OSSA Synergy Meeting Adressed Power of SMEI’s
The Synergy Meeting, organized by OSSA, was held in Ankara in order to share the status of the sector and the cluster’s role in the country. The meeting was attended by board members and company representatives: Deputy Undersecretary of Defense Industries Dr. Celal Sami Tüfekçi, Ankara Chamber of Industry (ASO) President Mr. Nurettin Özdebir, OSTİM Chairman of the Board Mr. Orhan Aydın, Head of the Industrialization Department of SSM Mr. Bilal Aktas, USA Drexel University Biomedical Engineering Sciences and founding dean of the School of Health Systems Prof. Banu Onaral.
ICDDA to be held for the third time in 2016
In her opening speech, OSSA’s Cluster Coordinator, Ms. Hilal Unal,stated that “participation will continue in international events.” Ms. Unal said “under the auspices of the SSM, with the support of the T.C. Ministry of Economy, the international level Aerospace and Defence Industrial Cooperation Days (ICDDA) will be held for the third time in Ankara in 2016. Major foreign companies in the sector haveal ready registered to take part in the event. In our work, the requests coming from our firms are very important to us. We would like to thank the T. C. Ministry of Economy, which is our biggest cluster supporter, and we will continue URGE projects.”
“Main aim, indigenoussolutions”
Chairman of the Board of Directors of OSSA, Mr. Mithat Ertuğ; shared that the meeting intent was to increase synergy between the cluster members, to create new partnerships and to give more detailed information about OSSA activities to The Undersecretariat for Defense Industries. Mr. Ertuğ stated “OSSA was created with combination of NGOs, universities and public agencies. OSSA is beyond just a cluster. It is a national and sectoral cluster, having 160 members, from Ankara, Istanbul, Kayseri, Izmir and Bursa. Our goal; to implement local solutions in the Defense and Aerospace Industries and to increase the exports of SMEs.”
Orhan Aydın:“ We succeeded altogether”
OSTIM Management Board Chairman, Mr. Orhan Aydın, pointed out that OSSA is in a very good position since it was founded. Mr. Aydin said: “SSM’s influence and interest in the sector, with the formation of these clusters, provides a significant contribution to the development of the sector. In the defense industry, there is an institution that is responsible for technology management, firms and the sector. In Turkey, there’s a team that can achieve the seeminglyimpossible; and there is a strategy in place to meet it. The Ankara Chamber of Industry is also interested in our activities and has always stood with us. I think together we have come a good point.”
Prof. Banu Onaral: “We have to decrease foreign dependency”
US Biomedical Engineering at Drexel University and the founding dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Prof. Systems Dr. Banu Onaral touched upon the global success of Turkish scientists. Onaral said “Many individuals, from various countries, are coming to the U.S. to learn science and technology. This includes individuals from anywhere in Turkey; the last Nobel Prize winner is an example of this, always advancing beyond their peers.”
There is an incredible synergy between the defense and health;the experienced academician stated
“Both sectors have a precision design and manufacturing process. Beyond that, we have a foreign dependency rate of 85-90 percent in some of the highadded value products. We have the infrastructure, human capacity, and the brain power that we send all around the world, to reduce our foreign dependency; this brain power is always ready to work with you.”
Dr. Celal Sami Tüfekçi: “We could not reach any where without generating new ideas”
Deputy Undersecretary of Defense, Dr. Celal Sami Tüfekçi, in particular to the defense industry, reported that a very valuable point has been reached.Without the support of the other industries, the sector it will not be possible to move forward.” Tüfekçi, said “because I need a full-scale power industry ecosystem in this country. We are also proud to be involved as a pioneers. But there is much work to be done. Only pride is not enough, we need to do good things to be fully independent in every area.”
Small industrialists’ importance, also SSM’s attribute as a ‘thinking organization’ Tüfekçi in his speech concluded: “Undersecretariat for Defense Industries’s basic mission, is to further strengthen industrialists like you, to increase their number. Small industrialists, rather than taking standard business from the larger ones; currently in Turkey we are trying to produce more innovative technologies to produce new ideas and mechanisms as well. Without creating new ideas related to financial or mechanism, we cannot reach new heights. We expect to play role as firms that are open to technology. I would like to mention here again, we are also open to any kind of support.”
After the event in 2014, more than 250 companies from 34 countries, 4,800 one-to-one business meetings,the upcoming 3rd OSTIM Defense and Aviation Industrial Cooperation Days is being planned to take place in Ankara on October 11 – 13, 2016.
