Minister Varank Announces: TL 1 Million Digitalization Support for Businesses
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for Beta Kimya A.Ş.'s GEBKİM Campus at the Gebze Chemical Specialized Organized Industrial Zone (GEBKİM), Minister Varank said it was another exciting day for the real economy, which has kept moving forward even throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Noting that they had gathered to break ground on what will be the "largest" adhesive and glue production facility in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, Varank said this campus, brought to life with a 315-million-lira investment, would create new employment opportunities for 500 citizens.
An Innovative Approach and a National Technology Vision
Varank said that, since taking office at the Ministry, they have championed a vision of national technology and a strong industrial base, and that with every step they continue to develop new policies to advance this vision further. He emphasized that they are working to establish an approach across the real economy that encourages localization and steers companies toward innovation.
Achievements and Progress in the Sector
Pointing out that they have delivered many industry firsts across different sectors over the past two years, Varank recalled that just this past weekend, the groundbreaking for Turkey's own automobile factory had taken place. He noted that no other factory of its kind had broken ground anywhere in the world since the start of the year, calling it a groundbreaking achievement realized despite the pandemic and the global slowdown in investment.
He said that, together with TOGG, they are shaping innovation and the future of the sector today, and that by bringing to life a clean, electric, and connected mobility ecosystem, they will also contribute to the transformation of the country's supply industry.
A New Chapter for the Chemical Sector
Noting that they were marking another first that day, Varank stressed that reactive polyurethane hotmelt adhesive products and their variants — previously imported — would now be manufactured in Turkey for the first time. This will supply a key input domestically for the packaging, automotive, furniture, construction, defense, and aerospace industries, preventing roughly $120 million in imports.
Digital Transformation and the R&D Center
Varank said that digital transformation initiatives would boost efficiency, while the new R&D center would open the door to innovative work, with a dedicated application center to carry out product testing. He noted that the Ministry's support — through investment, R&D, TÜBİTAK, and KOSGEB programs — had played an important role in Beta Kimya's growth over the years.
Investment in the Chemical Sector and Regional Incentives
Varank explained that investments in the chemical sector are supported through regional, priority, strategic, and project-based incentives, and noted that this region is the country's only specialized organized industrial zone focused on chemicals. He added that work continues on the Ceyhan Petrochemical, SOCAR, and Toros special industrial zones, which will usher in a new era for industry in Turkey.
Smart Digital Technologies and Support for SMEs
Varank noted that if there was one silver lining to the pandemic, it was how quickly businesses adapted to digitalization, and predicted that smart digital technologies would increasingly permeate every area of life going forward. He said they had launched a "Digitalization in Manufacturing" call through KOSGEB last year to strengthen the digital capabilities of SMEs, and that demand for this forward-looking initiative had far exceeded expectations.
Announcing continued support for SMEs on digitalization going forward, Varank said businesses would be eligible for support of up to 1 million lira in areas such as big data, the Internet of Things, and augmented reality.
Economic Indicators and Recovery
Acknowledging that the world was going through a challenging period, Varank stressed that Turkey had set itself apart positively, with strong momentum in production, investment, and employment. Industrial production rose 17.4% in May compared to April, and 606 new industrial enterprises were established.
Noting positive developments on the investment front as well, Varank said the private sector had been granted incentive certificates for 84 billion lira in fixed investment, and that electricity consumption in organized industrial zones in the first two weeks of July had already surpassed pre-pandemic levels.
Following his remarks, Minister Varank and other officials laid the first stone of the facility to be built by Beta Kimya.
