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INTERVIEW

"Reiner Microtek is committed to innovation as the main factor in competitiveness"

Interview given by Pablo Cajaraville, Reiner Microtek's Technical and Marketing Director.

Pablo Cajaraville, Reiner Microtek's Technical and Marketing Director

Pablo Cajaraville is the Technical and Marketing Director of “Reiner Microtek, Polymer Microtechnologies”, a company that emerged out of the agreement between REINER (plastic injection and blow moulding) and IK4-TEKNIKER to develop a new Business Unit based on micro-injection techniques and micromould manufacture. From his experience he tells newtek about the company’s activity as a spin-off, and the context that microtechnologies are part of.

Reiner Microtek is a good example of a spin-off that was set up using the know-how of an R+D centre like IK4-TEKNIKER. What does this circumstance contribute to the market?

The lack of 'references' is one of the main obstacles for penetrating the market that new companies come up against. In this respect, spin-offs offer an advantage because they can lean on the Companies/R+D centres from which they were created. In our case, the reputation of IK4-TEKNIKER and Reiner (the two parent companies) has helped to persuade the market to place its trust in Reiner Microtek. At first it is crucial, later on the new company has to be capable of standing on its own two feet.

Apart from that, the know-how developed by a parent company is obviously the starting point of the knowledge for a spin-off. Similarly, we then have to assume the responsibility of expanding it.

Once the company has been managing on its own for a number of years, how far does the work in collaboration with R+D centres improve its competitiveness?

Reiner Microtek is committed to innovation as the main factor in competitiveness. We pursue innovations applied to our processes and products, and in fact our plastic micro-injection technology gives us an edge in terms of part precision and miniaturisation, and even cleanliness as we work in a Clean Room.

To keep this innovation going, we participate in various R+D projects alongside R+D centres that have various resources available for carrying out this work.

As you see it, what are the strengths and weaknesses of the Basque manufacturing sector in the international context?

I can't answer that in general terms, because our experience is linked to the "tiny" niche of micro-manufacturing, and what is more, we specialise in the Bio-technological or Healthcare Sector that has numerous special features. In this context, I think the strength of the Basque sector lies in the fact that we have the knowledge and the means to be up to standard in technological terms, and enough experience to carry out projects in a reliable, effective way. But our position is poor compared with the micro-manufacturing clusters in Germany, Switzerland or France. For example, many decades ago Switzerland backed micro matters in the field of watch making, and that’s why they are streets ahead of us. This can be seen in the company base they have that is linked to "micro matters". That’s why anyone wanting to position themselves in the sector has to take a look at the international markets.

Is specialisation in the micro world a guarantee of competitiveness in the medium and long-term for the Basque manufacturing and machine-tool sector? Tell us about Reiner Microtek’s experience.

I think the idea that "micro is the future" has been left behind, because right now that is where we are. In other words, the micro world is an opportunity right now. In fact, it is a broad business that tends to include different areas of industry to which the prefix "micro" has been added, and so you need to be more specific, less ambiguous. In our experience, the more specific we make our offer and the more specialised we are, the more opportunities we can take advantage of.

What is Reiner Microtek's role in the technological evolution of machine tools, and how does it see the future of the sector?

Reiner Microtek offers a comprehensive service to companies that need plastic products or components: we collaborate in their design and development, we manufacture moulds and produce parts or components. We try to keep an eye on the dynamic needs of the market so that we can respond flexibly and efficiently. One aspect that sets Reiner Microtek apart is that we can carry out these developments in a Clean Room environment.