Schneider Electric Bulgaria's circuit breaker plant in the city of Plovdiv was named Factory of the Year in a competition organized by the Capital Weekly. Sensor producer Sensata Technologies won the prize for the most innovative project of the year. The pilot edition of the competition, which focused on the technological achievements of manufacturing companies in Bulgaria, showed that they all employ modern technology in their production practices.
The competition in figures
The Factory of the Year (FOY) competition was organized in partnership with the municipality of Plovdiv and Trakia Tech think tank, building on the previous Industry 4.0 initiative. Participants in the first edition in 2022 comprised 24 local companies - from small firms to industrial behemoths. Unsurprisingly, factories from Plovdiv were the most numerous, as Bulgaria's second largest city has turned into a manufacturing hub in recent years. The share of Bulgarian and foreign-owned contestants was almost equal.
Companies were assessed on the basis of a questionnaire that included both technological and financial questions. Six of them reached the finals: Schneider Electric Bulgaria, Sensata Technologies, medical equipment producer BTL Industries, industrial robot manufacturer Milara International, chocolate maker Mondelez Bulgaria Production and Devnya-based soda ash plant Solvay Sodi. They all passed an interview with the competition's technological consultant Novarto. The winner was selected by an independent 5-member jury.
Schneider Electric Bulgaria features a wide network of information systems and software applications that allow it to monitor and manage practically all business activities. Key data are constantly collected, processed and visualized on screens in the plant, enhancing production optimization. As part of the French group Schneider Electric, the factory utilizes an array of digital instruments and specialized solutions for quality control and predictive maintenance.
The FOY jury also picked the winner of the additional award, Most Innovative Project. Applications were filed by 15 of the 24 companies that filled in the questionnaire and six of them were shortlisted. These included the projects of Sensata Technologies Bulgaria, Ottobock Manufacturing Bulgaria, Solvay Sodi, Teletek Electronics, Tesy, and Schneider Electric.
The prize went to Sensata Technologies for the implementation of an automated station for checking product quality by using artificial intelligence. The project was developed by the team in Plovdiv on the basis of machine learning.
Smart growth
Participants in the competition included both green-field factories and production facilities built decades ago that were successfully privatized. A substantial amount of their output is exported, which shows they are competitive not only locally but internationally. That creates more value for the economy, as well as thousands of jobs.
Though Bulgaria cannot boast a big industrial investor in recent years, the companies already established in this country systematically allocate funds to modernization and expansion of production, the results show. With no exception all candidates manage their processes automatically, thus repurposing resources to their core activities. Many of the plants have smart systems for maintenance planning, which ensures continuity of production and prevents unplanned stoppages. More or less, all factories strive to automate their operations, which helps them grow despite the tight labor market. Companies say that workers more readily acquire the skills required by new technology than those necessary for manual work.
Many of the enterprises have protected their own patents or utility models. Though all the six finalists are part of international companies, the good news is that a large share of the innovation is made by Bulgarian teams. That is a good basis for their continued contribution to the economy and for an even keener rivalry in the competition next year.
Schneider Electric Bulgaria's circuit breaker plant in the city of Plovdiv was named Factory of the Year in a competition organized by the Capital Weekly. Sensor producer Sensata Technologies won the prize for the most innovative project of the year. The pilot edition of the competition, which focused on the technological achievements of manufacturing companies in Bulgaria, showed that they all employ modern technology in their production practices.
