Rasselstein Hoesch GmbH sets up innovation center

New ideas and products can help companies gain a decisive edge over international competitors. Furthermore, in the global economy innovation cycles are growing increasingly shorter. Rasselstein Hoesch GmbH, Andernach, Germany`s only tinplate producer, has set up a new innovation center to help speed up the development of innovative tinplate products. The center will be introduced to the public on April 27, 2001.

The aim of the innovation center is to combine the expertise of engineers and marketing experts to develop creative tinplate packagings in collaboration with customers. Ideas for innovative tinplate products outside the packaging sector are also to be explored. Employees at the innovation center support the projects from the initial idea to the first prototypes and small series to the market launch of finished products. "Our goal is to develop marketable innovations in tinplate in cooperation with our customers and to help take the new products to market quickly and efficiently," says Karsten Brandt, head of marketing at Rasselstein Hoesch GmbH.

The innovation center forms the interface between the development, quality and marketing departments. The synergies produced by close cooperation between engineers and marketing experts accelerate the process of turning ideas into marketable products. In addition, intensive cooperation with customers helps build up strategic networks.

"Our services for customers extend far beyond the development of new products. The innovation center also supports the optimization of existing products and provides technical assistance with prototyping and small series production," says Dr. Reiner Sauer, head of development and quality management. Costing, marketing advice, market research and PR work also form part of the extensive service spectrum of Rasselstein Hoesch`s new innovation center. To set up the center, the company invested in special machinery as well as hardware and software for prototyping and specimen construction. "The innovation center has already begun work on initial promising projects," says Jochen Lohscheidt, head of the innovation center.

However, the development of creative ideas is not to be confined to the innovation center. The aim is to establish an informal internal network. "Employees from all the various departments of Rasselstein Hoesch are to be motivated to submit their product ideas to the innovation center. In this way the center will foster the innovation culture throughout the company," explains Jochen Lohscheidt.

For further reference: Informations-Zentrum Weißblech e.V., Daniela Dühr / Astrid Goldberg, Tel.: +49 (2 11) 3 86 59-21/-16, Fax: +49 (2 11) 3 86 59-24 E-Mail: duehr@izw.de, goldberg@izw.de