MÜSİAD EXPO 2020, which MÜSİAD organizes every two years, opened its doors. MÜSİAD EXPO, the largest fair to be held after the pandemic, welcomed tens of thousands of visitors representing more than 40 thousand companies. The number of those visiting MÜSİAD EXPO 2020, which was held in hybrid form, online is expected to reach millions.
The International Economy, Finance and Trade Summit MÜSİAD EXPO, which the Independent Industrialists and Businessmen Association (MÜSİAD) organizes every two years, opened its doors.
The MÜSİAD EXPO 2020 Trade Fair, held both physically and online in hybrid form at the TÜYAP Fair and Congress Center in accordance with pandemic measures and TSE COVİD 19 Safe Service standards, physically welcomed tens of thousands of visitors representing more than 40 thousand companies. More than 8 thousand B2B business meetings were held at the fair, which took place in 10 halls over an area of 70 thousand square meters at TÜYAP.
At the organization, which was carried out without disregarding the Mask, Distance, Hygiene rule in any way, all participants and visitors were admitted after careful checks, and contactless technologies were used in the fair area.
The fair was opened jointly by Minister of Industry and Technology Mustafa Varank and MÜSİAD President Abdurrahman Kaan.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Minister Varank said: “Comprehensive events such as MÜSİAD EXPO enable us to develop new collaborations with countries with which our trade volume is low. In these difficult days we are living through, the opportunities for joint investment, joint production and joint trade established between countries will make it possible to develop a strong economic immunity against the epidemic. The winners of the post-epidemic period will be those who establish cooperation today and act quickly.”
THE FIRSTS OF THE FAIR
One of this year’s firsts at MÜSİAD EXPO 2020 was the ‘Entrepreneurship Area’ opened at the fair. Investments that have become an important strength of Türkiye and that have made an impact in the world met with visitors. Institutions such as YTÜ Teknopark, İstanbul Teknopark and BTM took part in this hall.
Unlike previous years, caravans appealing to every income level also took part in this year’s MÜSİAD EXPO in order to support ‘Caravan Tourism’. In addition, national electric vehicles were displayed at MÜSİAD EXPO.
At the fair, the launches in the MÜSİAD Valley of the Smart Agriculture City Project, the Caravan Park Project, the Pandemic (Field) Hospital and, above all, the Investment, Production and Trade Bases projects that will become MÜSİAD’s National Production Base, as well as of the MÜSİAD Future, MÜSİAD Innova, MÜSİAD Invest, MÜSİAD Academy, 2023 YEREL and MÜSİAD TIA brands were held.
Introduced at MÜSİAD EXPO, the MÜSİAD Investment, Production and Trade Bases are projects brought to life so that SMEs may grow with the logic of an incubation center within living spaces in which the conditions of every stage — investment, production and trade — have been taken into account. These production bases, in which all needs will be met within the same environment in the event of any disaster and of possible recurring pandemics and in which production and trade will continue in a healthy manner without interruption, comprise living spaces where employers and workers can live comfortably together with their families.
The fair, which was attended by 400 foreign purchasing delegations from 50 countries, primarily Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Sudan, Libya, Qatar, Nigeria, South Africa, Iran, Iraq and Venezuela, also hosted many organizations.
THE VIRUS ECONOMY WAS DISCUSSED AT IBF
The 24th International Business Forum (IBF), held on 19 November with the participation of industrialists and businesspeople from all over the world, was one of these important meetings. Speaking at this organization, where the Virus Economy was discussed, IBF President Erol Yarar said: “We have to find solutions to the problems that increase unemployment and drag people into social and individual traumas. For this reason, our emphasis on the virus economy at IBF is our wish that the virus, the unchanging risk of the 21st century, will come to an end for the benefit of people in a short time.”
In his opening remarks at IBF, MÜSİAD President Abdurrahman Kaan underlined that the administrations of many countries had been caught unprepared by this global crisis, which left people face to face with grave weaknesses in public health and social security systems.
Kaan continued his speech as follows:
“In the new period, we must develop a critical and common political language directed at the restructuring of the main institutions of the global system, primarily the G-20, the World Bank, the IMF and the World Trade Organization.
It is not possible for the leading actors of the struggle for global hegemony, which we expect to be even harsher in the period after the virus epidemic, to preserve their place at the table while leaving Türkiye out of the equation. We wholeheartedly support the economic development mobilization launched by our President and built upon three pillars. When confidence was instilled in the markets, we tested within a short time how Türkiye once again became a center of attraction in the eyes of foreign investors thanks to its strong geopolitical advantage. However, we hope that this determination will continue in the coming process as well and that, by moving to a macro production policy, the production of the inputs and semi-finished goods that will reduce the risk of cost inflation, one of our country’s most important problems, will also be realized through a national production drive rather than through imports.”
Speaking at IBF, Deputy Minister of Treasury and Finance Nureddin Nebati conveyed that great convenience had been provided for investors in Türkiye and that this had begun to be reflected in the data. Nebati continued his speech as follows:
“In the general ranking of the Ease of Doing Business Index, which is prepared regularly every year by the World Bank, Türkiye, which ranked 43rd last year, rose 10 places in 2020 and became the 33rd country in which business is done most easily. We are going through a historic period thanks to the steps taken without feeling the fever in the market and to the deferral of loans. With the steps resorted to in Türkiye, we are getting through this epidemic period with very little damage. The support we have provided has reached 530 billion lira. In the coming period, legal and democratic reforms will be carried out in Türkiye. We will implement transparent policies and do what is necessary so that investors are not crushed by high interest rates.”
At the sessions held at the MUSİAD EXPO 2020 24th International Business Forum, the effect of the virus on the sectors was also discussed.
THE MÜSİAD WORLD GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE BOARD (DGİK) WAS HELD
Another event held throughout MÜSİAD EXPO was the MÜSİAD World General Administrative Board. The meeting took place with the participation of MÜSİAD President Abdurrahman Kaan, President of the Investment Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye Burak Dağlıoğlu, President of the MÜSİAD Global High Board Mehmet Fatih Keçebir, President of the Local High Board Ahmet Şekerli, members of the MÜSİAD board of directors, and branch presidents and representatives from Türkiye and abroad.
On Friday, 20 November, within the scope of the MÜSİAD EXPO Fair, which was also attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the “MÜSİAD-World Honorary Consuls Trade and Diplomacy Summit”, which brought together honorary consuls regarded as important players of international trade, was held with the participation of 82 honorary consuls.
On the last day of the fair, on which country and panel presentations will be made, the MÜSİAD International Cooperation Agreements Signing Ceremony will be held. To date MÜSİAD has signed a total of 193 agreements with various institutions and organizations. At MÜSİAD EXPO 2020, MoU agreements will be signed with 20 new counterpart organizations from 4 continents, and steps will be taken towards the development of exports and trade relations between countries.