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 | | |  Nuctech beefs up security | | | | | | CHONG CHONG,China Daily staff | | | Nuctech Co Ltd, China's
world-leading container inspection system manufacturer, is shifting its focus of
production from single anti-smuggling devices to various security inspection
systems.
Derived from Tsinghua University, Nuctech was established in 1997
and originally known as Tsinghua Tongfang Nuclear Technology Co.
With backing
from the Chinese Government and based on Tsinghua University's work in radiation
imaging technique development, Nuctech was able to put together a
high-performance large-scale container inspection system.
The achievement has
enabled China to become the fourth country in the world to grasp the technique,
next to the United Kingdom, France and Germany.
With a production base as
large as 100,000 square metres, the company manufactures fixed, relocatable and
mobile container/vehicle inspection systems, an air cargo pallet inspection
system and a mail sterilization system.
Among them, the relocatable container
inspection system, which uses a linear accelerator as a radiation source, is a
big breakthrough in technique and design and has already captured a major market
share.
"All our products have gained ISO14001 certificates and fit in
with the related standards laid out by the World Health Organization and the
International Atomic Energy Agency, which means they are all safe and
environmentally-friendly," said Miao Qitian, vice-president of Nuctech.
A
barrage of experiments has shown that goods being examined by Nuctech's series
of X-ray scanners are exposed to one-tenth of the radiation emitted by medical
X-ray machinery.
"We developed all the core techniques including the linear
accelerator, detectors and relevant software and we own all of the intellectual
property rights," said Chi Minghao, director of Nuctech's overseas marketing
division.
So far, the company has sold 41 container inspection systems to
Chinese Customs and another 51 to customs abroad.
In 2001 and 2002, it
realized sales of 270 million yuan (US$32.6 million) and 349 million yuan
(US$42.2 million) respectively.
In 1998, Chinese Customs signed an agreement
with Nuctech to equip most of the domestic customs posts with the latest
container inspection systems. A second agreement between the two parties were
followed in 2002 on more purchases.
Now, almost all the coastal Chinese
Customs outlets, starting from Huichun in the north and stretching to Haikou in
the south, are armed with the company's advanced products.
In September
2002, Nuctech's scanner helped Shanghai Customs uncover China's biggest ivory
smuggling case since 1949, in which more than 3,330 kilograms of African ivory
was seized at the Waigaoqiao Port.
Despite the great achievement, however,
Nuctech is looking ahead to expand its business.
"Our long-term goal is
to become a leading security inspection system manufacturer globally," Miao
said.
Against the background of fighting against terrorism, higher
requirements have been imposed upon various container and vehicle inspection
systems - meaning Nuctech has geared up its focus in accordance with the even
stricter standards.
More new products are being developed or improved, such
as a mail sterilization system and a radiation detection system.
"We
will try to keep pioneering in this field and contribute our part to global
anti-terrorism activities," Miao said.
With a staff of more than 700, the
company is planning to go public in order to generate more capital for a faster
development. | | | | | | |
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