Intertek, BEXIMCO open PPE Centre of Excellence

Intertek and BEXIMCO on Wednesday announced the opening of the PPE Centre of Excellence (COE) at BEXIMCO HEALTH, PPE Industrial Park, in Dhaka.
US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl R Miller opened the PPE Industrial Park along with Salman F Rahman, the prime minister's private industry and investment adviser, and Syed Naved Husain, group director and chief executive officer of BEXIMCO.
BEXIMCO, a diversified private-sector group in Bangladesh, established the PPE Industrial Park to produce personal safety equipment with a vision to become one of the major players in PPE (personal protective equipment) manufacturing globally, said a press release.
With South Asia emerging as the new global centre for PPE manufacturing, the need for PPE products to meet all safety, hygiene and quality assurance standards prior to export and local consumption, has been increasingly critical.
To further strategic partnership with BEXIMCO, a 12,000ft² COE has been set up at the PPE industrial park that is capable of testing a wide range of PPE products to meet stringent international industry standards.
The COE provides services ensuring that all PPE products tested in the facility comply with European, American and other international standards, all under one roof.
The new COE will allow Intertek to provide systemic end-to-end solutions in this sector to all customers across the PPE ecosystem in Bangladesh.
Intertek, a global provider of quality and safety solutions to industries, has partnered with the Bangladesh government, World Health Organisation, Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) and private manufacturers alike, assuring all products from raw materials to finished items, allowing these organisations to supply high-quality and regulation-compliant products to the local and global market, said the release.
Commenting on the agreement, Intertek CEO André Lacroix said, "As a purpose-led company, Intertek's mission is to make the world a better and safer place by bringing Quality, Safety and Sustainability to life.
"That is why we are extending our partnership with BEXIMCO by establishing a new state-of-the-art centre of excellence to ensure its vital PPE products are able to meet the highest risk-based quality assurance standards."
"The Covid-19 pandemic has seen global demand for PPE rise significantly, along with the need for end-to-end testing and certification solutions for protective clothing and other PPE equipment.
"With BEXIMCO becoming a key player in the manufacture of PPE globally, I am confident the next stage in our partnership will help make the world an ever-safer, ever-better place in these challenging times," added the Intertek CEO.
BEXIMCO CEO Syed Naved Husain said, "BEXIMCO has steadily contributed to Bangladesh's meteoric rise as a manufacturing hub in South Asia. I am delighted with this new development in our relationship with Intertek since it will place Bangladesh on the world's PPE manufacturing map."
"The quality assurance capabilities of Intertek will help to further this cause by helping us to meet the most stringent regulatory standards and further cement our relationship," he said.
"This should help us realise our vision of seeing Bangladesh as the largest manufacturer and exporter of PPE products."