Home | News | Company Profile | Services and Materials | Professional Training | Request for Information | Why DETERTEC?

Company Profile

INDEX:
Our company
Accomplishments
Technical expertise
Training expertise
Other scientific activities
Credentials
Awards/Distinctions

Resources


OUR COMPANY

DETERTEC was established in Quito, ECUADOR, in July of 1994, as an independent contract research company specialised in the field of detergency on textiles, and focused on less-developed laundry markets. Thanks to its personnel's previous scientific expertise and its ability to develop innovative test procedures and technologies in the field of detergency, and to provide a high-quality services to high-grade customers requirements, in a short time DETERTEC has become the regional leader in this type of highly specialised services and a basic resource for Asian and Latin American detergency technologies.

In the year 2000, DETERTEC started to devote substantial resources and efforts to understand the most advanced topics in the fields of Visual Appearance and Innovation, with the intention to developed two more core competences. Three years later, in 2003, DETERTEC launched a group of very-first technologies to understand colour perception under real visual scenarios.

Starting in the year 2006, DETERTEC expanded its service to the ample consumer industry, including the markets of beauty and personal care, and foods and beverages. Up to now DETERTEC has come to constitute a consumer understanding company, by combining uniquely two different abilities, a serious ethnographic practitioner and a creative experimentation laboratory, with a highly specialised knowledge and proprietary technologies, and a large expertise and credibility in the field of brand and product innovation in the consumer market.

Currently, DETERTEC is contracted as a collaborative innovation partner on consumer-centred brand and product innovation medium and long term projects, led by Marketing or R&D areas. DETERTEC's main clients are regional and multinational companies in the consumer industry, and suppliers of raw materials and technologies for domestic products.

DETERTEC's mission since 1994:

  1. To apply the knowledge of the physical and social sciences, and engineering to consumer realities
  2. To service other companies' success through mutual benefit relations
  3. To keep the final consumer's value in less-developed markets as the main point of reference
  4. To build a balanced financial status oriented to the company and its collaborators prosperity.

DETERTEC's vision:

"A leading service company in supporting our clients' products and brands through knowledge-based services, based on innovation technologies focused to improve the consumer value in less-developed markets."

DETERTEC's core areas of expertise (core competencies):

  • Consumer understanding of benefit perception at relevant market scenarios, and consumer understanding of value generation to brands. (Consumer Value and Experience Management).
  • Ethnography praxis in the consumer industry, especially with low-income families in emerging markets.
  • Physical experimentation:
    • in-vitro models and simulation of consumer interaction with products
    • advanced colorimetry, spectroscopy and digital technologies applied to consumer products
    • controlled natural solar radiation exposure, direct and diffuse, and sources of illumination
  • Virtual experimentation:
    • virtualisation of process components
    • modelling consumer visual perception
    • in-silico technologies to model and simulate consumer experiences
  • Test materials models with high relevancy to consumer realities
  • Professional training programs to Marketing and R&D staff on brand and product innovation in less-developed markets.

DETERTEC's service policy:

A typical phrase from our high-tech and innovative Clients about DETERTEC's services: "... much more than expected."


ACCOMPLISHMENTS

COMMERCIAL PROJECTS. Numerous confidential contracts/projects for medium-sized and large companies, both national and multinational, involved in the worldwide consumer market.

Brief summary from 07/1994 to 06/2009:

TOTAL:

204


Consumer studies:

24

Performance evaluation studies:

87

Development of test models and other materials:

35

Knowledge sharing:

33

New 'in silico' R&D projects

25


Added value:

  • support to brand and product innovation internal critical projects with and emphasis on consumer value
  • provision of technical knowledge to enable clients to make better business decisions at the beginning and/or at the end of product/technology development or product/technology optimisation projects (benefit and/or risk assessment),
  • monitoring of product and technology life cycle using final consumers' criteria and actual market conditions existing to sustain marketing efforts, and
  • enhancement of clients' business capabilities: process and skills, for better performance in the consumer market.


TECHNICAL EXPERTISE

INTERNAL RESEARCH PROJECTS. A number of technical contributions in the fields of consumer understanding, products evaluation, advanced spectroscopy , visual appearance, and virtual research and development, including:

"MODELLING THE CONSUMER'S NATURALLY DIFFERENT AND BEAUTY BY IMAGE ANALYSIS," presented at the Latin American and Iberic Congress of Cosmetic Chemists, COLAMIQC XIX, Guayaquil, ECUADOR. October 2009.

"IN SILICO APPROACH TO INNOVATION IN THE LAUNDRY MARKET," presented at the 100th AOCS Annual Meeting &Expo, Orlando, Florida, USA. May 2009.

