Mit - Index

Mit - SINFO March 2008 No.5 - Index

oUrexCellenCe
which can reach prices from several hundred million euros to over
a billion euros) and so necessary for humanity. These expensive
accelerators are nowadays used intensively for research in particle
physics, and they are particularly useful in medicine where they
can be used for the early diagnosis and treatment of cancer. They
are also indispensable for achieving other medical diagnoses
and are also used to establish the age of archaeological finds,
study the structure of proteins and unravel the human genome.
Scientists also use them as tools for studying viruses − recently
the well known virus “sars”.
The exceptional nature of this product is proven by the fact that
this Slovenian company has signed contracts to cooperate with
the largest foreign institutions, which purchase the Libera product
from it. The risks for the company at the beginning were very
large. A key role in the initial investment was played by the first
two clients, the accelerators Soleil and Diamond. The contracts
were signed, even before Libera was finished, and were the basis
for a loan of almost EUR 300,000, provided by the French bank
SKB. This enabled the final development of Libera. The deal with
Soleil − one of the world’s largest accelerators worth EUR 1.5
million − could take effect straight away. To this day, contracts
have been signed for the supply of Liberas to some of the largest
accelerators in the world. They include Alba in Spain, Petra III in
Germany, ESRF in France, Sinchrotrone in Trieste (Italy), SSRF in
Shanghai (China) and many others. All this goes to show that the
Libera concept really is outstanding.
SOLKAN HAS BECOME A MAGNET fOR
WORLd EXPERTISE
The company currently employs just over 30 young people,
30% of them have doctorates, masters degrees or are young
researchers. Due to the rapid growth of Libera sales and new
plans for the future, the need for new staff is considerable so they
are intensively employing new technical experts and experienced
managers from near and far. Last June, the company was joined by
the top scientist and doctor of molecular quantum dynamics Carlo
J. Bocchetta, who spent the last years developing the synchrotron
in Trieste. Bocchetta, who has over 30 years of valuable experience
on scientific research projects, described working for the company
in Solkan as “standing on a cliff and breathing in the fresh air.”
UršiË, meanwhile, described Bocchetta’s joining the company as
a quantum leap for the development of the company. At the end
of last year, the company was also joined by the experienced US
manager Allan Weeks, who has lived in Slovenia since 1994. He is
an expert in creating business models. The company also has other
external collaborators from all over Slovenia and abroad.
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GIvING THE EMPLOyEES ENOUGH fREE
TIME SO THEy dON’T BURN OUT
The team is young, dynamic and perfectly organised. UršiË
shows understanding for the employees, allowing them rest and
rewarding them financially as well as sending them to various
training courses in Slovenia and abroad. He is aware that it is
essential to offer people work which attracts them and to give
them a flexible working timetable, which means a much to him and
his employees. UršiË is convinced that employees must be given
enough time off to prevent them running the risk of burnout.
WHAT dOES THE fUTURE HOLd IN STORE
fOR THE COMPANy?
The company does not wish to reveal all its plans for the coming
years. They are by all means ambitious − at the end of this year
they will present the world market with an innovation, which has
not been seen before. The company is convinced that with this
product it will reach entirely new market niches, which aren’t
directly connected with accelerators but nevertheless belong to
the scientific research area. According to the company, these
new markets are even greater than the present accelerator
market. Everything written above shows at least a part of this
company’s excellence. Besides great successes in its field, relations
among the company’s employees and its external relations
are also exemplary. The company has no defined boundaries.
Instrumentation Technologies has in recent years been cooperating
with the Japanese and other countries. Its clients include scientific
institutions from all over the world. The Libera workshops, which are
organised in Solkan and are attended by experts from the world’s
most renowned scientific research institutes, bring together global
expertise. Only last year, 27 leading experts from 13 countries
attended a workshop − something which undoubtedly enables a
very colourful exchange of experience.
2007 − A yEAR Of EXCELLENCE
ANd PRIzES
There is no doubt that both UršiË as an individual and his company,
fully deserve both prizes with which they were crowned in 2007.
UršiË received a Business Award of the Chamber of Commerce and
Industry of Slovenia, while the company as a whole received the
Silver Gazelle Award in the competition for the fastest-growing
company. All this further proves that this is a company with
great potential. The company encourages both the professional
and personal development of its employees, and enables the
realisation of quality business ideas which is unquestionably
proven by the fact that Instrumentation Technologies is already
today a globally recognised corporative trademark with a great
future. Rok UršiË also sees the prizes as an opportunity for the
company to promote values in which it believes, thereby helping
the surrounding area to grow together with the company,
creating an environment which will stimulate larger, more
courageous business moves. These efforts are reflected in its
suggestion to the Slovenian government that Slovenia should join
the FAIR project which is one of the first in the ESFRI (European
Strategic Forum for Research Infrastructure). This would enable
Slovenia, which as a small country does not have the possibility
of acquiring important research infrastructure, to have access to
important projects at the very outset.