OSSA: New Synergy on Defence and Aerospace
The Defence and Aviation Clustering idea at Ostim has actually emerged after the study made with the International Competitiveness Research Institute (URAK) in 2007 to perceive that Ostim Organized Industrial Zone (Ostim OSB) is competitive at which sector and to what extent.This analysis has shown that Ostimincorporates sub-industry which is needed by defence and aviation industry in terms of machining, sheet forming, surface treating, electro mechanics, composite and cabling. The companies currently performing activities in these fields were delivering services to main industry companies located at Ankara. For this reason, we can say that a natural clustering was available at Ostim.
Today’s conditions and especially the conditions of defence and aviation industry have pushed us to be more strengthened together. For this reason, Ostim OSB, with the companies from all over Ankara and making the majority of their turnovers from activities delivering to defence and aviation industry, is a sound initiative which is supported by organizations and enterprises such as the Undersecretariat for Defence Industries (SSM), Ministry of Economy, Ankara Chamber of Industry, SaSaD, KOSGEB, Metutech and THK University. Our main objective under this umbrella is to propose local solutions to main integrators performing in defence and aviation industry as well as to make all efforts to increase the exportation of the SMEs in defence and aviation industry. We have realized and will continue to realize so many activities in this respect and some of which are to visit main industry companies of our country and introduce our companies to them; to increase the business volumes of the companies and to provide new opportunities to the companies that are not previously performing activities in this field. Besides our promotion activities are continuing and we are supporting the companies to participate at international fairs and make business meetings within the scope of International Competitiveness Enhancement Project of the Ministry of Economy. We are redirecting the demands which we received to cluster companies and we are bringing procurement authorities from foreign countries to Turkey. We are handling the training, consultancy and certification problems of the companies and working for them to go further in defence and aviation sector.
There are currently 107 member companies with over 2600 personnel under OSSA and we have the highest number of engineers amongst other Ostim clusters. We have several criteria for company applications or selections since the sector requires high engineering, low tolerance and high sensitivity. It is required that such company is currently working with a main industry company such as Aselsan, TAI, Roketsan, FNSS or is an approved supplier of them. The applicant should be a manufacturing company or delivering services to the sector in R&D, engineering and design fields. There are no criteria on company volume because especially at SME level, the capability cannot be assessed through volume or turnover. The applicants become OSSA members after the approval of the Board. This is critical for us since OSSA has become a brand in defence and aviation sub-industry and we always have to keep the high level of quality. There are companies performing in many fields from machining, sheet forming, surface treating, cabling to software and engineering. This diversification provides us higher capacity and capability and strengthens us for the promotion of Turkish Defence and Aviation sub-industry in foreign countries.
We have enjoyed the clustering incentives under the International Competitiveness Development Projectof Ministry of Economy. Currently at Ostim, 4 foreign trade projects are being carried out; two of which are under Machine and Machine Equipment Cluster, one is under Medical Cluster and the other is under Defence and Aviation Cluster. Only at OSSA, 24 companies have been benefiting from a budget amounting to 1.105.000 TL under the scope of this Project. Besides, the Ministry of Industry will initiate a new incentive program for clusters in the near future. We have exchanged views on such program with the Ministry officials.
Some of the companies under OSSA are currently performing export activities to many countries. However, a few of them have end-products due to the nature as well as challenges of this sector; therefore we cannot say their international competitiveness levels are that satisfactory. But when we consider that the global companies have component-based productions made in countries like Romania and Poland in European region, we confidently know that OSSA companies are making productions just as in high quality and standards of such countries. For this reason, OSSA will become competitive at international arena in the near future.
OSSA made great efforts for strengthening its international activitiesespecially during the last one year. We presented in details the Turkish defence industry and OSSA in many international fairs and workshops and received satisfactory returns. Foreign procurement authorities became aware of the sub-industry level in Turkey and the foreign demands that we received so far are the good examples for this. We can improve our exportation in three ways on the basis of SMEs. The most significant of them is "offset", which is also highlighted persistently by the Undersecretariat for Defence Industries. We accept it as a prerequisite and the vision of SSM and especially the Undersecretary Murad Bayar gives us hope. As a matter of fact, such studies are being disseminated to other institutions and organizations. The other way is the promotion of sub-industry to be made by main industry companies at their foreign activities. The SMEs in defence industry maintain their existence together with main industry companies and we are proud to be under their umbrellas at foreign activities.Finally the importance of localization. TAF performs this activity every year and I believe it is really beneficial. I hope the efforts of our main industry on this continue to increase gradually. If we localize the components, the importation is reduced and thus enables business and employment opportunities for local companies.
In view of the above, we, as OSSA, will be hosting Ankara Defence and Aviation Industrial Cooperation Days bilateral meetings on 6-8 March 2013 under the auspices of SSM. This event, which is to be held by the participation of 200 companies from 20 countries, attracts great attention worldwide. Our main industry together with sub-industry will have opportunities to make bilateral meetings with the world’s giants. With in-advance appointments to be made over internet, I believe this event will be the most business-focused and efficient organization of the sector.
We can sincerely say that becoming members to OSSA is meaningful and important for sub-industry companies performing activities at this sector, since we are in active communications with the main industry companies as well as SSM and we are able to reach everyone at all times through our web-based cluster management program. We are able to communicate the problems as well as the solutions of our member companies and open new doors by matching the demands of main industry and those coming from foreign countries with our companies. We are able to prepare projects thanks to our close relations with universities and enable the companies to make R&D studies by redirecting academicians to them. Briefly, together we could manage lot that a single company could not manage.
We produce for defence and aviation all together.
OSSA Defence and Aviation Cluster
OSSA Defence and Aviation Cluster has shaped right after the competetiveness analysis which is implemented within the Ankara OSTIM Organized Industrial Region. The results have pushed these small and medium enterprises to act together and form the defence and aviation cluster which is almost inevitable in nature of these sectors. Cluster has established in 1 July 2008 and mostly involves companies in and around the Organized Industrial Region geographically. OSSA is conducting its activities more efficient with 107 members and more than 2600 personnel in order to increase the share of domestic production and support the actions to deepen the Turkish defence industry and a sub-supplier to key industry companies like TAI, Aselsan,Roketsan,FNSS,Thales,Airbus,Boeing,Sikorsky etc.
OSSA Products/services offered
With support of and cooperation with the Undersecteriat of Defense Industry, KOSGEB, TTGV, Ankara Chamber of Industry, TÜBİTAK, SASAD, ODEM, OSTIM, Metutech and THK University, OSSA, does manifacturing and final products below:
R&D design, Machining, Molding/Casting, Surface Improvement, Heat treatment, Plastic-Rubber, Sheet- Metal forming, Composite, Automation, Electronic card, Welding, Harness, Electromechanics, Machine tool Manifacturing, Electrical Panels, Airconditioning/Ventilation, Special Flexible Hoses, Spare parts, Ground Support Equipments, Optical systems, System cabinets, UAVs.
What we are looking for
We are ready to cooperate with SME’s and OEM’s and also other clusters around the world to improve our companies capabilities and businesses. We target to increase the share of domestic production in the fulfilment of the needs of defence and aviation industry and to render the firms in the cluster competetive on international market and also to become preferred sub-suppliers with increased cooperation and developed capabilities. Cooperating with the universities and organized industrial region by technology transfer to SMEs, and focusing on regional competetive advantages on a specialized sector to create competitive advantage against competitors with skill development in sub-suppliers in defence and aerospace industries.
