Within the scope of the UR-GE Project carried out by the Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry, representatives of the Bursa construction and building materials sector had the opportunity to closely examine the work in the field of green transformation and sustainability by focusing on the UK, the 6th largest economy in the world.
BTSO, the Chamber that carries out the most UR-GE projects in Turkey, continues to lead Bursa companies in opening up to new markets by increasing their exports. Within the scope of the Construction and Building Materials Sector UR-GE project carried out by BTSO with the support of the Ministry of Trade, a good practice example visit was carried out in London, the capital of England, with a delegation of approximately 40 people. BTSO Board Member Alparslan Şenocak, BTSO Assembly and Committee Members and cluster members attended the program organized to transfer experience on practices in England, which has a pioneering role in the use of green buildings and efficient energy technologies.
Good Practice Example: London
Within the scope of the program, the BTSO delegation first met with Ant Yapı UK Managing Director Cengizhan Karaduman and General Manager Ertan Demirkıran, a Turkish contracting company that has undertaken important projects in the UK, and then received information about the latest developments in the sector from John Bonning, General Manager of The Building Centre, which has been operating since 1931, and examined the “New Homes in New Ways” exhibition.
They Had the Opportunity to See the Applications Up Close with Field Visits
The companies visited Turkey’s Ambassador to London Osman Koray Ertaş and Commercial Counselor Gözde İnaneri Bakıcı, and received information about the UK economy, Turkey-UK trade relations, and opportunities in the construction sector from BTSO Assembly Vice President and Foreign Trade Council President Murat Bayizit, MUSIAD UK Branch President Murat Bingöl, and UK-based business people at the meeting hosted by Yunus Emre Institute. The companies, which received information about green building standards, use of innovative technologies, and sustainable business models at the construction sites of the UK’s leading real estate development company Berkeley Group, also held a meeting with the Turkish-British Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TBCCI). The meeting, hosted by TBCCI Deputy Chairman Mete Uluyurt and Turkish Airlines London General Manager Mehmet Gurulkan, evaluated the UK construction sector and trade and investment opportunities.
“We Aim to Guide the Transformation in the Construction Sector”
BTSO Board Member Alparslan Şenocak said that they continue to work to increase the competitiveness of Bursa construction and building materials sector in national and international markets. Stating that they have signed programs in the USA, Uzbekistan, Bulgaria and Saudi Arabia within the scope of the Construction and Building Materials UR-GE project, which they have implemented with the support of the Ministry of Trade, Şenocak stated that they had the opportunity to examine good practice examples related to green building systems and standards and sustainability in London. Şenocak said, “We aim to contribute to the zero carbon emission target in the construction sector in 2050 by transferring the experiences here to our country.” He said, “We have seen that there is an important market for our construction materials, contracting and consultancy sectors both in the institution visits we have made and in the field visits we have made here. We have many companies in the construction and building materials sector that appeal to this sector in terms of both price and quality. We will continue to take the necessary steps in the upcoming period in order to get the share we deserve from the large market in the country, especially regarding renovation.”
“Finding a Local Partner is a Must for Doing Business in the UK”
BTSO Assembly Vice President and Foreign Trade Council President Murat Bayizit stated that England, the 6th largest economy in the world, has an economic size of 3,7 trillion dollars. Bayizit said that relations between Turkey and England have been developing rapidly in recent years and noted that the business environment in the country is more flexible and open to foreign capital compared to the EU. Bayizit stated that it is very important for companies that want to do business in England to work with local partners and provided important information to sector representatives about the culture of doing business in England and the current situation and potential opportunities in the construction sector.
“We are at a good level in terms of green transformation”
BTSO Assembly Member and İMSİAD President Şeref Demir said that they carried out a very productive program in London. Demir, who noted that they had the opportunity to examine the best practices in the Green Agreement and sustainability field on site and to obtain detailed information, said, “It was very beneficial for our sector. There is a housing problem in the world in general. Here, we saw that London is one of the places where this problem is experienced. There is such a problem especially for those in the low and middle income groups. They need to build a large number of houses in order to solve this problem in a short time. There are very small nuanced differences between Turkey and England in terms of green transformation. We have also reached a certain point as a sector. We believe that we can be one of the effective players in this market if we do the necessary work.”
“There is a Serious Demand for Renovation”
BTSO Committee Chairman Levent Bilek noted that they carried out their 5th overseas program as part of the UR-GE project as a good practice example visit to London. Stating that they encountered interesting examples in London, Bilek said, “People live in 270-year-old buildings here. There are remarkable applications, especially in terms of energy efficiency. Again, we had the opportunity to see the sustainability-related studies and the building structure in person in the field. We made useful contacts with Turkish contracting companies and civil society organizations. We will work in cooperation with all of them.” Noting that there is a serious demand for renovation in the country, Bilek continued his speech as follows: “On the other hand, 100 thousand new housing construction is planned. Therefore, I think that both our construction material manufacturers and our contracting sector have a bright future here. Turkey will be able to easily fill the gap in this market with its strong potential in the sector.”
“We Need to Follow Developments in the World Closely”
BTSO Committee Chairman Latif Altay emphasized the importance of the construction sector closely following developments in the world. Stating that it was a useful program in terms of seeing good practice examples that will increase work and worker safety during construction and provide ease of operation after construction is completed, Altay said, “We had the opportunity to consult and evaluate the practices and innovations in London with the sector dynamics here. As Turkey, we have serious experience in construction. We need to quickly adapt to the Green Deal and developments in sustainability and quickly incorporate these innovations into our own construction and operation system. In this way, we can provide high value-added services in the market and become preferred companies in investments in other countries. London has very strong companies, especially in the Gulf and African markets. When we develop our relations with the companies here, both our construction material manufacturers and our subcontractors and main contractors will have taken an important step in reaching new markets. We thank our Ministry of Trade and BTSO for their support.”
Muhammet Hakan Yetim stated that there are serious incentives in the UK construction sector, especially in terms of renovation. Yetim said that there are studies and incentives for innovative redevelopment of structures called “refurbishment” and offering them to the market, and said, “Turkey has serious experience and capital accumulation in the construction sector. As a country, we have the potential to meet the need here.”
