Organized by OSTİM Defense and Aviation Cluster, OSSA, with the support of the Turkish Defence Industry Agency and the Ministry of Trade, the 5th Industrial Cooperation Days in Defense and Aviation “ICDDA 2022” began today in Ankara ATO Congresium and will last through October 14.
Government officials, military officials, company managers and procurement committees from different countries will hold bilateral business meetings with local defense industry companies and SMEs within the scope of the event.
For main contractors and SME companies operating in the fields of defense, aviation, and space, ICDDA will provide the opportunity to find new markets, new business, and partnership opportunities.
Defensehere.com is a media sponsor of ICDDA 2022.
OSSA Chairman of the Board Ahmet Mithat Ertuğrul: New areas and opportunities are being created
Making the opening speech of the event, OSSA Chairman of the Board Ahmet Mithat Ertuğrul said, "Turkey, which has imported almost everything for the defense industry until recently, has now entered its maturity period. The sector offers very important opportunities to SMEs. OSTİM Defense and Aviation Cluster (OSSA) was established with joint actions in July 2008. To increase the share of OSSA domestic production, to make defense industry SMEs competitive in the international market, to open up to international markets with their products, to transfer technology to SMEs by working with universities, and to develop talents. It continues to work with the aim of creating a competitive advantage for SMEs all over the world."
OSTİM Chairman of the Board Orhan Aydın: We started 10 years ago
Explaining how the foundations of the cooperation days that have been maintained for 10 years were laid, OSTİM Chairman of the Board Orhan Aydın said, "OSSA Cluster is a cluster formed by more than 300 companies in our OSTİM region. We host 7 different clusters in our region. Apart from defense, aerospace, and medical we are also trying to increase the competitiveness of our companies by bringing them together in sectors such as energy, rail systems, communication technologies and similar sectors. I think this event is an incredible interface."
ATO President Gürsel Baran: The number of countries to which we export defense industry products exceeded 170 and the number of products exceeded 230
ATO President Gürsel Baran, who hosted the organization venue, also said in his speech:
"We are a country that has increased the rate of local production and nationality in the Defense Industry from 20% to 80% today. We have accomplished one of the most valuable and successful works we have done in the last 20 years. We are in a position to produce our helicopter, infantry rifle, battleship, armored vehicle, missile and rocket systems. Today, more than 800 projects worth 60 billion dollars continue in the sector. The number of countries to which we export our defense industry products has reached 170. Our UAVs, UCAVs, our product range, especially our vehicles, land vehicles, and naval platforms, has exceeded 230. We have reached an export figure of 3.5 billion dollars in 2021. Our expectation this year is 4 billion dollars. Our industry is experiencing its golden age as of the point we have reached in the last 20 years. and we are in a position to be one of the countries that have a say in the world. More than 300 SMEs operate in this field. The number of our employees is over 45 thousand."
Ahmet Aydın, Chairman of the National Defense Commission of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey:
Ahmet Aydın, Chairman of the National Defense Commission of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, who came to the podium as the last speaker of the event, also said in his speech that defense and aerospace exports have increased by 13 fold in the last 20 years, reaching 3.5 billion dollars, the turnover has increased 10 times and exceeded 10 billion dollars, and the number of projects has increased by 12 times and reached 800 projects. Noting that one of the most fundamental factors behind this success of the defense industry is that the product and technology development expenditures have increased 34 times in the last 20 years to over 1 billion 640 million dollars, Ahmet Aydın said, "There is no doubt that our unmanned aerial vehicles bring the level that our defense industry has reached to respectability. We are among top 3-4 countries in the world in the design, production and sale of armed unmanned aerial vehicles, which have proven themselves in active duty, cross-border operations, such as Libya, Karabakh and finally Ukraine.
After the speeches, the official opening of the Defense and Aerospace Industrial Cooperation Days (ICDDA) event was held. Within the scope of the event, seminars, conferences, trainings and promotions will be held for 3 days; Bilateral meetings will be held between Turkish companies and foreign companies participating from more than 50 countries. Within the scope of bilateral meetings, foreign companies and Turkish companies will also be able to come together among themselves.