"IN SILICO APPROACH TO INNOVATIONS WITH PERCEIVED CONSUMER VALUE," presented at JMP User Conference 2007, Cary, NC, USA. June 2007.

"NATURAL ULTRAVIOLET-A RADIATION MEASUREMENTS AT SKIN LEVEL," presented at AEDCA 2006 International Dermatology Congress, Manta, ECUADOR. October 2006.

"COLOUR APPEARANCE MODELS OF VISUAL ASSESSMENT OF WASHING RESULTS," presented at the 96th AOCS Annual Meeting &Expo, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. May 2005. In Memory of Arno Cahn.

"MATCHING CONSUMER'S EYES. A MODERN COLORIMETRIC APPROACH TO DETERGENCY ANALYSIS," presented at the 95th AOCS Annual Meeting & Expo, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. May 2004.

"THE INFLUENCE OF SHADING DYES ON WHITENESS UNDER NATURAL DAYLIGHT DURING HAND-WASHING WITH LAUNDRY BARS," presented at the 10th AOCS Latin American Congress and Exhibition on Fats and Oils, Manta, ECUADOR. December 2003.

"MODERN METHODS ON WHITENESS EVALUATION. NON-CONTACT SPECTROPHOTOMETRY," presented at the 5th World Conference and Exhibition on Detergents, Montreux, SWITZERLAND. October 2002.

"A NEW METHODOLOGY TO DEVELOP PRODUCT-DESIGN STRATEGIES FOR THE LAUNDRY MARKET IN LATIN AMERICA," presented at the HOUSEHOLD 2002. 5th Seminar & International Expo, Sao Paolo, BRAZIL. 2002.

"SHADING DYES ON WHITENESS RETENTION OF GARMENTS AFTER MULTIPLES CYCLES OF WASHING," presented at the XVI Latin American Congress of Textile Chemistry, Quito, ECUADOR. 2001.

"A NEW METHOD FOR SELECTION OF DYES WITH FASTNESS TO OXIDATIVE-BLEACH FADING DURING DOMESTIC WASHING IN LATIN AMERICA," presented at the XVI Latin American Congress of Textile Chemistry, Quito, ECUADOR. 2001.

"WHITENESS RETENTION AND RECOVERY UNDER HIGH LEVELS OF SOLAR RADIATION," presented at the JAWC 2000 (Japan Oil Chemists' Society American Oil Chemists' Society World Congress 2000), Kyoto, JAPAN. 2000; an updated version was presented at the 92nd AOCS Annual Meeting & Expo, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. May 2001.

"NEW DIAGNOSTIC TEST PROCEDURE FOR DYES SELECTION AFTER SUCCESSIVE WASHES UNDER LATIN AMERICAN CONDITIONS USING A DETERGENT WITH BLEACH ACTIVATORS," presented at the XIX Congresso Nacional dos Tecnicos Texteis, 6û Fenatextil, Ceara, BRAZIL. 2000; an updated version was presented at the 40th International WFK Detergency Conference, Strasbourg, FRANCE. 2001.

"DETERGENCY IN THE HAND WASHING PROCESS. NEW PERSPECTIVE," presented at the 91th AOCS Annual Meeting & Expo, San Diego, CA, USA. May 2000; and also presented at the 2000 (6th) International Conference on Surfactants & Detergents, Chengdu, CHINA. 2000.

"DINGINESS IN LATIN AMERICA," presented at the 39th International WFK Detergency Conference, LUXEMBOURG. 1999; and also presented at 8th AOCS Latin America Section. Meeting & Expo, Santiago, CHILE. 1999.

"DINGINESS PREVENTION AND COLOR RECOVERY IN EMERGING LAUNDRY MARKETS," presented at the 90th AOCS Annual Meeting & Expo, Orlando, Florida, USA. May 1999.

"COMPRESSION AND STRETCHING OF WET TEXTILES IN HAND WASHING PROCESSES," presented at the 4th World Conference and Exhibition on Detergents, Montreux, SWITZERLAND. October 1998.

"NEW STUDIES ON THE INFLUENCE OF SOLAR RADIATION AND LIGHT ON LAUNDRY PRODUCTS PERFORMANCE," presented at the 89th AOCS Annual Meeting & Expo, Chicago, Illinois, USA. May 1998.

"PERFORMANCE EVALUATION IN HAND WASHING PROCESSES. MECHANICAL ACTION AND THE INFLUENCE OF SOLAR RADIATION," presented at the 38th International WFK Detergency Conference, Krefeld, GERMANY. 1998.

"PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF LAUNDRY PRODUCTS TO DEVELOP COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES," presented at the Soap, Detergent and Oleochemicals Conference, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA. 1997.

