In our interview, Mr. Akın Akçalı, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bosad answered our questions. Giving information about Bosad’s activities and professional studies,
Akçalı shared his opinions and comments about the 8th International paintistanbul & Turkcoat Fair and Congress which will be held in 2020.
Mr. Akçalı, first of all, I congratulate you on your election as the Chairman of the Paint Manufacturers Association (Bosad) and wish you success in your new position. Could you briefly tell our readers about yourself, your educational background and your professional resume?
I was born in 1975 in Istanbul. I started my education in Istanbul and graduated from ATA College. I concluded my higher education from the Department of Economics of Anadolu University, Faculty of Economic Sciences.
I have been working as the Member of the Board of Directors and General Manager of Akçalı Boya ve Kimya San. Tic. A.Ş.
Since 2013, I have been a member of the Board of Directors and Vice Chairman of the Paint Manufacturers Association (Bosad). During the same period, I also continued my professional studies as the head of the Foreign Trade Working Group within Bosad.
In May 2019, with the appointment made at the IX. Ordinary General Assembly meeting of Bosad, I have assumed the Chairmanship of Bosad.
I am actively involved in various social organizations in the field of culture and art. I actively participate in maritime- sailing and attending national competitions in this field. I speak English at an advanced level. I am married and have two children.
Could you please give information about the professional studies carried out by Bosad?
As founded in 2003, this year Bosad will complete its 16
th year of operation. During this period, Bosad has become to represent nearly 80% of the paint and raw materials industry in registered economic activities and has significantly increased its professional power.
Within national and international areas, Bosad has continued its efforts to find solutions to the current and structural problems of the industry. In this context, Bosad has been an Observer Member of the European Painters Association (CEPE) since 2007.
In 2015, Bosad further strengthened its other international professional representation as a member of the World Association of Painters (IPPIC).
Within the current organizational structure of Bosad, in order to solve the problems of the industry, as a result of the demands received, more than 20 technical and professional “Working Groups” consisting of the relevant experts of our member organizations continue their activities effectively.
Today Bosad, as accepted by all industries, has become a reference point in creating a common industry view and presenting it to the authorized fields.
In the last 10 years, paint and raw materials industry in Turkey has achieved an important economic and commercial size in total chemical industry in Turkey and continues its professional &industrial activities with the aim of being an exporter industry regarding certain dimensions.
In this period,paints and raw materials industry in Turkey undertakes important obligations for the implementation of many international regulations,especially EU legislation and technical applications.
Especially for the companies of paint and raw materials industry both in and out of the scale economies, these obligations affect the competitiveness of many of our members. Important steps are being taken in terms of reflecting the practices within the framework of the obligations imposed on the industry.
In this progress, Bosad continues to carry out important professional efforts to solve all kinds of economic and commercial problems faced by our industrial organizations and the responsibilities imposed on our industry by our liabilities.
Thanks to the working groups within Bosad, especially in the recent period important steps have been taken towards the solution of many bureaucratic and technical problems experienced in the goods and services markets connected to our industry.
In the upcoming phase I believe that this new progress will continue depending on the industrial structuring and technological change. I also think that Bosad is going through a period of structural change in which its professional responsibilities and duties will increase and become more important.
I would like to state that we are in a new working phase in which our cooperation with other professional organizations will gain more importance within the aim of being a competitive and export oriented industry.
One of the most important topics in Bosad’s new term studies is the participation of our members in a more effective participatory and democratic order. In this context, it is important for us that now our Board of Directors includes two new businesswomen for the first time since the establishment of Bosad.
Could we learn your opinions and comments about the 8th International paintistanbul & Turkcoat Fair and Congress which will be held in 2020 with the cooperation of Bosad and Artkim Fuarcılık?
paintistanbul & Turkcoat fair and congress project, which is among the most important projects and activities of our paint industry, has been continuing with the contributions of industrial organizations for nearly 10 years.
In this period, our exhibition project has turned towards a common organization within the professional cooperation with Artkim Fuarcılık and has been organized for the last two terms with the name of paintistanbul & Turkcoat for our industry.
Our fair organization, which constitutes the two main bodies of our industry, continues to be the only industrydefined fair in which paints and raw materials are involved. The other part of our project which is as important as the fair is the development process of our international congress.
Considering other equivalent organizations within the main chemical industry, our congress with international participation gained a very important industrial technical power and achieved a significant success with the participation of many internationally recognized academicians, industry representatives and technical experts.
For the organization of our congress, in addition to number of technical experts and participants among Bosad members, high level participation and presentations of many academicians from the academic world in the paint industry, allows our congress’ quality to make an impact beyond the borders.
We aim to further develop our fair and congress project in 2020 and 2022.
Could you please give information about the activities you plan to do during your Bosad Presidency?
The new working phase of Bosad is of great importance for industrial development. Our paint and raw materials industry is now restructuring within the framework of the objective of becoming a regional power outside our national borders.
In the near future, we anticipate that our large-scale manufacturing companies will increase their cooperation with foreign capital corporations to a higher level and make a significant contribution to the technological power of our paint industry and target a higher level of competition.
In the meantime, a significant development to be noted; the continuous improvement on the quality of our industrial products, export potential exceeding 45 countries, as well as the new technological product profiles revealed by the R&D centered structure, constitute important footprints of this change.
Another priority that gained importance in Bosad’s new working phase is the development of domestic demand for paint products in Turkey and the resumption of initiatives to increase the per capita paint consumption at the international level.
Let us not forget that, besides the decoration paints, the paint industry continues to carry out many important sub-production activities under the group of industrial paints and continues to serve as the main input in every field of our economy as well as the general manufacturing industry.
It is of great importance for Bosad that this process is well planned and supported by professional organizations in the new phase.
One of the main topic we discussed during Bosad’s new working phase, is the fact that sustainability concept and objectives should exist in new projects and studies.
In the evaluations we have made within the Board of Directors on this matter, the ‘Sustainability Working Group” is established for the first time in Bosad and it is aimed to continue the technical studies in this field.
Another important topic of Bosad’s professional activities in this phase is the importance of exports for our industry, whereas domestic demand is inadequate. Thus, we will jointly cooperate with İKMİB (Istanbul Chemicals and Chemical Products Exporters’ Association) for export-increasing projects and studies.
Within this framework, the goal of increasing our exports by developing our valueadded product profiles for new abroad markets internationally, has gained importance. I would also like to state that, for many years our industry has not been sufficiently involved in foreign developed countries markets.
In this phase whereas the domestic market of our national economy has contracted significantly, we foresee that exporting to new foreign markets would be the most important relieving point for our industry.
