MÜSİAD EXPO 2020, which MÜSİAD organizes every two years, opened its doors. MÜSİAD EXPO, the largest fair held after the pandemic, welcomed tens of thousands of visitors representing more than 40,000 companies. The number of those visiting MÜSİAD EXPO 2020, held in hybrid format, online is expected to reach millions.

MÜSİAD EXPO, the International Economy, Finance and Trade Summit organized every two years by the Independent Industrialists and Businessmen Association (MÜSİAD), opened its doors.

The MÜSİAD EXPO 2020 Trade Fair, held at TÜYAP Fair and Congress Centre both physically and online in hybrid format in accordance with pandemic measures and TSE COVID-19 Safe Service standards, physically welcomed tens of thousands of visitors representing more than 40,000 companies. More than 8,000 B2B business meetings were held at the fair, which took place in 10 halls over an area of 70,000 square metres at TÜYAP.

At the organization, which was carried out without in any way disregarding the Mask, Distance, Hygiene rule, 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, “Wide-ranging events such as MÜSİAD EXPO help us develop new collaborations with countries with which our trade volume is low. In these difficult days we are living through, the joint investment, joint production and joint trade opportunities established between countries will enable the development of strong economic immunity against the epidemic. The winners of the post-epidemic period will be those who establish cooperation today and act quickly.”


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 force of Türkiye and that make an impact around the world met with visitors. Institutions such as YTÜ Teknopark, İstanbul Teknopark and BTM took part in this hall.

Differently this year, caravans appealing to every income level also took part at MÜSİAD EXPO in order to support ‘Caravan Tourism’. In addition, domestic electric vehicles were displayed at MÜSİAD EXPO.

At the fair, the Smart Agricultural Town Project, the Caravan Park Project and the Pandemic (Field) Hospital in the MÜSİAD Valley, together with the Investment, Production and Trade Bases projects that will become MÜSİAD's National Production Base, as well as the MÜSİAD Future, MÜSİAD Innova, MÜSİAD Invest, MÜSİAD Academy, 2023 YEREL and MÜSİAD TIA brands were also launched.

Introduced at MÜSİAD EXPO, the MÜSİAD Investment, Production and Trade Bases are projects implemented so that SMEs can grow with the logic of an incubation centre in living spaces where the conditions of every stage, namely investment, production and trade, have been considered. The production bases, where all needs will be met within the same environment in the event of any disaster or a possible renewed pandemic and where production and trade will continue healthily and without interruption, comprise living spaces in which employers and workers can live comfortably together with their families.

The fair, in which 400 foreign purchasing delegations from 50 countries, primarily Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Sudan, Libya, Qatar, Nigeria, South Africa, Iran, Iraq and Venezuela, took part, also hosted many organizations.


THE VIRUS ECONOMY WAS DISCUSSED AT IBF

Held on 19 November with the participation of industrialists and business people from all over the world, the 24th International Business Forum (IBF) 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 push people into social and individual traumas. For this reason, our emphasis on the virus economy at IBF expresses our wish that the virus, the unchanging risk of the 21st century, will come to an end in favour of people in a short time.”

In his opening speech at IBF, MÜSİAD President Abdurrahman Kaan underlined that the administrations of many countries were caught unprepared by this global crisis, which left people face to face with severe 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 aimed at restructuring the main institutions of the global system, above all the G20, the World Bank, the IMF and the World Trade Organization.

It is not possible for the leading actors of the global hegemony struggle, which we predict will be even harsher in the period after the virus epidemic, to maintain their place at the table by leaving Türkiye out of the equation. We wholeheartedly support the economic development mobilization launched by our President and built on three pillars. When confidence was instilled in the markets, we tested within a short time how Türkiye once again became a centre 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 period as well and that, in particular, by moving to a macro production policy, the production of inputs and semi-finished goods that will reduce the cost inflation risk, one of our country's most important problems, will also be realized through a national production initiative rather than through imports.”

Speaking at IBF, Deputy Minister of Treasury and Finance Nureddin Nebati conveyed that great convenience has been provided for investors in Türkiye and that this has begun to be reflected in the data. Nebati continued his speech as follows:

“In the general ranking of the Ease of Doing Business Index, prepared regularly every year by the World Bank, Türkiye, which ranked 43rd last year, rose 10 places in 2020 and became the 33rd country where business is easiest to do. We are going through a historic period, with loans being postponed through the steps taken without feeling the fever in the market. With the steps applied in Türkiye we are getting through this epidemic period with very little damage. The support we have provided has reached TRY 530 billion. In the coming period, legal and democratic reforms will be carried out in Türkiye. We will implement transparent policies and do what is necessary to ensure that investors are not crushed by high interest rates.”

At the sessions held at the 24th International Business Forum of MUSİAD EXPO 2020, 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 Presidential Investment Office of the Republic of Türkiye Burak Dağlıoğlu, MÜSİAD Global High Board Chairman Mehmet Fatih Keçebir, Local High Board Chairman Ahmet Şekerli, MÜSİAD board members, and branch presidents and representatives from at home and abroad.

On Friday 20 November, moreover, within the scope of the MÜSİAD EXPO Fair, which President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also attended, the summit bringing together honorary consuls, who are regarded as important players in international trade, entitled “MÜSİAD-World Honorary Consuls Trade and Diplomacy Summit”, took place with the participation of 82 honorary consuls.

On the last day of the fair, where 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, by signing MOU agreements with 20 new counterpart organizations from 4 continents, steps will be taken towards the development of exports and trade relations between countries.