Industry and Technology Minister Mustafa Varank stated that quality, sustainability and respect for the environment have become very important in the textile industry and said, “Companies no longer think of just buying a product or buying a product cheaply. It wants to bring more environmentally friendly and sustainable products to its customers. Suppliers in Turkey should pay more attention to their production.” said.
ECOTEX VISIT
Visiting the Istanbul Ready-to-Wear and Apparel Exporters' Association (İHKİB) Ekotex Laboratory Center, which is jointly financed by the Republic of Turkey and the European Union, carried out by the Ministry of Industry and Technology, and supported by the "Competitive Sectors Program", Minister Varank said that many things from toys to health. He made examinations at the center that provides services to the sector. During the visit, Minister Varank was accompanied by TİM President İsmail Gülle and İHKİB President Mustafa Gültepe.
ALL PRODUCTS WHICH ARE VALUABLE TO DAILY LIFE
Making statements after his visit, Minister Varank stated that many tests were carried out in the Ekoteks Laboratory regarding all products that touch daily life, both protecting the health of the citizens and the safety of the products, and said, “There was a serious IPA project that we carried out with them here. As you know, the textile industry is a sector in which the most importance given to sustainability and the environment is reflected in the global world. Therefore, we are carrying out a project on how we can make the textile, ready-to-wear and apparel industries in Turkey more sustainable and more respectful to the environment, and in this sense, how can we make them more competitive with digitalization.” said.
TURKEY IS A SERIOUS SUPPLIER
Noting that within the scope of this project, they brought a laboratory where water tests and microbiology tests, which have never been done before, are made to İHKİB, within the scope of the Ekoteks Laboratory, Varank said, “Turkey is coming to the fore more as a very serious supplier globally in the coming period. Here, the quality, sustainability and respect for the environment of the products we produce are very important. Companies no longer think of just buying a product or buying a product cheaply. It wants to bring more environmentally friendly and sustainable products to its customers.” he said.
WASTE WATER TEST
Emphasizing that the suppliers in Turkey should pay more attention to their production, Varank said, “Let's say you are a jacket manufacturer. The chemicals and heavy metals in the water you use in the fabric here are very important for that global brand. So you have to pay attention to this. Just like that, we can now perform all the tests, from the water you use there to the waste water, right here in Turkey, at the Ekoteks Laboratory.” said.
IT WILL BE MORE COMPETITIVE
Noting that a very serious infrastructure has been brought to Turkey, Varank said, “As the Ministry of Industry and Technology, we are pleased to work with İHKİB. Hopefully, we will prepare our manufacturers for the future with such projects in the textile ready-made clothing industry, which is one of the most important sectors in which we have a current account surplus, and we will bring them to a much more competitive position. In our plans to make Turkey a production base with the epidemic, the textile ready-to-wear garment industry will also develop more and contribute to the economy of our country.” he said.
WE WOULD HAVE IT DONE TO FOREIGNERS
President of İHKİB, Mustafa Gültepe, thanked Minister Varank for his visit and said, “We have been in cooperation for many years and together we have brought great projects to Turkey.” said. Explaining that they serve both ready-made clothing, textiles and other sectors such as toys, stationery and health globally, Gültepe said, “If this laboratory did not exist, we would have to have these tests done in foreign companies with offices in Turkey. Again with the project, we will transfer digital change and transformation in the ready-made clothing industry and fashion design to the industry as stages of digitalization.” he said.
WE WILL BUILD A PRODUCTION BASE
Noting that they are preparing to make Turkey a production base after the pandemic, Gültepe said, “We are striving to make Istanbul a fashion center and Turkey, with the support of our Minister, especially with the latest support. Because we know that the future of Turkey is production. Therefore, our Minister always continues to support us in this matter.” said.
FAST AND CHEAP TESTING OPPORTUNITY
Ekoteks Laboratory Center is supported by the Competitive Sectors Program. Ekoteks, whose primary purpose of establishment is to provide cost-effective testing services to exporting companies in a short time and to increase the quality of textile products to the desired level and ensure its continuity, has also made significant contributions to the textile and related sectors with its R&D studies carried out in recent years.
GMO ANALYSIS ARE ALSO DONE
Within Ekoteks, "Chemistry Laboratory" where flammability, dimensional change, fastness and performance tests are carried out, "Physics Laboratory" where physical strength and performance tests are carried out, "Fiber Laboratory" where material and fiber content is determined, and "Ecology Laboratory" where prohibited and restricted chemicals are tested. "Biotechnology Laboratory", which includes microbiology, cell culture, molecular biology, genetics, GMO analyzes and airborne tests, "Water Laboratory" where water and wastewater test analyzes are carried out, "Toy Laboratory" where toy and child care products and tools and lighter tests are performed. , the laboratory where medical and protective product and mask tests are carried out, and the Antistatic Test Laboratory.
THE TARGET IS TO INCREASE TURKEY'S COMPETITIVENESS
The Competitive Sectors Program (RSP), implemented by the Ministry of Industry and Technology within the scope of the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance with the European Union and Turkey Financial Cooperation (IPA), was basically designed to achieve the goal of increasing Turkey's adaptation to global competition conditions. With the program, it is aimed to reduce the foreign trade deficit and increase the competitiveness of Turkey by increasing productivity, especially with projects for R&D and innovation.
EUR 88 MILLION TO 800 PROJECTS
In this direction, the program uses many intervention methods in different areas such as industrial infrastructure, R&D infrastructure, commercialization of R&D products, and creative industries. The Competitive Sectors Programme, which aims to strengthen the capacities of organizations engaged in creative and innovative activities and increase their competitiveness in the domestic and EU market, has supported and continues to support 800 projects with a resource of approximately 88 million Euros to date. Detailed information about the program and supported projects can be found at the address “rekabetcisektorler.sanayi.gov.tr”.
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