TEKNOSAB Begins Production

Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BTSO) Board Chair İbrahim Burkay announced that production has begun in 4 factories in the Technology Industry Zone TEKNOSAB, while construction work continues in 27 factories. Noting that Bursa, Turkey's manufacturing hub, achieved annual exports of USD 16 billion, Burkay stated: "Our city reached the same export figure in 2018. We are now facing a new threshold. Spatial planning and transition to economies of scale are of great importance for Bursa to achieve a new leap in the economy." BTSO Chair İbrahim Burkay met with media representatives at Turkey's first interactive aerospace education center Gökmen Space Aerospace Training Center (GUHEM). Chair Burkay delivered a presentation on Bursa's economic transformation process and projects undertaken by BTSO at an iftar program. Noting that habits began to change worldwide with the pandemic, İbrahim Burkay said: "The new world order that emerged after the pandemic also defines a new economy. Now new players are emerging on a global scale. Turkey is at the center of all these processes. If we want to leverage these advantages for our country and city as BTSO, we need to eliminate some chronic weaknesses."

"More than 60 projects in 9 years"

Chair Burkay, who stated "If Turkey had 10 cities like Bursa today, our country would not face a foreign trade deficit," expressed that they continue their efforts to elevate Bursa's economy to a stronger position. İbrahim Burkay emphasized that they brought more than 60 projects to Bursa in 9 years to build "the city of the future with collective wisdom." Noting Bursa's strategic location and its reach to a population of 1.6 billion within a 4-hour flight distance, Burkay stated that the city alone accounts for approximately 9 percent of Turkey's exports.

Industry contributes 46 percent to Bursa's economic transaction volume

BTSO Chair Burkay said that new spatial planning in the Marmara Basin, where Bursa is centered, would bring investment, production, employment and export values to a new threshold. Noting that manufacturing's share in Turkey's gross domestic product stands at 16 percent, Burkay underscored that industry's contribution to Bursa's economic transaction volume is at 46 percent. İbrahim Burkay stated: "Within our city's total area of 11,000 square kilometers, industry accounts for 0.8 percent. BTSO established Turkey's first industrial zone in 1960. 62 years later, Bursa's second organized industrial zone TEKNOSAB was established. There are 17 industrial zones in Bursa. After the other 15 industrial zones were established, they gained industrial zone status following rehabilitation processes. We are in a city that presented the industrial zone concept and vision in 1960. Today Germany, with a population of 84 million, exports approximately 2 trillion dollars. China, with 1.5 billion people, exports similar amounts. The ratio of industrial areas to total land area in Germany is 4.44 percent. This ratio is 2.15 percent in Italy and an average of 2.5 percent in OECD countries."

"We must reach the figures that define Bursa in exports"

Noting Bursa's annual exports of USD 16 billion, Burkay continued: "We reached the same export figure in 2018. During the pandemic period, there was approximately USD 2 billion decline in the automotive sector due to the chip crisis. But we need to make the same leap in exports as before. USD 16 billion is a threshold for our city. With TEKNOSAB's implementation, an increase is expected. Through our Global Trade Fair Agency, Commercial Safari, and UR-GE projects, we increased the number of exporters in our city. With the contributions of these projects, we gained 2,900 new exporters in the last 9 years. However, the way for us to reach the figures that define Bursa is through economies of scale and spatial planning."

"Turkey's largest solar project will be implemented in TEKNOSAB"

BTSO Chair İbrahim Burkay said that Bursa, the city where Turkey's first industrial zone was established, will also lead the transition to economies of scale with TEKNOSAB. Noting that production is currently underway in 4 factories in TEKNOSAB and construction work continues in 27 factories, Burkay stated: "Our city will provide higher-level support to exports, employment and economic growth with TEKNOSAB. If you want to enter the world's top 10 economies, you must know what your competitors are doing. With highway, railway and port connections, logistics centers, infrastructure and treatment facilities, Turkey's largest solar project will also be implemented in TEKNOSAB. TEKNOSAB, with its smart infrastructure, factory buildings and renewable energy sources, will make an important contribution to efficient production. Our region will provide our companies with a very important competitive advantage on the international stage."

"Will strengthen our city's targets"

Burkay emphasized the need to establish satellite cities, logistics centers, commercial centers, next-generation technology industry zones and treatment facilities on both sides of the city. Noting that the total size of Bursa's 17 industrial zones is 50 million square meters, Burkay stated: "The number of plots of 15,000 square meters and above in the 17 industrial zones does not exceed 130. Some say there is space for investment in the industrial zone. It is difficult to make investments on 3,000 square meter plots. More new and modern planned industrial areas need to be created for cramped SMEs in unplanned industrial areas within the city that are struggling to grow. At this point, in 2017 we collected demand for the SME Industrial Zone project. 2,556 of our members committed to relocation. Our Bursa, through smart city planning and spatial planning, can further strengthen its leadership role in Turkey's development targets."

High Technology College project

Burkay, noting that 190,000 people work in Bursa's 17 industrial zones and 230,000 people work in unplanned industrial areas, said: "Bursa's population is 3 million 170,000. Worldwide, the working-age population is defined as 15-64 years. This population in Bursa is 2 million 170,000. The number of people working in Bursa from this group is 900,000. There are claims that when industry grows, migration from outside will increase. This was possible 30 years ago. But currently there is no population coming from rural areas to cities. The labor force participation rate for the 15-64 age group in OECD countries is 71.5 percent. If we want to be like Germany, the rate there is 80 percent. In 10 years, Bursa's population increase was 150,000. As Bursa, we need centers like BTSO's education valley. As an organization, we have two education campuses in Bursa. We have the goal of establishing two high technology colleges in these areas. Through these projects, we plan to include more people in the economy."

"Free Trade Zones will be an economic value"

Chair Burkay said they also have projects to establish 2 free trade zones in Bursa. Stating that these zones will bring great value to the economy, Burkay said they aim to bring qualified buyers from abroad to the city through these zones. İbrahim Burkay expressed that projects such as Model Factory, BUTEKOM, BTSO MESYEB, BUTGEM and Energy Efficiency Center, which were implemented with the goal of Bursa's economy growing based on production and exports, also contribute to companies' transformation process.