"THE SINNER'S CIRCLE FOR MODELLING PERFORMANCE EVALUATION IN HAND LAUNDERING PROCESSES," presented at the 88th AOCS Annual Meeting & Expo, Seattle, Washington, USA. May 1997.

"NEW STUDIES ON DETERGENCY IN LAUNDERING PROCESSES USED IN ASIA AND LATIN AMERICA," presented at the 4th World Surfactants Congress, Barcelona, SPAIN. June 1996. Updated and published in INFORM 9: 941-949 (1998).

"INNOVATIVE MODELLING OF DETERGENCY EVALUATION IN HAND LAUNDERING PROCESSES," presented at the 87th AOCS Annual Meeting & Expo. Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. May 1996.


TRAINING EXPERTISE

PROFESSIONAL SEMINARS/COURSES. Since 1997, representatives from the following companies (in alphabetical order) have attended to DETERTEC's training programs:

ALICORP (Peru), AZUL K (Colombia), BALLESTRA (Brazil), BAYER (Venezuela), BEIJING TECHNOLOGY AND BUSINESS UNIVERSITY (China), BELMAY (Colombia), BISCONSULT (Brazil), BON-BRIL (Colombia), BORAX (Singapore), BORAX EUROPE (United Kingdom), C.A. PROMESA (Venezuela), CASALUKER (Colombia), CENTER FOR TEST MATERIALS - CFT (The Netherlands), CERIA KAMU ENTERPRISE (Malaysia), CESAR IGLESIAS (Domican Republic), CHEMPRO TECHNOLOGY (Malaysia), CIBA SPECIALTY CHEMICALS (Brazil), CIBA SPECIALTY CHEMICALS (Mexico), CIBA SPECIALTY CHEMICALS (Germany), CIBA SPECIALTY CHEMICALS (Singapore), CIBA SPECIALTY CHEMICALS (Switzerland), CLARIANT (Brazil), CLARIANT (Ecuador), CLARIANT (Mexico), CLOROX (Argentina), CLOROX (Chile), COLGATE PALMOLIVE (Colombia), COLGATE PALMOLIVE (Ecuador), COLGATE PALMOLIVE (Malaysia), COLGATE PALMOLIVE (Mexico), COLGATE PALMOLIVE (Philippines), COMPANIA GENERAL DE SERVICIOS (Mexico), CONDEA VISTA (USA), CROSCO CORPORATION (Philippines), DETERGENTES S.A. (Colombia), DXN INDUSTRIES (Malaysia), E. CHAMORRO INDUSTRIAL (Nicaragua), ESPAMEX (Mexico), FIRMENICH (Argentina), FIRMENICH (Brazil), FIRMENICH (Colombia), FIRMENICH (Costa Rica), FIRMENICH (Ecuador), FIRMENICH (Mexico), FIRMENICH (Peru), FIRMENICH (Venezuela), GARBU/FABEL (Ecuador), GENENCOR (Argentina), GENENCOR (Brazil), GENENCOR (Colombia), GENENCOR (Mexico), GENENCOR (The Netherlands), GENENCOR (Singapore), GENENCOR (USA), GIVAUDAN (Brazil), GIVAUDAN (Colombia), GIVAUDAN (Venezuela), GME CHEMICALS (Malaysia), GRUPO JAREMAR (Honduras), HENKEL (Germany), HENKEL (Guatemala), HENKEL (Mexico), HENKEL CHEMICALS (Malaysia), HPA INDUSTRIES (Malaysia), IFF (Brazil), IFF (Colombia), INDUSTRIAL DANEC (Ecuador), INDUSTRIAS ALEN (Mexico), INDUSTRIAS ALES (Ecuador), INDUSTRIA DEL ALCALI (Mexico), INDUSTRIAS DIANA (Venezuela), INDUSTRIAS LA POPULAR (Guatemala), IREX (Costa Rica), ISIMEL (Peru), ISP (Mexico), JABONERIA WILSON (Ecuador), JC LABORATORY (Malaysia), JKL COSMETIC (Malaysia), KIMIA SUCHI (Malaysia), KIWI MANUFACTURING (Malaysia), KSP MANUFACTURING (Malaysia), LA CORONA (Mexico), LA FABRIL (Ecuador), LAM SOON (Malaysia), LEMBAGA KEMAJUAN IKAN (Malaysia), LARKIN (Colombia), LLOREDA S.A. (Colombia), MAVESA (Venezuela), MILLIKEN (Mexico), MRA INDUSTRIES (Malaysia), NOVOZYMES (Brazil), NOVOZYMES (Malaysia), NOVOZYMES (Mexico), NOVOZYMES (Peru), OIL FIELD TECHNOLOGY (Malaysia), OLEOMEX (Mexico), PETRESA (Spain), PORIM (Malaysia), PROCTER & GAMBLE (Brazil), PROCTER & GAMBLE (Belgium), PROCTER & GAMBLE (China), PROCTER & GAMBLE (Mexico), PROCTER & GAMBLE (United Kingdom), PROCTER & GAMBLE (USA), PROCTER & GAMBLE (Venezuela), PRODUCTS MANUFACTURING (Malaysia), PUNTO ROJO (Costa Rica), Q-PACK (Malaysia), QUALA (Colombia), QUEST INTERNATIONAL (Brazil), QUIMASOC (Ecuador), REPRESENTACIONES L.BUNZL (Venezuela), RHODIA (Brazil), RHODIA (Colombia), ROEMMERS (Ecuador), ROHM AND HASS (Singapore), SANCHEZ Y MARTIN (Mexico), SENSIENT FRAGRANCES (España), SERVICIOS INDUSTRIALES PEÑOLES (Mexico), SHELL CHEMICALS (Singapore), SHELL CHEMICAL (USA), SIRIM BERHAD (Malaysia), SOUTHERN EDIBLE OIL IND (Malaysia), STEPAN (Mexico), STEPAN (Philippines), SÜD CHEMIE (Mexico), SÜD CHEMIE (Peru), SUPER SYNTEKO (Ecuador), SYMRISE (Colombia), UNILEVER (Bolivia), UNILEVER (Brazil), UNILEVER (Ecuador), UNILEVER (Honduras), UNILEVER (Malaysia), UNILEVER (The Netherlands), UNILEVER RESEARCH (United Kingdom), UNILEVER (Venezuela), UNIVERSIDAD DE LAS AMERICAS (Mexico), UNIVERSIDAD DE SANTIAGO DE CHILE (Chile), UNIVERSITI KEBANGBAAN (Malaysia), UNIVERSITI PUTRA MALAYSIA (Malaysia), UNZA (Malaysia), ZAITUN INDUSTRI (Malaysia).


