With own know-how and innovative solutions to a modern concept of pharmaceutical production

At Krka, we see the Factory of the Year Award as an opportunity to present the results of our development in the field of pharmaceutical technology. In collaboration with established domestic and foreign companies and with the use of our own know-how and innovative solutions, we significantly increased the level of technological development in the state-of-the-art plant for the manufacture of solid dosage forms, Notol 2, which started operating at the end of 2015.

We upgraded the demanding manufacturing, intralogistical, quality assurance and control processes with the tools of information technology. Furthermore, we introduced automation and robotisation in our manufacturing processes. To comply with market requirements, we also optimised planning, administration and implementation of processes. In order to further increase our competitiveness, we took advantage of our high-capacity production and made adjustments to meet the requirements of various markets. In this way, we introduced a modern concept in the organisation and management of our pharmaceutical production.

Highly automated and computerised manufacturing processes allow for prompt insight into all stages of medicinal product manufacture, thus ensuring quality, safety and efficacy of our medicines. This modern production concept enables an instant and deep insight into all steps of medicinal product manufacture not only to various experts from production, but also to management staff.

In Notol 2, with its cutting-edge technology supported by modern computer systems, 270 qualified and committed employees take control of five computerised weighing lines (up to 500 kg of raw materials are weighed on each line every day), six high-capacity granulators (producing from 10 to 150 kg of granules that are prepared from mixtures of active ingredients and excipients for tablet manufacture), 13 tablet presses (one tablet press has a production capacity from 30 to 250 thousand tablets per hour), eight coating machines (up to 250 kg of tablets can be coated at a time), and 14 packaging lines with 28 robots in 14 robot cells.

At present, more than 50 different products are manufactured in Notol 2. Sixty production lines are in operation in the plant, manufacturing batch sizes from 30 thousand tablets to 4.5 million tablets. Owing to the flexibility of our production, we can manufacture products in small- and large-batch sizes and, consequently, quickly adapt to the requirements of numerous markets.

 The modern plant serves as a basis for quick learning and optimisations, and enables further development in all areas. The development process will take place even quicker than in traditional plants, which will also affect other processes in the company. Krka’s novel business processes and market- and customer-oriented production concept create a business environment that enables the professional development of all generations of employees and promotes the growth of the company.

Krka received the Factory of the Year award for 2018 based on the decision made by KPMG representatives and a panel of renowned experts and managers from the Slovenian economic sphere. Their decision was based on a five-stage assessment of the questionnaire, filled out by all the participating companies, a tour of the production plant and presentation of the company’s business and technological process. They selected Krka, where the production technology was significantly upgraded in all aspects, as the factory of the year.

The selection took place for the first time this year. Its organisers want to promote good practices of successful Slovenian industrial companies in the use of advanced technologies, digitalisation, and care for the environment and employees. This year, fourteen companies presented their good practices and cutting-edge technologies.