ISO/Bahçıvan: We Have Established World-Class Manufacturing Competence in the Defense Industry

The sixth Defense Industry Meetings, organized by the Istanbul Chamber of Industry (ISO) and SAHA Istanbul to contribute to the strengthening of Turkey's defense industry with a national and local structure, took place. The event was hosted by ISO Board Chairman Erdal Bahçıvan and SAHA Istanbul Vice Chairman and Roketsan General Manager Murat İkinci, and was attended by Istanbul Deputy Governor Yücel Gemici, Deputy Minister of Industry and Technology Çetin Ali Dönmez, Deputy Chairman of the Presidency of Defense Industries Gökhan Uçar, as well as members of the ISO Council and Professional Commissions and executives from major defense industry suppliers. A total of 18 prime contractors participated with 70 tables, and more than 500 companies, members of ISO and SAHA Istanbul, attended the 6th Defense Industry Meetings, resulting in over 2000 bilateral meetings.

In his opening speech, Erdal Bahçıvan emphasized that the defense industry is a strategic sector that directly affects not only a country's military strength but also its technological infrastructure, economic development, and international prestige. He pointed out that investments in the sector contribute significantly to the development of domestic industry, technology transfer, innovation, and the cultivation of a qualified workforce.

Bahçıvan stressed the need for a collaborative approach along with technological advancement for the sustainable development of the Turkish defense industry, which is rapidly progressing to become a strong player in the global market. He stated, "Istanbul has a very suitable ecosystem for domestic suppliers needed by our defense industry, thanks to its intellectual capital, strength in innovative and creative industries, and qualified industrial firms producing in every sector. As ISO, we aim to establish long-term and strong collaborations at the domestic supplier point by bringing our members together with our 18 prime contractor defense industry firms, just as we did in the previous five events, and to enhance Istanbul's contribution to our defense industry."

The number of firms in the ISO 500 has increased from six to 22 over 23 years. Bahçıvan noted that companies and countries that quickly adapt technology into their products and production processes stand out in global competition. "Most importantly, being able to develop technology with our own resources and not being dependent on others is crucial. Our defense industry serves as a very good example of this," he said. Supporting his statements with data, Bahçıvan indicated that the number of defense industry firms in the ISO 500 increased from 6 in 2000 to 22 in 2023. According to the Presidency of Defense Industries, between 2002 and 2023, the export volume of the sector increased 22 times, exceeding 5.5 billion dollars. "In the first 11 months of this year, we have surpassed last year's performance with an export of 5.7 billion dollars. It is also commendable that the domestic production rate in the sector has risen from 20% to 80%. In the rankings of the world's top 100 firms, which is an important index in the defense industry, 5 of our valuable companies will be represented from our country in 2024. The rapid rise of our country's defense industry sector in a highly competitive global arena indicates that we have world-class production capabilities with a well-trained workforce and valuable engineers," he concluded.

Murat İkinci, Vice Chairman of SAHA Istanbul, stated, "As SAHA Istanbul, we are bringing platforms and subcontractor firms together with our SMEs to create a ground for business development, and we are collaborating with companies, universities, and R&D organizations to develop game-changing domestic and national technologies for the development and expansion of our defense industry ecosystem in line with the National Technology Move. Since we were founded, we have been working with the motto 'Let There Be No More Incomplete Stories' as SAHA Istanbul, which is the most important civil initiative at the center of our nation's rising star in defense, aerospace, and space industry. Our journey, which started almost 10 years ago with 27 members, now continues with more than 1300 firms from 49 cities, operating in 52 different fields, the majority of which are SMEs, along with 29 universities and many important institutions/organizations we collaborate with. Thus, we are creating an important ecosystem not only for Turkey but also as the largest industrial cluster of the European Aerospace and Defence Clusters (EACP)."

The Defense Industry Meetings, which hold significant importance in increasing collaboration in the defense industry, a key sector determining Turkey's global power, also featured a panel titled "A Perspective on the Turkish Defense Industry from the Aspects of Technology, Development, and Cooperation," with the participation of leading defense industry actors.