Chamber president backs Turkey 'matchmaking' trade summit

Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce president Nasir Awan is backing a business matchmaking initiative in the Turkish province of Kacaeli.

The Kocaeili Chamber of Industry is this week hosting a Match4Industry event in which firms from a range of sectors including automotive supply, metals and machinery, plastics and rubber, tyres, chemicals, coatings, construction, energy, environment and electronics will be participating.

Accommodation, food and transport has been provided for firms who are visiting the two-day event which starts on Wednesday.

Since 2012, Match4Industry has been responsible for setting up 8,000 B2B meetings between 2,500 participating companies.  

Located in the East Marmara region Turkey, Kocaeli is a vital hub for the country's manufacturing industry, contributing 13 per cent of the national output.

The province's contributions include 41.1 per cent to the automotive sector, 27 per cent to chemical and 19 per cent to metal industries.

Kocaeli hosts over 3,500 industrial investments, with 334 funded by foreign capital and is home to 83 of Türkiye's top 500 largest industrial enterprises.

In 2023, Kocaeli accounted for $38 billion in exports and $80.6 billion in imports, representing 22.3 per cent of Türkiye's total foreign trade volume.

The region boasts a dynamic business and innovation ecosystem with 14 organized industrial zones, two Free Trade Zones, five Techno Parks and the IT Valley and 136 RED Centres.

With 35 ports and industrial docks around the Gulf of Izmit, Kocaeli stands as a significant port city and an industrial hub.

Nasir Awan received a delegation from Kocaeli in Birmingham this month and is backing the initiative as part of his mission to get Greater Birmingham SMEs exporting.

He said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for businesses operating in a range of sectors including automotive, machinery, construction, electronics and more.”

Find out more information on Match4Industry.