OTHER SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITIES

AFFILIATIONS

  • AOCS - American Oil Chemists' Society (USA)
  • IST - Society for Imaging Science and Technology (USA)
  • OSA- Optical Society of America (USA)
  • SPIE - International Society for Optical Engineering (USA)

Specifically, the Director-General has been/is a member of:

  • Committee D-12 (On soaps and other detergents) in ASTM International (American Society for Testing and Materials). 1997-2000.
  • Research Committees in AATCC (American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists). 1997-2004.
  • Editorial Board of the Journal of Surfactants and Detergents. 1998-2000.
  • Board of the Surfactant and Detergent Division in AOCS. 1999 to 2001.
  • Program Committee of the 5th World Conference on Detergents that was held in Montreux, Switzerland in 2002, and chair of Session III: The Changing Marketplace.
  • Program Committee of the 6th World Conference on Detergents that was held in Montreux, Switzerland in 2006.


CREDENTIALS

  • Certificate of Competence in the Colour Fastness Testing of Textiles. The Colour Centre, Society of Dyers and Colourists. UNITED KINGDOM, 2000-2003.


AWARDS/DISTINCTIONS

  • An Innovation to Success recognition from SAS Institute, the world leader in Business Intelligence and Analytical Software, Cary, USA. The distinction was presented to our innovative uses of JMP software, a business unit of SAS, to support new virtual research and development technologies applied to improve consumer experiences. December 2006. The first Latin American company with this distinction.
  • A Textile Chemistry Award from the Latin American Federation of Textile Chemists and Colourists (FLAQT), October-2001. Paper titled "A New Method for Selection of Dyes with Fastness to Oxidative-Bleach Fading during Domestic Washing in Latin America", Sandra Aliaga and Rodrigo Olmedo, DETERTEC. The award was presented during the XVI Latin American Congress of Textile Chemistry, Quito - Ecuador, October 15th - 19th, 2001.


RESOURCES

  • A high qualified professional team with more than 25 years of experience in the fields of innovation, consumer understanding, visual appearance, spectroscopy, detergency on textiles, experimental design and data analysis, and knowledge sharing. Personnel
  • A Quality Management System based on the ISO 9001:2000 standard, ISO/IEC 17025:1999 guide, and OECD Principles of Good Laboratory Practice-GLP:1997, geared to meeting the highest technical and commercial customers' requirements.
  • Broad and up-to-date bibliographical resources and technical information in the fields of brand and product innovation, ethnography praxis, vision science and spectroscopy applied to the consumer market, and in the field of detergency applied to domestic laundry.
  • Suitable laboratory instruments, equipment and facilities, together with a modern System for Data Acquisition during Laundering (SDAL) and statistical analysis support. Facilities




Home | News | Company Profile | Services and Materials | Professional Training | Request for Information | Why DETERTEC?
Copyright 1997-2010, DETERTEC