objective is to not only meet the expectations in our industry, but to exceed them. The promise of Yascal products works with quality management and handling.
Herald: What are the main challenges that confront the company not to be successful to the level it requires?
Samuel: The treatment of the government in provision of foreign currency with discriminatory tone to import the raw material is one of the hurdles the company not to achieve success. And the other challenge is that there is a fierce competition of foreign-based firms with our company in such a way that the foreign based firms dumb glues with cheap price and with less quality.
This discourages the local investors not to engage in the activity of innovation and creativity. Most of the glues, with less quality, have been imported from China, Germany and other countries.
This creates a platform where the infant local companies are swallowed by foreign based firms.
The Ethiopia Herald May10,2020
BY MEHARI BEYENE
