"Composite Pilot Facility" Being Set Up at GEBKİM MTAL

GEBKİM Education, Research and Health Foundation, established by participants of GEBKİM, Türkiye's first chemistry-specialised organized industrial zone, continues its work on developing school-industry cooperation. GEBKİM Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School, a project school that admitted its first students this year based on LGS scores, is implementing a model that will set an example for Türkiye in qualified vocational education. Through cooperation with the Composite Manufacturers Association, a Composite Pilot Facility will be established at GEBKİM MTAL. In this facility, students will have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with composite materials, which find application in key sectors from automotive to defence industry and are constantly evolving, and to gain hands-on production experience, thereby developing themselves. The Composite Manufacturers Association held an information meeting at the Polin Waterparks factory located in GEBKİM OSB regarding the Turkish Composite 2019 Summit to be held at Istanbul Lutfi Kırdar Convention and Exhibition Palace on 10-11-12 October 2019. At the meeting, a cooperation protocol on the establishment of a Composite Pilot Facility at GEBKİM Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School was signed by Kocaeli Deputy Governor Suat Yıldız, Kocaeli Provincial Director of National Education Fehmi Rasim Çelik, Composite Manufacturers Association Board Chairman Barış Pakiş and GEBKİM Education, Research and Health Foundation Board Chairman Vefa İbrahim Aracı. The meeting and signing ceremony, which attracted considerable interest from companies in GEBKİM Chemistry Specialised OSB and leading figures in the sector, was also attended by Istanbul Chamber of Commerce Board Chairman Şekib Avdagiç, Gebze Chamber of Commerce Chairman Nail Çiler, Dilovası Mayor Hamza Şayir and İKMİB Board Chairman Adil Pelister. The meeting opened with a speech by Istanbul Chamber of Commerce Board Chairman Şekib Avdagiç on "Economic outlook in the world and Türkiye towards 2020". Avdagiç noted that leading indicators in the third quarter pointed to moderate recovery in Türkiye's economy, and stated that they expected growth to turn positive in the final quarter of the year.

Following İTO Chairman Şekib Avdagiç, Composite Manufacturers Association Board Chairman Barış Pakiş spoke to participants about the state of the composite industry in Türkiye and the world, providing information about the Turkish Composite 2019 Summit to be held on 10-12 October.

The composite industry, which reached EUR 1.5 billion in turnover as of end-2017 and provided employment to 8,500 people, is drawing attention with its growth potential. Barış Pakiş emphasized that Türkiye is one of the few countries in the world where all composite materials are produced and Europe's sixth-largest producer. GEBKİM Education, Research and Health Foundation Chairman Vefa İbrahim Aracı stated that as a foundation they have taken as their mission the training of qualified personnel needed by the chemistry sector, emphasizing that with GEBKİM Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School they have created a model that will serve as an example to all of Türkiye in vocational education. Aracı said the following regarding the Composite Pilot Facility to be established at GEBKİM MTAL: "We attach great importance to ensuring that our students studying at GEBKİM MTAL, in addition to theoretical knowledge, maintain close contact with industry. In this context, we will establish pilot production facilities within our school. We will take the first step with the Composite Pilot Facility to be established in cooperation with the Composite Manufacturers Association. Through the protocol we signed, all composite materials in the pilot facility will be supplied by the association. Furthermore, composite training will also be provided by the association to GEBKİM MTAL educators. I wish the signed protocol to be beneficial and thank the Composite Manufacturers Association. In the time ahead, our cooperation will continue for establishing pilot facilities in different production branches of chemistry at our school." Kocaeli Deputy Governor Suat Yıldız highlighted the success demonstrated by GEBKİM MTAL and stated his belief that school-industry cooperation will make valuable contributions to both the region and Türkiye's economy. Yıldız added that he hoped the cooperation with the composite industry would continue with other industries and that students studying at the school would receive good training in different industrial sectors. The programme concluded with visits to the Polin Waterparks facility and GEBKİM Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School following the signing ceremony.