Chemical sector companies maintain their activity during the pandemic
Jorge Pérez Cacho, director of Research and Development of Industrias Químicas del Ebro speaks with the newspaper Heraldo de Aragón and analyzes the situation of the sector during the pandemic as well as future expectations. The companies in the chemical sector, both services and industrials, were considered essential from the outset so they have been able to maintain their activity during this period. The national federation of the sector considers that 85% of them have been able to continue working. During this period, both companies and workers have made a great effort to guarantee safety at work in previously unknown conditions. Meanwhile, IQE has continued to produce essential components for water treatment, detergents and animal feed. See the full interview.
AENOR renews the R+D+i Management System Certificate of IQE
The renewal of the IDI-0010/2008 Certificate of the R+D+i Management System shows the conformity of this system with the UNE 166002: 2014E standard that Industrias Químicas del Ebro has maintained since 2008. The R+D+i Management System allows to systematically improve R+D+i activities, providing useful guidelines for its organization and management. The scope of the R+D+i Management System implemented in IQE is defined as “Research and development in silicates, silicas and aluminum compounds. Development and innovation in its manufacturing processes”.
Safety supply of chemical products during the Covid-19 crisis
In these moments of crisis caused by the Covid-19, guaranteeing the supply of drinking water, as well as the purification of wastewater is critical for society. Inorganic coagulants are essential in the chemical treatment of drinking water and in the efficient purification of wastewater and, therefore, the industrial activity of companies such as IQE, S.A. is essential to ensure that supply. IQE is a member of the European Inorganic Coagulants Producers Association (INCOPA), which includes 30 companies with more than 80 production centers throughout Europe and that produce about 4 MM tons of coagulants per year, meeting the strictest quality standards. This network of production centers widely distributed throughout Europe, as well as the European origin of the different raw materials used in the manufacture of coagulants, makes possible to ensure supply in any European country. For more information on INCOPA and the supply of inorganic coagulants for water purification, you can consult this brochure or the full report at incopa.org.
IQE will attend at The Middle East Coatings Show 2020
The Middle East Coatings Show is the only dedicated coatings event in the Middle East and Gulf Region for raw materials suppliers and equipment manufacturers for the coatings industry. IQE, as a leading company in the sector, will attend at MECS 2020 to present its novelties at stand B10 from March 9 to 11.
We bet on Dual vocational training
Industrias Químicas del Ebro S.A. has renewed the collaboration agreement with the Government of Aragon and for the fourth year will participate in Dual Vocational Training. During the 2019-2020 academic year, three students will be welcome, two from the higher level of FP in Industrial Chemistry and one from the higher cycle of FP in Industrial Mechatronics. Dual vocational training is an innovative educational model. Students spend half of their time in the second academic year as apprentices, adapting the training cycle to the needs of the company. The training of students is supervised at all times by two tutors, one from the educational center and one from the company. The programming and schedule of activities are perfectly defined between the center and the company. On the other hand, the jobs must be in accordance with the professional profile of the studies. Dual vocational training is a good opportunity to create a “talent group” of future qualified employees, reducing the risk of adapting them to jobs.
