“R&D ACTIVITIES CREATE A SIGNIFICANT ADDED VALUE FOR DOMESTIC ECONOMY AND CURRENT DEFICIT”
“The most effective way of promoting our trust in our future capacity is to keep up with global developments and changes and reinforce sustainable R&D activities in line with the needs of our community,” says Santa Farma İlaç R&D Director Ersin Yıldırım and goes on to underline the support extended by TÜBİTAK-TEYDEB for 11 projects carried out under public-industry collaboration with a view to developing new innovative products.
Research and development activities are the total sum of activities conducted to improve the cultural and technological know-how of the society and create added value. At pharmaceutical industry, we are aware that R&D is the most effective way to compile know-how, the pseudonym for the authentic and elegant power which creates a significant added value for domestic economy and current deficit. Accordingly, we established our R&D center in order to adopt this culture, render the activities more effective, focus on constantly improving and developing our processes, develop and market new products with added value through an innovative outlook, and offer services to the domestic pharmaceutical industry. With our team of professionals, we perform the functions of an “R&D Center” effectively in addition to offering alternative treatment options and ease of access to patients through a number of products with high added value which are meant to minimize our dependence on foreign sources and reduce the current deficit every year. Turkish pharmaceutical industry enjoys a significant position in global market with constant growth trends and conducts R&D studies in order to maintain this position by developing new products and creating sustainable value for the country and its stakeholders. Having secured an “R&D Center” accreditation from the Ministry of Industry and Technology in 2016, Santa Farma R&D Center carries out productive, innovative and initiative activities with 56 full-time employees dedicated to this strategy as of October 2021. In 2020, in line with our strategy of developing innovative and value added products, our R&D Center made 12 national and international patent applications which are currently pending for registration. Also, TÜBİTAK-TEYDEB extended support for 11 projects carried out by Santa Farma R&D Center for developing innovative products through public-industry collaboration.
“WE ARE PROUD OF RAISING NEW TALENTS IN OUR R&D CENTER”
The competitive power or profile of a company depends on its current and future economic indicators as well as its strategic R&D and innovation activities which may guide and cast light on those indicators at a critical level. Enterprises that manage to standardize their R&D and innovation philosophy at corporate level are able to adopt more successful and sustainable business processes. In that vein, we make efforts to conduct our development activities through our integrated systems based on this philosophy and strategic approach. Given the system of development and change prevalent in our modern world, the future of individual enterprises depends on their current and future technical and technological know-how and availability of integrated interactive mechanisms. Santa Farma İlaç increases its R&D investments based on the existing requirements and needs every other day. From the healthcare perspective, our R&D activities provide concrete and abstract results in various aspects such as offering alternative treatment options to patients, generating income through authentic products with high added value, minimizing our dependence on foreign sources and reducing the current deficit. Since our senior management is well aware of the fact that R&D investments will provide a higher ROI in short, mid and long-term based on the technological developments and requirements, it focuses on increasing investments in that respect. Our greatest asset lies in our scientists who directly take part in research and development programs and lead the relevant activities, engage in new product development phases from planning to implementation stage, assume responsibility for new technology, product development and technology transfer processes, analyze the data obtained as a result of those processes, create a cause-effect relationship in that respect, make suggestions based on findings and have a say in the fundamental stages of the research. Also, we encourage our employees to attend internal training programs and support their career plans with a view to improving their performance and contributing to their professional and personal development. At Santa Farma R&D Center, we are proud of raising competent individuals who question cause-effect relationship and make analytical thinking an essential part of their lives in addition to developing products.
“INNOVATION IS A MUST FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS”
Santa Farma İlaç remains dedicated to perform activities not only in domestic market but also in regulated markets abroad by means of several projects conducted under strategic plans. In that respect, we make efforts to diversify our market and product portfolio by entering into strategic partnerships at domestic and global level. We will create a real difference in both domestic and global markets through distinctive product groups in the years to come.
Thanks to its investment budget of almost TRY 24 million, Santa Farma takes the 71st place among 250 companies and 7th place among pharmaceutical companies in terms of R&D investments in Turkey. This figure is anticipated to increase by 25 per cent to TRY 30 million in 2021. Besides, we are the 22nd company in terms of the number of projects undertaken at R&D center while we take the 35th place as per the number of trademarks. In that regard, it is essential to make sure that all micro and macro scale companies shall act with due awareness about the importance of R&D and take steps to make sure that they can advance as necessary for development and change just like our company. Innovation is a must for sustainable commercial operations. Therefore, R&D awareness should be created and nurtured in all walks of business and sustainability should be at the core in practice.
Governmental incentives for change and development are vital for having a say in global arena while international partnerships are indispensable for increasing our economic power. All global companies owe their current position to the importance they attach to R&D and innovation ecosystem. This also applies to our country and domestic companies which have a great potential and we remain aware of the fact that pharmaceutical R&D activities which have a strategic importance in global arena will prosper only if more researchers, investors, technoparks, efficient-effective resource utilization methods and all relevant stakeholders are integrated into this ecosystem.
KOSGEB, TÜBİTAK, TTGV and Ministry of Industry and Technology provide support for R&D activities conducted by entrepreneurs and enterprises in our country. Thanks to those supports, R&D projects are more critical than ever for sustainability. In that respect, it is essential to provide increasing support for projects conducted by hatcheries, technoparks, and R&D centers, all of which are strategic points, in order to guarantee our existence in domestic and global arena as well as promoting access to drugs and alternative therapeutic options. At Santa Farma İlaç, we believe that our future success depends on keeping up with global developments and changes by anticipating the needs of the community and reinforcing our sustainable R&D activities.