Digitization and Chinas Silk Road initiative create new opportunities
Logistics 4.0 and the new Silk Road have been the all-dominating topics at logitrans 2017, which took place in Istanbul from November 15 to 17 2017. Participants from Eurasian countries presented their products and services as well as official pavilions from Germany, Austria and France.
logitrans Turkey has again lived up to its reputation as the leading trade fair for logistics, telematics and transport in Eurasia, despite a challenging market environment. “The logistics market in Turkey is adapting to the new realities regarding the international demand for transparency and improved quality standards,” said Gerhard Gerritzen, Member of the Management Board at Messe München. “The region has tremendous potential as a central hub of the New Silk Road. In order to tap its full potential, all countries along its route need to meet the requirements and standards of the international market,“ added Ilker Altun, General Manager of its Turkish partner EKO Fuarcilik.
A market full of opportunities, according to companies and experts
logitrans participants see a lot of potential within the Turkish market. The country is not only a large market itself, but also a strategic hub in the region, with its geographic location between continents as a decisive factor. The current economic growth in Turkey is invigorating the import and export market as well as the demand for logistic services. Digitization and the New Silk Road initiative are core elements of this development. The economic transformation towards Logistics 4.0 will provide new opportunities for well-established companies as well as for new players in the market. A growing number of IT experts attended logitrans for information and inspiration. With its estimated investment volume of one trillion Euros, Chinas mega project of the New Silk Road has instigated a certain sense of euphoria in the whole region, which was also noticeable at logitrans 2017. “Within the development of the New Silk Road we are looking for partners. As Turkey is a crucial hub of the One Road One Belt initiative (OBOR) we can find those partners here and are able to promote our services,” explained Nurlan Toganbayev, Commercial Director of KTZE Khorgos Gateway. Ayşe Altan, Cargo Manager, Communication and Advertisement at Turkish Cargo added: “Turkey’s location at the center of the world and the capability to reach nearly 40 percent of the overall global GDP in 4-hour-flight time make such organizations more meaningful and necessary to support.”
Demand remains strong
The attendance of 150 exhibitors from 24 countries as well as approximately 13,700 participants from more than 50 countries proves the strong economic interest in the region. logitrans is constantly sharpening its profile and provides a state-of-the-art conference program at fair, in order to boost its role as a knowledge base for companies, professionals and general audience as well.
The next logitrans takes place on November, 14–16, 2018.