IQE Group presents the 2018 Sustainability Report
Industrias Químicas del Ebro S.A presents its Sustainability Report corresponding to the 2018 exercise prepared “in accordance” with the GRI Guide “essential” option. This report describes the organization’s strategy regarding social responsibility, the progress made and the challenges it poses for the future. The company’s commitment to transparency is reaffirmed with its edition for the third consecutive year, expanding the information provided regarding the annual progress reports prepared since its accession in 2005 to the United Nations Global Compact. Coinciding with the company’s 60th anniversary, a new project to expand the productive capacity of precipitated silica at the Zaragoza plant (IQE) was inaugurated in 2018. Facilities that have the best available technologies that ensure efficient operation and optimal environmental performance and, on the other hand, have allowed us to consolidate and continue creating quality employment. In addition, the company has continued to invest in the updating and renovation of its production facilities, intensive in energy consumption, in order to make them more efficient, thus contributing to minimize their CO2 emissions and their effects on the enviroment. Among its sustainability activities, employees participated in the “IQE creates life” project that consisted in plant 500 trees reforesting an area of 30,000 m2, creating what will be the IQE Group’s forest. Another improvement project has also been a better wastewater management. 2018 again left occupational accident figures below the sector average. These figures remain low thanks to the strategy that the company had already implemented and that combines the continuous improvement of the security of the facilities through the annual review of the risk assessment of the same, with the training/awareness of personnel in this area. During 2018, the “Smart Safety” training/participatory project was completed with the purpose of promoting and facilitating the integration of the prevention culture into the company’s day-to-day life. During this year, actions have been carried out to benefit culture and art in Zaragoza, collaborating with educational centers, universities and research centers promoting R+D, participating in projects to contribute to the prevention of early school leaving, making contributions to organizations that help the needy, etc. Of all of them, the sponsorship of the “Centenary of the Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park” , which was celebrated in 2018, deserves special mention, with the purpose of contributing to the dissemination of environmental and territorial opportunities for sustainable socio-economic development of the National Park, which is managed by the Government of Aragón, an identity feature for all Aragonese people. CSR 2018 complete
IQE obtains the Social Responsibility Seal 2020
Industrias Químicas del Ebro Group has obtained the RSA Seal 2020 after completing the Aragón Social Responsibility Plan. This seal recognizes the good business practices and the IQE Group’s commitment to continue advancing in terms of transparency, safety, health and welfare of employees and positive impact on customers, society and the environment. The Seal will be delivered on December 11 at the Annual Meeting of the RSA Plan. You can access all the information on the official website of Aragón Empresa
Jorge Villarroya, member of the Board of Trustees of the San Valero Group and CEO of the IQE Group, present on the 25th anniversary of the Dominican Foundation of San Valero
The 25th anniversary of the San Valero Dominican Foundation (FUNDOSVA) is commemorated in an event that was attended by the ambassador of Spain in the Dominican Republic, Alejandro Abellán García de Diego, representatives of the Board of Trustees of the San Valero Group, Francisco Velázquez and Jorge Villarroya, of the Group’s general director, César Romero, of the director of the Area of International and Development Cooperation, Nieves Zubález, and of the director of the Dominican San Valero Foundation, José René Frías. During the event, took place an awards ceremony at the Cultural Center of Spain in Santo Domingo to honor the work done by 25 Dominican institutions and personalities during this quarter-century in FUNDOSVA. The winners received a folder of thanks and an exclusive watercolor by the prestigious painter José González Mas. Within the commemorative events, the exhibition “Jalón Ángel (1898-1976) Photographer, traveler and promoter of education” was inaugurated, coinciding with the Weeks of Spain organized by the Embassy of Spain in the Dominican Republic. Jalón Ángel was the founder of San Valero school, nowadays San Valero Group and of which FUNDOSVA is a part, through this exhibition the figure of the photographer and his eagerness to promote education are honored. The San Valero Dominican Foundation held its XX Graduation Ceremony for the 2019 Promotion of the San Valero and Aragón Polytechnics attended by 300 new technical bachelors from the areas of Accounting and Finance, Computer Science, Electrical Installation and Maintenance, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, Digital Electronics and Micro-Computing, Culinary Arts, Nursing, Electronics in Communication and Mechanics. The table of honor was chaired by Jorge Villarroya, member of the Board of Trustees of the San Valero Group and CEO of the IQE Group, and by César Romero Tierno, general director of the Group; in addition to José René Frías, general director of the Dominican Foundation San Valero; Luisa Valette director of the Aragon Polytechnic; Yudilandia de la Cruz, teaching coordinator of the San Valero Polytechnic and Julio Vinicio Durán, regent of the San Valero Polytechnic. Jorge Villarroya delivered the keynote address congratulating and motivating the graduates to continue surpassing himself, he referred to the commendable work of the San Valero Group in Spain and the Dominican San Valero Foundation in this country. The San Valero Dominican Foundation, is one of the five centers of the San Valero Group, which since its creation on October 5, 1995, has been dedicated to training technical graduates in the district of Los Guaricanos, without distinction of race, religion and social class and that is celebrating its 25 years of experience in this country with a very positive balance of more than 50,000 graduates.
The Cycling team of IQE Group organizes a cycling tour through Zaragoza
IQE Group launches an initiative to promote healthy habits among its employees with the implementation of sports and leisure activities. On September 8, a cycling tour along the banks of the Ebro river and Expo will take place in Zaragoza, accompanied by a guide that will explain the history of the Aragonese capital. This activity has been organized by the IQE Group’s Cycling team and has the participation of Zaragoza Tourism.