The International Cotton Association (ICA) and the Bremer Baumwollboerse (BBB) have reached an historic agreement to combine their specific expertise around quality testing, training and research to create a new international quality testing and research centre.
"The
ICA Bremen
International Quality Testing and
Research Centre" will be a centre of excellence for
all quality related matters. Operating
from the BBB's laboratory facility in
Germany, the new centre will
build on the BBB's existing international reputation for cotton/fibre research
and testing, whilst also capitalising on the ICA's
global reputation and reach.
Mr Kai Hughes, ICA Managing
Director will assume overall responsibility for managing
the new venture. Assisting in the development will be Dr Axel Drieling from the Bremen Faserinstitut,
Mr Karsten Froese from the BBB and Dr Robert Jiang
from the ICA.
The day to day running of the centre
will be under the direction of Axel and Karsten, whilst administration and marketing
will be conducted from the ICA office in Liverpool.
Speaking ahead of today's announcement, Mr Ray Butler,
ICA President said: "This is a
significant step forward for both the ICA
and Bremer Baumwollboerse. It provides a unique opportunity to combine the skills and expertise of both organisations
to produce a really world class laboratory that can lead the way in areas of testing,
research, quality training and accreditation. This new venture underlines our joint
commitment and enables us to effectively pool our resources to develop a centre
of excellence."
Mr Jens Lukaczik, BBB President added: "This co-operation between the two
associations is a novelty in our industry and will be a milestone in our joint
aspiration to lift cotton quality testing
and research to the next level. We have gone a long way and worked together in a spirit of partnership and trust in order to realise this project. This bodes well
for the future and we are both agreed that the centre will be of immense
benefit to the global cotton community."
It is envisaged that
the new centre will be fully operational in
October 2011. Further announcements will be made once the detailed arrangements
have been finalised.