Research and development Personnel The activities in the field of research and development again increased during the year under reveiw The quality and taste of Heineken products comply with very high standards. Further improvement depends on scientific progress, which is why we attach great value to fundamental research. Owing to the wide extent of the field of investigation which is important to Heineken and its partly specialized nature, there was further co-operation in various countries during the year under review with scientific institutions to which research assignments were given. In the field of process automation an integrated automation system for brewhouses was developed for use in small breweries and was applied successfully in a number of establishments. The brewhouse installation of the experimental brewery (capacity 1 hectolitre) at Zoeterwoude was replaced by a modern installation of our own design. A large number of different process operations are possible with this. With regard to base materials and design Heineken has played an active role in the development of new bottles and crates for the Netherlands beer market. In order to reduce the damage to returnable bottles and to abate the noise level, a new concept for bottling lines is being studied. Together with suppliers, work is also being done on a detection device which determines very accu rately the damage to returnable bottles in a packaging installation. In several African countries the economic situation is such that it is impossible to import enough raw materials for the local breweries, whilst the climate often does not lend itself to barley-growing. In order nevertheless to arrive at a satisfactory solution for the breweries, Heineken is closely involved in extensive agricultural projects for the large- scale cultivation of maize and sorghum, an indigenous type of grain. Work is in progress on the production of types of beer based on these raw materials. During the year under review 28,410 people were employ ed on average within the enterprise, compared with 25.112 in 1984. The increase is to a considerable extent due to the acquisition of an interest in the Spanish brewery group El Aguila at the end of 1984. The progressive internationalization of the enterprise gives rise to specific requirements with regard to education and training. In our management development activities we meet these requirements, inter alia, by internal interdisci plinary courses for managers working throughout the world. The object of these training courses, set up on international lines, is to strengthen the ability to give an adequate response to internal and external developments, and to increase the knowledge of Group culture and procedures as well as of the facets of doing business, especially in an international group. It is gratifying that labour relations were good during the year under review. A contributory factor to this is that Heineken s social policy - in a form adapted to each individual country - has in the meantime been reasonably integrated in the various operating companies. We wish to express our appreciation of the dedication of our employees. This dedication will continue to be of great importance in the years ahead, too. 15

Jaarverslagen en Personeelsbladen Heineken

Jaarverslagen | 1985 | | pagina 15