Industry and Technology Minister Mustafa Varank stated that they have prepared a support program to ensure that high-speed charging stations become widespread in Turkey and said, “We will have published this call at the beginning of the week. We will provide a total of 81 million lira grant support for the establishment of more than 500 high-speed charging stations in all of our 300 provinces. Thus, we will equip Turkey with charging stations within a year.” said.
Minister Varank and Minister of Labor and Social Security Vedat Bilgin attended the 49th Ordinary General Assembly Meeting of the Turkish Metal Industrialists' Union (MESS). In his speech here, Varank stated that MESS represents 260 industrial organizations operating in a wide range from automotive to white goods, from iron and steel to machinery.
As the Ministry, we support MESS's innovative projects. We have active collaborations in many areas, especially in the digital and green transformation of the industry. But I would like to underline that, we have always stood by those who add value to this country, and we will continue to do so. Because MESS and its members deserve this support with their production, employment and export.
With a growth performance of 2021 percent in 11, we ranked first among G-20 and EU countries. Thank God, this trend continues in 2022. We maintain our claim to be an alternative center in global production with your hard work, determination and vision. When you look at it, each macro indicator confirms the competitive position of our country separately.
Our exports, which exceeded 225 billion dollars last year, exceeded 60 billion dollars in the first quarter of this year. Despite all the restrictions caused by the international markets, our industrial production increased by 13 percent on an annual basis in February. Again in February, while our employment exceeded 30 million, unemployment fell to 10,7 percent. Hopefully, these positive developments will continue to increase in the coming period.
Private sector investments continue unabated. By issuing nearly 2021 incentive certificates in the manufacturing industry sectors in 9, zamWe have reached the highest level of moments. The amount of investment envisaged to be made in these documents approached 200 billion liras. When the investments are completed and put into use gradually, our production potential will increase exponentially.
When you evaluate our production competencies, geopolitical position and the situation of international markets together, it is obvious that there are important windows of opportunity for our country. Our entire manufacturing industry, especially our sectors in the metal business line, has so far taken advantage of these opportunities and achieved significant successes. Making these achievements permanent depends on keeping pace with and even leading the paradigm shifts in the global economy. So what is this paradigm shift? Digital and green economy.
Sustainability of growth and respect for the environment are now indispensable criteria for development. Within the scope of the obligations brought by the Paris Climate Agreement and the European Green Deal, we have to reduce our carbon footprint in all sectors. For this purpose, we implement innovative and rational policies in many areas.
Turkey's Car project, which we started in line with our vision of the National Technology Move, is one of these policies. Congenital and XNUMX% electric TOGG will be the pioneer of the green transformation in our economy when it hits the road. Everything in the project is progressing as planned. Hopefully, by the end of this year, we are getting the first vehicles off the mass production line.
With the rapid transformation in the mobility industry, the need for electric vehicle charging infrastructures is also increasing. He also intensified our work on this issue. We have prepared a support program to ensure that high-speed charging stations become widespread in our country.
Near zamBy making a call, we will provide a total of 81 million lira grant support for the establishment of more than 500 high-speed charging stations in all of our 300 provinces. Thus, within a year, we will have equipped all of Turkey with charging stations. On this occasion, I invite all interested investors, especially our business people in this hall, to follow this support and apply.
Another policy area that we particularly focus on is digital transformation. We see that this paradigm shift, which equates countries at the starting point in competition, offers important opportunities for our country. As a country, we are determined to take our digital competence and digital maturity level to the next level.
Thus, we can create an added value of around $15 billion annually in the manufacturing industry in the short term. But believe me, the impact of this will be much greater with the increase in the efficiency and global competitiveness of our industry. In this regard, we also have preparations to provide all the support our industrialists will need.
The digital transformation process is not just about taking a smart machine and putting it on the production line. It requires a holistic approach from the determination of the current situation to the determination of needs, from the creation of transformation strategies to its implementation. Especially our SMEs may need serious consultancy support at this point. Here, we have implemented our 8 model factories to meet this need. Here, we ensure that our industrialists and their personnel receive applied lean production and digital transformation trainings.
We are pleased to follow that digital transformation is also the priority agenda of MESS. The MESS Technology Center is the embodiment of these efforts. We do not separate the MESS Technology Center from our model factories. From its establishment to its operation, we have provided and are providing the necessary support at many stages.
We are establishing an artificial intelligence laboratory here with the support of 3 million liras through our Istanbul Development Agency. Again, with the decision we made in January, we included MEXT within the scope of KOSGEB's Model Factory Support. Thus, you can finance up to 70 thousand TL of the services and trainings you will receive from MEXT with the support of KOSGEB.
to R&D zamInvest more than now. As the Ministry of Industry and Technology zamWe are ready to work with you and provide the necessary support at any time. We do not have the slightest doubt that together we will make our country a powerful actor with a say in production.
Minister of Labor and Social Security Vedat Bilgin, emphasizing that the Turkish economy continues to grow despite the negative effects of the epidemic, Bilgin said that Turkey should get rid of the negative economic conjuncture in the world and continue to grow based on exports and create employment.
Özgür Burak Akkol, Chairman of the Board of MESS, said, “The new working order shaped by digital technologies and artificial intelligence that puts people at the center will continue to be on our agenda. By 2030, 1,3 million new jobs will be created in our country and 1,8 million jobs will be transformed. This brings with it the necessity of competence development.”
Turkish Metal Union President Pevrul Kavlak, Öz Çelik-İş Union President Yunus Değirmenci and United Metal-İş Union President Adnan Serdaroğlu attended the General Assembly, where President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sent a written message and Vice President Fuat Oktay sent a video message.
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