High-Tech Port by MÜSİAD – Turkey’s Most Effective Concept Market Development Project

Defence Turkey: Dear Mr. Hakan Kurt, first of all I would like to thank you for this interview.  In 2015, as High Tech Port by MÜSİAD, you organized your first foreign event in Qatar with the participation of 67 companies, associations and over 1000 senior executives. With this event, our companies seized the opportunity to introduce and display their products and capabilities to Qatari military and defense officials once again. Within this context, what are your comments on this event? What kind of a strategy did you identify for the upcoming period adding the feedback from this first international event?

Initially, I would like to evaluate the issue from this perspective: You need to have certain important   competencies in order to organize a fair abroad. High-Tech Port by MÜSİAD fairs are the only events held abroad and organized by another country considering the defense industry and they are unique in the world in this aspect. Therefore, we are organizing an unusual event. With High-Tech Port by MÜSİAD, we aim to enable the Turkish Defense and Aerospace Industry to reach new markets so that it would increase its activities in these markets. We have been successfully accomplishing this event for three years. In the upcoming period, by increasing awareness, in this way we are aiming to extend our event and hold it annually. This efficient business platform we create with the participation of the decision makers and delegations of the countries within our export focus will be held this year in Istanbul. Ministers and top officials will be attending the event in Istanbul; therefore, we aim to render the process more efficient by increasing the number of participating delegations with this strength and support.

Defence Turkey: At the event held in Qatar, our companies accomplished negotiations with approximately 500 companies and nearly 80 government level talks and seized substantial business opportunities. Which developments emerged throughout the period from the end of the fair until these opportunities turning into cooperation?

The Turkish Defense Industry is ready for some business models, but then again, at the same time, it is still not sufficiently prepared for some. At this point, we have to focus on this issue. We shared this point with our sector through the press prior to the Qatar Project as well. Each country has its own method of business conduct. So does Qatar. Qatar is one of the countries where it is quite difficult to obtain results in the short term. The project and project relations have to be transparent and manageable. Besides, the project management will have to be executed properly. When we look at the sector, the main mistake we make is our desire to reach the results in the very short run, we could see this clearly in the export figures as well. The reality of trade and the Defense Industry do not process in that way in this region, we have to make this clear. We have to approach the region with long-term projects with high frequency. In my opinion, one of the greatest achievements of the 

High-Tech Port by MÜSİAD Qatar is creating and increasing this awareness. 

We are evaluating the success of this event through questionnaires. The results of our questionnaires are as follows:

Defence Turkey: In his press statement during the High-Tech Port event in Qatar, MÜSİAD Chairman Mr.Nail Olpak stated that they planned to hold the event in countries where the relations between the governments and states are strong. Could you please inform us on the planned regions and target countries for the upcoming period? 

We will be organizing the next High-Tech Port by MÜSİAD in Tunisia as High-Tech Port by MÜSİAD Africa. We will gather all the shareholders of Africa in Tunisia. We selected Africa due to its rapidly growing potential and its warm approach to Turkey considering the foreign policy aspect of the countries and because we are quite influential in that geography. In the fourth quarter of 2017, we will be achieving an Africa based Defense Industry event. 

Defence Turkey: While identifying the target markets and countries, are you preparing country analyses and strategies assessing the deficiencies of the country, potential investments and country’s demographic structure as a whole? 

When we consider our product range and market structure, we, as the Turkish Defense Industry, accomplish sales to countries over which we have technologic superiority or conduct sales through off-set. Our export is based on these two lines. We believe rather, that focusing on the markets in which we have technological superiority is the correct strategy. The decision on going to Africa is also a result of this strategy. Our Defense Industry Companies are already conducting their trade in the region. Except for Tunisia, there is a significant developing trading pool which has been developed for the last ten years in almost the rest of the geography. Turkish diplomacy is active in the whole region. You might appreciate that by referring to the African market, I exclude South Africa. The African market is wide open to development. Therefore, the strategies established according to these data are determining factors regarding the target markets and countries. There is another point here I would like to underline, that we are going to Africa with such a huge delegation for the first time.

Defence Turkey:  In respect of the event to be held in Tunisia, which activities are being executed? What type of a cooperation is formed regarding the event area, participating companies, associations, official and bilateral negotiations?

This year, at all events, our Undersecretariat for Defense Industries declared “National Participation”; we exist as participants in order to introduce High-Tech Port by MÜSİAD. This provides a target focused promotion opportunity directly in eight countries. In addition to these events, we will be introducing High-Tech Port by MÜSİAD through delegation visits to over thirty foreign countries. So far we had various attempts and contacts in Bahrain, London, Singapore, Brussels, Abu Dhabi and Dubai and soon we will continue with Qatar, Germany and Malaysia. 

We established a plan focusing on three sections specific to Africa. Within the scope of this year-long plan we will be accomplishing Tunisia based lobbying activities. We believe we will achieve the success we aim as a result of all these activities.

Defence Turkey: Finally, is there any message you would like to convey to the readers of Defence Turkey?  

 I suggest that the readers of Defence Turkey  include the 3rd High-Tech Port by MÜSİAD event in their schedule that will take place on 9-12 November 2016 at CNR Expo, Istanbul, 4th Hall.