Niko has been able to call itself a Factory of the Future since February 2019. This accolade is issued by the technology federation Agoria to companies that succeed in getting their factories ready for the future.
Investments made to digitalise the factory, technologically advanced machines and new technologies will ensure that the factory is ready for the future. Combined with innovative labour organisation and a major focus on sustainability, this will ensure that Niko can continue to manufacture locally in Sint-Niklaas.
High-tech machinery
The machine pool is gradually being fully modernised – with a recent investment of more than 11 million euros in high-tech machines. We will be optimising the production process further through the use of cobots (collaborative robots). These are equipped with intelligent vision systems and machine learning, enabling us to manufacture a wide range of products in smaller quantities.
Training and up-skilling
Niko's staff are also at the forefront of a new era, in which the nature of a job can change rapidly. We work according to the principles of an innovative labour organisation that focuses on attractive, meaningful jobs with maximum independence. In our quest for technical profiles, we choose to train and up-skill as many as possible of the staff we already have.
Concern for the environment
Niko's concern for the environment pervades every facet of the company. Solar panels, green roofs, smart energy management, rainwater recovery, etc. These measures were already part of the new Niko building, which was built in 2008. But we also keep looking for ways of making our manufacturing ever more environmentally friendly in the production process as well. We attempt to eliminate harmful substances as far as possible, we use a biological air filtering system on the enamelling line, we package our products in cardboard with an FSC label, and so on. It is a process we are always seeking to continue.
