Machinery Summit Adopts "Green Machines, Green World" Motto

Green Machinery Summit Adopts "Green Machines, Green World" Motto The Turkey Machinery Federation (MAKFED), the umbrella organization of 27 sectoral associations with membership exceeding 3,000, brought together the business world at the Machinery Summit held in Istanbul on 16 June under the motto "Green Machines, Green World". At the summit, MAKFED Chairman Adnan Dalgakıran emphasized that Turkey can advance toward its 2053 carbon neutrality target through a strategy with the machinery sector at its core, stating: "When we talk about machinery, we are not talking about just one sector. We are talking about a country's production capability, that is, its competitiveness." The machinery manufacturing sector, which increased investment by 49 percent and production by 42 percent at the end of a two-year period affected by the pandemic, and entered Turkey's top 3 sectors with USD 23 billion in exports, gathered at the Machinery Summit held in Istanbul on 16 June. At the opening session of the summit, attended by MAKFED and member association governing boards as well as senior executives from the sector and suppliers, speakers included Industry and Technology Minister Mustafa Varank, European Union Delegation to Turkey Head Ambassador Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut, and TIM Chairman Mustafa Gültepe.

"Growth must be achieved through value addition and production"

  MAKFED Chairman Adnan Dalgakıran, stating that when discussing machinery they are discussing not just one sector but a country's production capability and thus its competitiveness, said: "Turkey must achieve growth through value addition and production, and sustainability must take priority in growth. In the world today, it is not considered a skill to do an entire job, but rather to capture the largest share of the value chain created in the process. We know this is achieved through knowledge or technology production and branding. If our collaboration with the electronics and software sectors develops, the competitiveness and market value of our machines will also increase. The real subject of Green Transformation is standards, and being part of the mechanisms that determine standards will provide our country with important and strategic advantages. It is of course not possible for Turkey to do this alone, but our specialized associations, through their participation in EU organizations as members, will contribute greatly to these processes by taking part in the preparations. We are rapidly strengthening in international competition by creating differentiation through product and technology diversity, and we are determined to be a sector that shapes the economy. Turkey will grow through machinery." he said. At the summit opening, Industry and Technology Minister Mustafa Varank addressed the guests, stating: "The sector, operating with 18,300 companies, became one of the highest exporting sectors in 2021 with its performance exceeding USD 23 billion." Minister Varank also announced that evaluation results of the "Technology-Focused Industry Initiative: Call for Structural Transformation in Production" would be disclosed. Mentioning that they are making all necessary preparations for alignment with the European Green Deal, Varank concluded his remarks by stating: "We will implement the transformation that will lead to fundamental changes in our investment, production and employment policies in a manner suited to our economic development." Varank, noting that the machinery sector is in a critical position for growth, and that the main and sub-industries have a structure that feeds many other sectors as they develop, stated: "Every unit of investment in the sector returns to the economy as equivalent value added." Emphasizing that work on green and digital transformation will provide significant contributions to the sector and will soon move competitiveness to a much higher level, Varank concluded: "I invite all our enterprises to maintain close cooperation with our Ministry and benefit from our Ministry's support." At the summit, European Union Delegation to Turkey Head Ambassador Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut delivered remarks on the EU's climate change and twin transformation policies, stating that production and consumption patterns must be adapted to current trends that also examine the greenness of machines. Meyer-Landrut conveyed that the Green Deal announced in 2019 is the new economic growth strategy implemented by the European Union in response to climate change. Noting that the coronavirus pandemic and Russia's war against Ukraine have once again demonstrated how fragile the global economic order is, Meyer-Landrut continued: "We need to transition to genuine sustainability. The Sustainable Products Initiative was announced in March this year. This initiative, aiming for sustainable transformation in the economic model, not only promotes energy efficiency but also envisages a general reduction in environmental impacts in certain products." Meyer-Landrut, also noting that Turkey is a very important trading partner, stated: "You are our sixth largest trading partner and the European Union is Turkey's largest export market. Our trade volume exceeded EUR 157 billion in 2021. There is a deep value chain between EU and Turkish companies, particularly in the machinery, textiles and automotive sectors."  

"For USD 500 billion in exports, we will achieve green transformation together"

  TIM Turkish Exporters Council new Board Chairman Mustafa Gültepe, stating "We feel the negative effects of climate change in every area. Green Transformation has become a necessity, not a choice," emphasized that the need for machinery and production methods that minimize carbon emissions will increase rapidly. In his remarks, Gültepe announced that 61 exporter associations from 27 sectors under the TIM umbrella will work hand in hand for a sustainable world and green production, and that sectors such as textiles, agriculture and livestock, which have disclosed their action plans, will also benefit from the machinery sector's preparations. Noting that manufacturing companies bear significant responsibility in reaching the zero emissions target, Gültepe stated: "Our exports will exceed USD 250 billion by the end of this year, and to reach our next target of USD 500 billion as quickly as possible, we will achieve green transformation together."