On Wednesday, the Canadian company presented its latest project to the Minister of the Economy Etienne Schneider. Ambitiously entitled Factory of the future, the project aims to digitise the firm's production systems.
The benefits of digital production systems are predominantly that they help reduce production costs. Officials estimate the cost of the project at €11 million. It is launched in collaboration with Siemens.
Luxembourg's Ministry of the Economy has expressed support for the project, handing out €3.4 million in financial aid. The new system will allow the company to grow and serve its clients more quickly all while maintaining existing jobs, according to the head of the Husky Dudelange site Stefano Mirti.
However, it remains unclear whether this goal is realistically achievable: job functions are constantly evolving and additional training is constantly crucial. 74 employees are currently participating in such additional training sessions.
Digitisation is a modern business necessity and the Dudelange-based company does not want to miss out. All internationally operating companies must take this step in order to keep up with competition, Mirti stressed. To give you an indication of the competition: Chinese competitors are 30 to 40% cheaper and much faster. Therefore, improving cost structures and adapting to changing times are paramount.
According to Etienne Schneider, Husky will evolve quickly and soon be able to provide individualised products at a more flexible level. The hope is also that this will improve the company's competitiveness.
In Schneider's business vision, Luxembourg-based companies will produce more - all while using fewer resources. In other words, businesses of the future should not only be more efficient but also reduce their environmental impact.
