Speaking at the 11th Productivity Project Awards Ceremony held at KOSGEB, Industry and Technology Minister Kacır stated that under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, they have expanded planned industrialization. Kacır said that with investments in R&D and innovation infrastructure, they are preparing for the Türkiye Century.
Noting that the added value of the manufacturing industry rose from $41 billion to over $250 billion and exports from $36 billion to $278 billion, Kacır said, "Turkey is the leading exporter in product and market diversity across the vast belt stretching from China to Central Europe. With its production strength, it is a reliable link in global supply chains."
Emphasizing the importance of productivity, Kacır noted that real production per worker increased by 105 percent in the 2002-2025 period, which is 3.5 times the OECD average. He added that in the first quarter of 2026, output per hour worked in industry rose by 5.1 percent compared to the same period of the previous year.
Touching on the Ministry of Industry and Technology's incentive and support mechanisms, Kacır announced that under the Digital and Green Transformation programs, companies are provided with up to 226 million liras in support and tax deductions of up to 40 percent on investments. Through the Turkey Green Industry, Turkey Organized Industrial Zones, and Turkey Socially Inclusive Green Transition projects carried out in cooperation with the World Bank, over $1 billion in financing has been offered to industrialists.
Providing information about model factories, Kacır stated that the number of these centers currently operating in 12 cities will be increased to 16 by the end of next year. He noted that over 800 Learn-Transform programs have been carried out at model factories to date, providing businesses with efficiency increases of up to 76 percent.
Stating that they have launched the Sectoral Development Center Support Program for the digital and lean transformation of SMEs, Kacır said that within this framework, they will provide up to 6.5 million liras in non-repayable KOSGEB support annually for 10 years.
Turning to the award ceremony, Kacır stated that this year 451 project applications were received from 49 provinces and 413 independent evaluators from 64 provinces took part. He announced that as a result of meticulous examinations, 72 projects made it to the finals, and 28 projects deemed worthy of awards were determined in 10 categories.
Kacır reported that the awarded projects achieved total savings of 3.7 billion liras, also prevented over 25,000 tons of carbon emissions annually, and saved 114,000 cubic meters of water, emphasizing that the environmental gains of the works are of great importance.
Reminding that the application process for 2026 is ongoing, Kacır invited public institutions, businesses, and project teams to bring their innovative works to this platform.
General Director of Strategic Research and Productivity Abdullah Başar also noted that the program, which received over 450 project applications, underwent a long evaluation process. The ceremony ended with Minister Kacır presenting the awards.
