Innovation in Gurit Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Innovation in Gurit - Case Study Example Gurit, the company is one of the leading contenders in the composite materials and solutions industry. The customer base of the company is spread all over the world. The company has three decades history of providing innovative composite materials, engineering solutions and technical support to its customers all over the world. The potential target market of the company is in the sectors of Wind Energy, Transportation, Marine and selected other application areas. The company has cutting edge over other competitors of manufacturing tailored materials according to the unique requirements of customers. These composite materials are manufactured by pre-impregnating the composite materials also known as "prepregs". Important components of composite material solutions include structural foam products, formulated resins, adhesives and gel coats. The company has continued research in order to manufacture materials having unique characteristics of minimal weight, maximal stability and stiffness combining with unlimited suitable design properties catering the needs of today's modern construction and interior decoration. "The Company has production sites in Switzerland, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom in Europe, large facilities in Canada and China as well as the support of engineering, sales and service subsidiaries in the United States of America, India, Australia and New Zealand, Gurit is excellently positioned to serve a truly global customer base" (Gurit, 2007). The Company is listed in SIX Swiss Stick exchange and have it s headquarter in Zrich/Switzerland. Market position of Gurit: Market share is a good indicator of economic growth as compare to the financial analysis and raw sales data. The business model adopted by Gurit helped the organisation in increasing the yields in 2008 by improving the cash flows and increasing the returns on capital. According to the figures presented by the Gurit management the following trends were observed: "Target market sales up 6.7% in reported CHF; up 17.8% at constant December 2008 currency translation rates; Group sales including divestment effects up 1.6% to CHF 456.2 million Operational EBIT up from CHF -4.1 million to CHF 23.9 million Net income up from CHF 1 million to CHF 17 million Net Cash flow from operations at CHF 31.1 million CHF 1.7 million net cash 2008 vs CHF 45.7 million net debt 2007 Net working capital ratio reduced from 19.6% to 14.1% Flexible staff adjustments to volatile markets in Q2, 2009" (Figures taken from http://www.gurit.com/news.aspitemid=1277&itemTitle=Financial+year+2008+earnings§ion=000100010029§ionTitle=Market+News+items+from+around+Gurit) Full year 2008 results: The company reported an increase in net sales by 1.6% or CHF 456.2 million for the year 2008. The growth of 6.7% was also reported in

Canada and China cooperation in Science and Technology Thesis

Canada and China cooperation in Science and Technology - Thesis Example the free trade policies and agreements in NAFTA, SAFTA, ASEAN etc. Apart from the common summit, various countries also have been indulging themselves in treaties which are more individualistic in nature, helping both the participants. China and Canada are good example of such nations. There have been various agreements and various treaties signed by the two nations which have helped them to grow economically as well as culturally. There has been a huge difference in the cultures of the two nations. Despite of this, they have sidelined the cultural barriers and created an era of utmost friendship and fostered mutual understanding and economic growth. The major agreements between the two countries are in the field of agriculture and science and technology. Funding organizations like MOST in China and ISTP in Canada have been set up to fund various research projects in universities/colleges, companies and association to augment the growth of research and technology based partnership. A lso with the help of CIDA's Agricultural Program, the agricultural productivity of China has touched new heights. In the course of this paper, we will study the cultures, demographic details, science and technology and the economies of the two nations and then the growth achieved by them with the help of their treaties in agriculture and science and technology. Han Chinese, the largest ethnic group in China,constitute about 91.9... Languages There are seven major Chinese dialects and many subdialects. Mandarin (or Putonghua), the predominant dialect, is spoken by over 70% of the population. Mandarin is taught in all schools and is the medium of government. About two-thirds of the Han ethnic groups are native speakers of Mandarin; the rest, concentrated in southwest and southeast China, speak one of the six other major Chinese dialects. Non-Chinese languages spoken widely by ethnic minorities include Mongolian, Tibetan, Uygur and other Turkic languages (in Xinjiang), and Korean (in the northeast). The Pinyin System of Romanization In 1979, the Government of China adopted the pinyin system for spelling Chinese names and places in Roman letters. Pinyin has now replaced other conventional spellings in China's English-language publications. The U.S. Government also has adopted the pinyin system for all names and places in China. For example, the capital of China is now spelled "Beijing" rather than "Peking." Religion Religion plays an important role in the life of many Chinese. Buddhism is the religion that is most widely practiced, with an estimated 100 million adherents. Traditional Taoism also is practiced. Official figures indicate there are 20 million Muslims, 5 million Catholics, and 15 million Protestants; unofficial estimates are much higher. While the Chinese constitution affirms religious toleration, the Chinese Government places restrictions on religious practice outside officially recognized organizations. Only two Christian organizations--a Catholic church without official ties to Rome and the "Three-Self-Patriotic" Protestant church--are sanctioned by the Chinese Government. Unauthorized churches have sprung up in many