Ömer Karadeniz, Chairman of the PLASFED Board of Directors, joined Bloomberg HT's live broadcast of the Agenda Technology program as a guest of Hande Berktan. Emphasizing that transformation in industry has become a necessity, PLASFED Chairman Karadeniz stated, "Industry 4.0 is no longer just a concept; it has become the cornerstone of production with elements such as artificial intelligence, data analytics, and dark factories."
PLASFED Chairman Ömer Karadeniz evaluated the state of Turkey's industry in digital transformation during the Agenda Technology program. He highlighted that especially the plastic industry has integrated with technology and has a high growth potential with value-added production. Noting that the production decline, growth pressure, and access to financing issues faced by Turkish industry have made digital transformation mandatory, Karadeniz reiterated, "Industry 4.0 is no longer just a concept; it has become the cornerstone of production with elements such as artificial intelligence, data analytics, and dark factories."
Dark Factories and Digitalization are Inevitable
Stating that leading automotive brands around the world now produce in dark factories, Karadeniz emphasized that Turkey needs to focus on infrastructure investments, human resources, and digital literacy to avoid falling behind in this race. He noted that our internet infrastructure is inadequate and that our SMEs struggle to access information. "However, 99.8% of our industry's consists of SMEs. It is impossible to achieve digital transformation without supporting them," he said.
Joint Projects are Promising
Karadeniz pointed out that vocational training has been neglected for many years, but significant steps have recently been taken. He expressed that the joint projects between the Ministry of National Education and the Istanbul Chamber of Industry are promising and stated that these collaborations need to be expanded.
Technological Leap in the Plastic Sector
Karadeniz declared that the plastic industry has become a technological sector, noting that the transformation within the sector is progressing rapidly. He emphasized that plastic demand is expected to increase exponentially by 2050 and pointed out that this opportunity must be well exploited. Indicating that the Turkish plastic sector ranks second among EU countries after Germany for its production of 10 million tons of plastic and seventh in the world after South Korea, President Karadeniz stated, "According to TURKSTAT data, plastic product exports are expected to reach 7 billion dollars in 2024, while raw material exports will be 2.6 billion dollars. The sector's product imports are expected to be 3.5 billion dollars, with raw material imports at 11.5 billion dollars. The sector is a net exporter."
The Nature of Incentives Should Change
Karadeniz argued that in transformation investments, it is essential to provide not only tax reductions but also to cultivate a qualified workforce, regional support, leasing options, and facilitate access to financing. "If we want high value-added production, we must both digitalize and keep SMEs afloat," he concluded.
Translated by Artificial Intelligence
