As part of its global efforts to showcase Türkiye’s business climate and to reinforce global investor perceptions, ISPAT continued its country-specific initiative by recently hosting a delegation of Swiss journalists from Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Luzerner Zeitung, 20 Minuten, and Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) in Türkiye. ISPAT wanted the delegation to see first-hand the dynamism of the Turkish economy in different parts of the country, particularly in Türkiye’s Istanbul and Bursa provinces.
The first day of the program began with a focus on startups and entrepreneurship in Türkiye. The Swiss delegation came together with StartersHub Chairwoman Ebru Dorman at their first stop in Istanbul, and then met with İTÜ Arı Teknokent CEO Kenan Çolpan at their second stop. As they were briefed by Çolpan, the delegation was impressed by the huge demand international companies show in Türkiye, as well as the numerous examples of university-entrepreneurship cooperation cases in both the incubation and growth phases of companies operating in İTÜ Arı Teknokent.
The first day ended with ISPAT presentation on Türkiye’s investment climate based on the country’s macroeconomic indicators and inborn advantages. A Q&A session followed shortly thereafter.
On the second day of the program, the delegation had the chance to exchange views with Swiss Consul General to Istanbul Nathalie Marti at a working breakfast that was also attended by officials from Swiss Business Hub Türkiye and the Swiss Chamber of Commerce in Türkiye. After the breakfast the delegation headed to Bursa – one of the most industrialized metropolitan centers in Türkiye – to visit Swiss technical component manufacturer Angst+Pfister’s facilities based in Hasanağa.
During dialogues with the delegation, Angst+Pfister CEO Eray Ulugül took the opportunity to present the company’s projects both completed and in the pipeline that have been facilitated by the investment incentives extended by Tubitak and the Turkish Ministry of Economy. Ulugül made a point to draw attention to the significance the Turkish government attaches to R&D operations. While addressing the questions from the delegation at the on-site facility tour, Ulugül stressed Angst+Pfister’s full confidence in Türkiye.
The dinner with Bursa Governor İzettin Küçük marked the last stop of the Bursa program. The governor talked about some of the goals for value-added production in Bursa’s soon-to-be established technology development zone Teknosab.
The final stage of the program ended with a meeting with EBRD Türkiye Deputy Heads Hande Islak and Oksana Pak.