Hexagon announced that Shiven Sukraj has been appointed Hexagon’s Vice President, Africa to lead its African manufacturing division, supporting manufacturers throughout Africa with a powerful combination of software and hardware solutions. Using Hexagon technology will enable organisations ranging from small component manufacturing shops through to blue-chip global manufacturers to optimise how they design, manufacture and inspect components and integrate high quality products on time efficiently.
It’s predicted the growing African workforce will need 18 million new jobs a year until 2035 and manufacturing can create those jobs because it boosts productivity and unlocks economic growth. Hexagon’s investment includes building its team in South Africa and partners across the continent, in order to better serve existing customers. Through this ecosystem, the company will provide new customers access to leading day-to-day tools and transformational technologies. The Swedish multinational will also promote local innovation – supporting grassroots manufacturing initiatives and startups by partnering with educational institutions throughout Africa to address their challenges building successful manufacturing businesses.
Global trade barriers arise and declining new car sales in China, the US and Europe have driven some of the world’s largest automakers to build plants and sales organisations in North Africa, taking advantage of the new-found wealth in the region and gearing up to export from the region. Volkswagen, Renault-Nissan, PSA, Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai and Toyota have invested billions in North Africa and beyond. Such Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) stand to benefit from the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTA), that promises to boost cross-country investments by removing trade barriers and making African manufacturing exports more cost-competitive.
For small to medium-sized enterprises (SME’s), rapid technological changes in manufacturing, such as automation and advanced robotics, create pressure to invest in costly equipment and upskill their workforce to stay competitive. This is where Hexagon can help – by helping businesses to embrace automation and digitalisation to improve their efficiency and provide the training and upskilling opportunities for employees to operate and maintain advanced technology.
Hexagon’s presence in Africa currently includes 24 partners focused on distribution and sales throughout the continent. Based in South Africa, Sukraj will lead the development of Hexagon’s business in Africa, building on proven track records in senior leadership roles with industrial multinationals such as ABB, Quant and Johnson Controls.
Commenting on his appointment, as Shiven Sukraj, Hexagon’s Vice President for Africa said: “Africa is rapidly emerging as a pivotal hub for global manufacturing operations – its new automotive and aerospace plants are some of the most advanced in the world with significant benefits upstream for the Tier 1, Tier 2 and their suppliers. Africa is brimming with resourceful young people, and we want to empower SME’s with technologies that make the motivated, successful. Our team has encountered machine shops where technicians were struggling to make consistent quality measurements using vernier callipers – with Hexagon technology a new hire can measure make a 3D laser scan of any component in an accurate and repeatable way while satisfying the demanding needs of most OEM customers, and without requiring decades of metrology experience.”
“I discovered Hexagon by chance and further investigation into its portfolio convinced me that Hexagon would be a dynamic environment to work in, and a strong technology partner to support the root-and-branch growth of the manufacturing industry and supply chain throughout Africa. I think we are uniquely equipped to harness this potential because our extensive manufacturing expertise and portfolio support both scaling and localisation efforts, ensuring that quality is embedded throughout the value chain. I look forward to working with an ecosystem of like-minded dynamic and motivated people to help create sustainable economies and prosperity across our continent.”
Hexagon is sponsoring Manufacturing Indaba 22-23 October 2024 in Johannesburg, where it will showcase technologies for optimising the factory layout, to designing, making and inspecting manufactured products.
