Following a  thorough assessment procedure, the award for ‘Factory of the Future’ was finally presented to Ontex Eeklo by technology federation Agoria and Sirris, the collective centre of the technology industry. This production unit belongs to the Ontex Group NV, a leading international manufacturer of disposable personal hygiene products for women, children and adults. Over the past year the production site in Eeklo has been investing in advanced production technology, digitisation, ecology and social innovation, taking it to the top of the world’s industrial manufacturing.

With the initiative of technology federation Agoria and Sirris, the collective center of the technology industry, the ‘Factory of the Future’ was launched. As ‘Factory of the Future’, Ontex Eeklo stands out as a future-proof production company that is able to take advantage of changing market conditions easily and is well-positioned to play an important part in a global production network. This means that the Ontex factory in Eeklo has a leading role in the field of innovation, using its smart, sustainable and digitised processes.

“In a market where maintaining a competitive edge means continuously adapting production processes, it is essential that we make our business flexible and resistant to the future. This award is therefore recognition of our years of effort and focus to be an innovative and pioneering manufacturer in the hygiene industry,” says Jef Monballyu, plant manager Ontex Eeklo.

With more than 500 employees Ontex Eeklo is one of the largest employers in the region. Every day millions of diapers, sanitary towels and panty liners are produced on their 23 high-tech production lines.

During the last five years Ontex Eeklo has worked hard to build its prominent position in the field of technology. To reach this level the factory has invested in various new high-tech production machines for the manufacture of baby diapers and ultra-thin sanitary towels. Besides production speeds, the innovations lie mainly in automatic camera inspection as part of quality control and the use of ultra-sound technology, which reduces energy consumption and maintenance and allows for a more stable production process.

In addition Ontex has consciously chosen to focus the global Research and Development department for feminine hygiene within the production site at Eeklo, meaning that innovation efforts are fundamentally embedded in the production process. Ontex also has its own engineering department, which develops machines for in-house use. This encourages efficiency and stimulates the development of new products, including the use of 3D-printing for machine components. A key feature of all this is that the consumer lies at the heart of every product development. Intensive consumer research allows Ontex to truly understand the consumer’s needs and translate these into inventive products that really suit the consumer.