UTIKAD was Selected as the Non-Governmental Organization of the Year

The 6th Economy and Logistics Summit was held on 25-26 August 2021 at Sheraton Grand Istanbul Ataşehir. UTIKAD, organized within the scope of the 6th Economy and Logistics Summit, It was selected as the “Non-Governmental Organization of the Year” at the Logistics Achievement Awards of the Year.

Emre Eldener, who was among the keynote speakers of the summit, evaluated the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on the logistics sector in his speech.

“CONTAINER PRICES DEEP INFLUENCED THE INDUSTRY”

Referring to the container crisis experienced with the pandemic, UTIKAD Chairman of the Board Emre Eldener stated that container prices have deeply affected the sector. Eldener, who underlined that this crisis in the container will be reflected in all logistics processes, said, “We have never seen anything like this before. Ships going from Asia to the West cannot return for different reasons. The increase in container shipping costs has exceeded 300 percent. Cost increases in the supply chain have a very serious effect on price increases. This brings a very serious financial burden for the logistics industry. In the current situation, we foresee that the container shortage will continue until the end of 2021, and that the normalization of prices will not be before 2022.

“WE CAN'T ACCELERATE THE CROSSES AT THE BORDER GATE”

Eldener underlined that the density at the border gates is a huge problem for the sector; “Especially in Kapıkule, we cannot accelerate. Because when our vehicles come out, they hit the Bulgarian wall. In the current situation, it is not possible to increase the number of passes. At customs, there are no longer any procedures to increase physical contact as before. The single window further simplified the customs system. The number of such applications should increase,” he said.

“OUR WAYS OF DOING BUSINESS HAVE CHANGED WITH THE PANDEMIC”

Stating that there have been significant changes in the way they do business with the pandemic, Eldener reminded that working from home has come to the fore in this process and that many employees work from home. Eldener explains that many companies can move to smaller offices instead of large ones; He stated that the biggest evolution of the industry in this difficult process started to be experienced in the field of digitalization.

Eldener; “Companies in the logistics sector also need to prepare for the new period in which competition will increase by reviewing digitalization and company structures. We see that traditional documents and procedures that have been used for a long time can change with digitalization. As UTIKAD, we have been supporting this transformation for a long time. We continue our efforts to create a digital platform that will include relevant stakeholders. We will continue to talk about our digitalization initiatives in the coming period, and we will continue to encourage both our members and stakeholders on every platform.” said.

“An ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSFORMATION WILL BE AT THE FOREIGHT”

Eldener, who also gave information about the European Green Deal; “The European Green Deal and industrial activities in the European Union, in particular, require a radical and environmentalist transformation. For this reason, it may be necessary to shift the freight mostly transported by road to environmentally friendly transportation types such as rail and combined transportation, to correctly construct logistics centers where freight transfers between transportation types are facilitated, and to put on the agenda the legislative and implementation changes to be brought on the basis of the sustainability principle. Investing in environmentally friendly technologies, encouraging these investments, developing and facilitating the physical and legislative infrastructure of transit transportation can be considered as other measures to be taken.

NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR UTIKAD

Organized as part of the 6th Economy and Logistics Summit, the “5. Logistics Achievement Awards of the Year”; It found its owners with the ceremony held on Thursday, August 26, 2021.

At the ceremony where the leading companies and representatives of the logistics sector were among the candidates, UTIKAD; It won the “NGO of the Year” award.

Emre Eldener, who received the award from the TR Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, Transportation Services Regulation General Manager Murat Baştor; “I am receiving this precious award on behalf of the entire Board of Directors and Executive Board. I wish UTIKAD, which has been representing the logistics industry for more than 30 years, to continue on its way by getting stronger every day.”

UTIKAD Members, who were awarded within the scope of the 5th Year Logistics Achievement Awards, are as follows;

• Lifetime Logistics Award
Asım Barlin, Chairman of the Board of Solmaz Group

• Logistics Entrepreneur of the Year
Lucien Arkas, Chairman of Arkas Holding

• Logistics Professional of the Year
Ceva Logistics Sales and Business Development Vice President Murat Karadağ

• Forwarder Company of the Year
Batu International Logistics

• Logistics Solutions Company of the Year
Medlog Logistics

• Logistics Beyond Borders Award
Steep Intermodal

• Logistics Contribution of the Year Award
Nil Tunaşar, Managing Partner of Transorient

• Social Responsibility Project of the Year
We Carry for Women Project (DFDS – KAGIDER)