“No airship will ever fly from New York to Paris.”
Wilbur Wright
Ugur Alparslan – our Head of Research and Development – provides insight into his daily routine, demonstrating how he redefines the boundaries of what is possible.
Versatile expertise for successful results at ENNEATECH
A typical day at ENNEATECH
Every day at ENNEATECH begins with careful planning. Even before he arrives at the office, Ugur Alparslan mentally goes through upcoming tasks. However, he does not have a typical workday. Due to regular business trips, he is often on the go. On-site, he conducts material tests, writes reports, plans experiments, and keeps up with relevant literature. He draws inspiration from various sources, including literature, conversations with colleagues, observations in different industries, and even exchanges with children, which often lead to new ideas.
Openness, curiosity, and the pursuit of progress
“No airship will ever fly from New York to Paris.” This quote from Wilbur Wright in 1909 shows how difficult it is to predict the future. Ugur comments, “From the quote, it is evident that we can only move forward when we are aware of progress and willing to learn from experiences. In addition to openness, curiosity is another important aspect. When I discuss something with my colleague, I find myself deeply engrossed in thoughts about how it works and how I can draw parallels to other areas and draw from my previous experiences. Therefore, it is crucial to remain open and engaged and strive to expand the boundaries of what is possible.” He emphasizes once again that collaboration among colleagues and all stakeholders is of great importance. Without sharing knowledge and tackling problems as a team, progress will be modest.
Sustainability is our future
This aspect is at the center of everything the Head of R&D does. His primary task is to reduce and completely neutralize the ecological footprint of the product portfolio under Enneatech’s umbrella. They rely on an innovative sustainability approach that not only reduces the CO2 content in their products but also creates awareness among end-users in every industry.
Personal achievements
Sustainability and digitalization are megatrends in all industries. Here, he has started to consider these two outstanding topics and has achieved remarkable success. Specifically, in the design of fiber-reinforced concrete, he can now calculate the CO2 embodiment level accompanying to engineering parameters. This represents a distinguishing factor in the construction industry. Regarding granulates, he has succeeded in integrating all data into a unique program. This makes it easier and faster to distinguish between less optimal and optimized solutions and formulations. This program is the first step towards artificial intelligence at ENNEATECH in the near future.
Personal challenges
A challenge is the German language. Communication is difficult, especially in technical discussions. However, there are always amusing anecdotes. Ugur tells of an encounter and says, “During work, while shopping, in everything, when someone is near me, I try to practice some German. One day, while shopping, I tried to continue the conversation in German. During the conversation, I felt quite confident and understood about 80% of what was being said. In the end, my conversation partner told me that he speaks German with a different dialect, namely Low German. He had misunderstood me and thought I wanted to improve my Low German. That was really surprising, but it was funny how much I understood.”
Although the German language can sometimes be challenging, he has settled well in northern Germany. His wife is a valuable support in every situation and always stands by his side. They are excited to be here and to learn about a new culture. Whenever possible, they go on explorations and discover the beautiful country. They have already visited many sights, and there are always new areas to explore.
His Buzzing Hobby: Preserving Bees for a Sustainable Future and Our Ecosystem
When he is not busy exploring the area, he devotes himself to his hobby, beekeeping. It all started when he observed honeybees collecting nectar and pollen from the flowers in his family’s garden. Today, he has his own hives and has been dedicated to beekeeping for over a decade. Although he is very passionate about the activity, he also makes alarming observations. He expresses concerns about the disappearance of honeybees on a daily basis, primarily due to the excessive use of pesticides and insecticides. However, without honeybees and wild bees as pollinators, the delicate food chain would collapse. A well-known quote highlights the magnitude of this issue: “If the bee disappears from the surface of the globe, man would have no more than four years to live.”An in-depth study on artificial pollination emphasizes the tremendous effort required to replace honeybees. It becomes evident that the work of a single honeybee is equivalent to a full day’s work by 40 individuals. Against this backdrop, it is clear that bees constitute an indispensable part of our natural ecosystem, and we must protect them for the sake of sustainability.
As pioneers in this field, some governments are incentivizing people to engage in urban rooftop or workplace beekeeping. It would be truly magnificent if every individual or company owned at least one beehive. In doing so, we could all make a valuable contribution to safeguarding bees and, in turn, nature.
