OSTİM Chairman Orhan Aydın, a guest on the OSTİM YouTube Channel's "Sector Speaks" program, shared his assessments of 2020 and his expectations for 2021.
Aydın, recalling that 2020 started sadly in Turkey, said that with the COVID-19 pandemic, the manufacturing world began to experience anxiety about the future, but they quickly recovered and continued their work rapidly. He stated that during this period, people felt the need to reinterpret the world and turn inward, saying, "Starting with ourselves, we became more aware of our surroundings, our country, the world, the universe. We held ourselves accountable in terms of learning lessons from these things."
Production has increased.
Aydın emphasized that production in OSTİM did not experience a decrease in the total for 2020, stating, “Looking at it from the perspective of those producing in OSTİM, there was no decrease in our energy consumption; on the contrary, there was an increase. The OSTİM electricity consumption graph clearly shows our pulse. Furthermore, a study conducted at OSTİM Technical University shows that our electricity consumption graph aligns with other economic data and indicators of Turkey, including industrial production. Therefore, when we look at OSTİM, we can also see Turkey reflected in this graph.”
Orhan Aydın explained that they began exploring ways to support companies in overcoming the pandemic, saying, "Digitalization, technological transformation, increased efficiency, and the search for new markets—topics we had foreseen and discussed long ago but postponed implementing—quickly came to the forefront."
“Foreign trade exit point”
Aydın noted that, with the pandemic, they focused on promoting the work and products of OSTİM, its companies, and clusters, and said: “With the support of our Foreign Trade Coordination Office, we held joint virtual meetings with the foreign trade attachés of 22 countries. We discussed with our trade attachés what kinds of opportunities and possibilities our products and companies have in those countries, and we had very useful meetings. Our companies followed this seriously. We conducted some training sessions for our companies on expanding abroad. We believe that foreign trade is an important starting point during this period. We will continue this in 2021 as well.”
Orhan Aydın explained that clustering activities are also continuing, and that they are trying to carry out joint activities with clusters in other provinces through the Anatolian Clusters Cooperation Platform (AKIP).
“Our Regional Directorate provided uninterrupted service”
Aydın also provided information about the work of the OSTİM Organized Industrial Zone Regional Directorate during the pandemic, noting that they quickly shared the government's measures and regulations with the companies and actively worked to implement the precautions and restrictions.
Aydın emphasized that they are continuing all kinds of disinfection activities to prevent the spread of the epidemic in OSTİM and provided the following information: “We have increased our efforts to inform our companies both online and on social media, from cleaning our streets to raising awareness. These efforts are ongoing. Our Regional Directorate provided uninterrupted service. Even in the most difficult times, our colleagues came to our institution and did their best to meet the demands of our companies. I sincerely thank them. Our companies that produce here, our employees, and everyone who creates employment are very valuable and precious to us. We consider every service we provide to them as an act of worship.”
“Our companies have done legendary work”
Orhan Aydın, reminding that production is critical not only in industrial production but also in the food and health sectors, stated, “The pandemic taught us very clearly what could happen if we don't produce. It's not just industrial production here; what we've been trying to explain before – how strategic and valuable agriculture and food are, and how critical and strategic the medical sector is – was concretely demonstrated to us during the pandemic. We experienced firsthand some of the problems in localizing the medical sector.”
Highlighting the dynamic and rapid nature of SMEs in finding solutions to problems, Aydın said, “Our companies have shown incredible performance in finding solutions to our country's health-related problems. Even if not on screen, our companies have done legendary work behind the scenes. During this crisis, they did their best to keep our country's health system afloat by supplying their products to the market without putting our country in a tight spot.”
Aydın explained that they launched the OSTİM Corona Coordination and Support Center (KORDEM) under the leadership of the OSTİM Medical Industry Cluster to quickly bring together needs and solutions in the fight against COVID-19, adding, “By creating a capabilities inventory with a stakeholder group, we presented the products and services related to medicine produced in OSTİM, Ankara, and Turkey here, acting as an interaction and solution center to answer the questions of what, where, when, and how our hospitals and healthcare system need these products.”
The university is the integrator of the ecosystem.
Aydın stated that the most important criterion for generating added value is the production of science and technology, saying, “Industrialists cannot produce science; they partially produce technology but are its users. The important thing is for technology to be produced somewhere and given to the industrialist. This environment is the university. We have created an institution where an intellectual group is located to produce high value-added, innovative products, to increase the quality of the products sold by our companies, and to create a trained workforce.”
OSTİM Technical University was established to integrate the OSTİM ecosystem with other industrial zones in Ankara, to foster university-industry collaboration—a concept discussed and explored throughout Turkey—and to create the intellectual capacity to apply Industry 4.0 to industry and elevate our country's industry to a higher level.
Aydın noted that OSTİM Technical University provides applied education, allowing young people to learn by doing and applying their knowledge in real-life situations while studying. He stated, “Nearly 450 students from 36 countries have come for applied education. OSTİM Technical University signed a protocol with Azerbaijan Technical University. Azerbaijan Technical University prefers us because we are located within an industrial and production center. Our rector has done a wonderful job. They have created a book set that combines English language education with a series of texts that reflect our culture and civilization. Azerbaijan Technical University discovered this book set, and we made an agreement with them. Now they will also learn English by reading our books.”
Technological infrastructure for OSTİM companies
Orhan Aydın explained that Ostim Technopark is in a unique position due to its partnership with 7 universities, saying, “Ostim Technopark has a different approach compared to other technoparks: a joint production workshop. Currently, our materials and machines are arriving, and more will arrive in the coming months. Some have already arrived, and more will follow. This is also a model application, a project of our Ministry of Industry and Technology. High-level technological machines and equipment that are not even available in OSTIM's companies will arrive. We will have created a technological infrastructure for OSTIM's companies.”
Aydın explained that the collaborative production workshop, with its 1000 m² workshop and 600 m² office space, will be used for applied research, open innovation, rapid prototyping, prototype production, and mass production. He added, “It will be a workshop where our university students can work on their projects. It will also be open to the public. Anyone who has an idea and wants to bring it to life, wondering how they can do it, will come to this workshop.”
“WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING THE WORLD A LIVABLE PLACE”
Sharing his expectations and plans for 2021, Orhan Aydın said, "Based on the pandemic we experienced in 2020, I think we need to make some improvements in our perspectives and lifestyles."
Aydın, pointing out that it is impossible to find a way to end the pandemic without finding the answer to the question of why it started, said: “We must be environmentally conscious, we must not waste, we must create a sharing economy. In 2021, we are responsible for making every effort to create a livable environment without pandemics, without waste, and without hurting each other, starting with ourselves, our institutions, our cities, our countries, and ultimately making the whole world a livable place. Human beings are creatures whose value increases as they produce. People must be involved in production to achieve happiness and self-realization. Being involved in production adds value to a person.”
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