OSSA: Directing the Sub-Industry
OSSA has worked with all its might since the day of its establishment to increase the domestic production share in the provision of the needs of the defence and aviation sectors and to carry the SMEs in a position to compete in the international market. Currently, OSSA performing domestic and international activities together with its 155 members, as the main industry firms are quite important for the SMEs, has performed activities oriented to increase the cooperation between cluster members and main contractors, and activities oriented to bring sectored requirements and demands to its firms. It realized factory visits with its members frequently, organized one-to-one talks and meetings with corporation managers. Participated in the meetings held by main industry firms and sometimes hosted these meetings.
OSSA, along with these, established connection with the biggest firms of the sector in the international arena frequently. By realizing visits to the offices of Airbus, Rolls-Royce, Thales, Safran, Eurosam, Spirit, Rosso Boron Export, Alenia, SAAB, Agusta Westland and KAI firms, made contacts directed to increase the business volume of its members.
In addition to all these activities, OSSA, realized the organization of the “Industrial Cooperation Days in Defence and Aviation” (ICDDA) which is the biggest B2B discussion in Turkey in the sectored sense. The first one of the ICDDA activity realized on the date 6-8 March, 2013 and which was honored to be the “Special Reward of the Year 2014 of the Defence Industry” by the Defence Ministry Undersecretariat, the second one was realized in Ankara on the dates between 14-16 October. The activity attracting interest much more than it was expected and undersigning bigger successes than the first one, 250 firms representing the defence and aviation sector from 34 countries attended the activity.
The participating firms had the opportunity to make business interviews, totaling up to 4800, with the firms they have chosen for three days. Along with giant defence and aviation firms of the world like Airbus, Boeing, Diehl, Finmeccanica, AugustaWestland, Thales, Lockheed Martin, main actors of the domestic sector like TAI, Aselsan, Havelsan, Roketsan, FNSS, TEI, MKEK were present among the participants. Nearly 1800 persons participated. The third one of the activity will be held on the date 11 – 13 October, 2016.
Under the scope of the International Project of Increasing International Competition (URGE) supported by the Misitry of Economics and helping the SMEs to increase their capacities, OSSA took its firms to fairs and business interviews abroad, directed the demands sent to the cluster to its member firms and invited purchasing delegations from abroad. It enabled the provision of certification, education and consultations which are crucial for the sector for those firms in the Project. The most important ones among these are; obtaining the AS9100 Education and Consultation which is pretty important for the aviation sector of 18 URGE member firms, obtaining Trade Intelligence Consultation for a period of 12 months of 8 URGE firms and by obtaining ERP consultation of 5 URGE firms increasing their capacities and becoming more active in the sector.
With these educations and certifications those URGE firm SMEs attending many important and big fair in the national and international dimension together with OSSA, have increased their exports with the connection points they have found.
OSSA is continuing to move on in an eager and stable manner, so that the share of the domestic production increases in the provision of the defence needs of the country and for the national defence industry to be in a position to compete with the world, with the SMEs who will have higher qualities and capacities in the future than the existing level and those that have the efficiency and competency that can direct the sector.
