BTSO President İbrahim Burkay drew attention to the critical role of the plastics industry in the Turkish economy at the strategic sector meeting organized in cooperation with PLASFED. Emphasizing that the plastics industry is one of the most strategic areas of the industry with its production, export, employment, and sustainable transformation power, Burkay gave important messages that will shape the future of the sector on many topics, from green transformation to digitalization.
Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BTSO) Board Chairman İbrahim Burkay drew attention to the critical role of the plastics industry in the Turkish economy at the strategic sector meeting organized in cooperation with PLASFED. Speaking at the meeting hosted by BTSO, Burkay stated that the plastics industry is one of the most strategic areas of Turkish industry with its production power, export capacity, employment structure, and transformation potential. Touching on the importance of the work carried out by PLASFED as the umbrella organization of the sector, Burkay stated that the federation makes significant contributions to the sector's acting with common sense, addressing problems on common platforms, and bringing industrialists together with a strong representation structure.
Speaking at the meeting, which was held with the intense participation of sector representatives, Burkay stated that the plastics industry is not just a production area, but also a powerful ecosystem that directs many branches of industry. Stating that the Turkish plastics industry has reached the position of the second largest production power in Europe and the sixth in the world with approximately 15 thousand manufacturing firms, a production capacity of over 10 million tons, and a transaction volume exceeding 40 billion dollars, Burkay noted that the sector provides direct employment to more than 300 thousand people.
“The sector has strategic importance for the Turkish economy”
Stating that the plastics industry has reached a level of 7.5 billion dollars in exports, Burkay expressed that the sector has strategic importance in terms of the growth targets of the Turkish economy. Burkay said, "The performance you have demonstrated is actually one of the strongest reflections of the production, export, and development targets we have set as a country in the field."
Touching on the change and transformation process in the global economy, Burkay stated that producing alone is no longer enough, and sectors are being reshaped along the axes of green transformation, digitalization, and sustainability. Stating that the plastics industry is also at the center of this transformation, Burkay pointed out that strengthening environmentally friendly production models and digital infrastructure is of great importance in terms of competitiveness.
Addressing the basic problems faced by the sector, Burkay stated that issues such as raw material supply, energy costs, access to finance, and qualified labor force are putting pressure on production capacity. Emphasizing that despite this, the sector has a strong production reflex, Burkay stated that this process also offers significant opportunities for localization and transformation.
Making evaluations regarding BTSO Academy projects, Burkay said that the most important pillar of transformation in industry is qualified human resources. Expressing that they organize comprehensive training programs through the BTSO Academy, which was launched in 2013, in order to prepare the Bursa business world for changing competitive conditions, Burkay stated that they have reached over 110 thousand participants in more than 700 current topics to date.
“We are strengthening vocational training and technical capacity”
Drawing attention to the importance of projects carried out to train the human resources needed by the industry, Burkay said that more than 40 thousand young people have gained a profession through BUTGEM to date. In addition, stating that employees' professional qualifications have been brought to international standards with MESYEB, Burkay noted that they have created a strong education and transformation model that covers all stakeholders of the Bursa business world.
Touching on technology and innovation investments, Burkay stated that they are developing important projects to move Bursa's production power to high value-added areas. Stating that a smart production infrastructure has been created with TEKNOSAB, which is Turkey's first high-technology-oriented organized industrial zone, Burkay said that significant contributions have been made to green industry targets with solar and wind energy investments.
Burkay also stated that the Logistics TEKNOPARK project, which was implemented as one of the largest logistics centers in the South Marmara, has strategic importance in terms of regional trade. He noted that the centers of excellence operating within BUTEKOM guide the industry in the fields of composite, technical textiles, and advanced material technologies.
Emphasizing sustainability in his speech, Burkay said that the world economy can no longer move forward with traditional production models. Expressing that sustainability should not be evaluated only as an environmental policy, Burkay stated that it is also the basic condition for the continuity of production and being able to exist in the global market.
Drawing attention to the European Green Deal process, Burkay said that they provide guidance to companies with the EU Harmonization and Green Deal Council established within BTSO. Stating that the green transformation process is critical for the industry, Burkay noted that they support the transformation processes of businesses in terms of energy efficiency, resource management, and carbon footprint.
“Waste must be transformed into economic value”
Emphasizing the importance of the circular economy in the plastics industry, Burkay stated that waste must be transformed into economic value. Stating that source separation, deposit return systems, and recycling processes must become an integral part of production systems, Burkay said, "We must treat waste not as a burden, but as a new source of raw materials."
Stating that Turkey has achieved significant success in plastic product exports but remains dependent on imports for raw materials, Burkay said that approximately 11 billion dollars of imports were made against 2.5 billion dollars of raw material exports. Expressing that this situation puts pressure on the current account balance, Burkay emphasized that recycling investments and domestic raw material production are of strategic importance.
Expressing that as BTSO, they stand by the sector with all kinds of projects in the transformation process of the plastics industry, Burkay said that transforming the production infrastructure into an environmentally friendly and digital structure has now become inevitable. Stating that investments that will carry Bursa's industrial vision to the future are of great importance in terms of long-term development goals, Burkay noted that the strong infrastructure created will leave a more competitive industrial structure for future generations.
Thanking the sector representatives, especially Ömer Karadeniz and Kağan Yeşil, at the end of the meeting, Burkay stated that it is of great importance for the public, private sector, and non-governmental organizations to act together in the transformation process of the plastics industry. Burkay said that such strategic meetings that will shape the future of the sector will make significant contributions to the competitive power of the Turkish industry.
This content has been translated using artificial intelligence technology.