Gaziantep Firms Informed about Abdi İbrahim İlaç A.Ş.’s Localization of Pharmaceutical Production Sub-Industry Project
The Eurasian Socio-Economic Research Association (ASEAD) organized an online information meeting on July 18, 2024 toward the firms and investors in Gaziantep in cooperation with the Silk Road Development Agency and Gaziantep OSB Technocity about the support of Abdi İbrahim İlaç A.Ş. for the localization of the pharmaceutical production sub-industry.
ASEAD President Prof. Dr. İbrahim Örnek in his opening speech said that they had hosted Murat BÖRÜ in Kahramanmaraş after Murat BÖRÜ's article about the localization of the pharmaceutical production sub-industry in our country, published in the April 2024 issue of the Journal of Economics and Research, which is ASEAD’s academic journal, and met with sector representatives and potential investors from in Kahramanmaraş. Prof. ÖRNEK said that the meeting was productive and that they planned a meeting for Gaziantep, as well. Prof. ÖRNEK said that Gaziantep has been expanding in the health sector and that he believes that interest in the sector will increase after this meeting. Prof. ÖRNEK thanked Silk Road Development Agency Coordinator Osman TOKSİN and Gaziantep OSB Technocity Manager Ekrem TEKİN for their support in organizing this meeting.
Abdi İbrahim A.Ş. Indirect Purchasing Manager Murat BÖRÜ, in his presentation, stated that the pharmaceutical production sub-industry has a current account deficit of around 1.5 billion US dollars per year with products such as raw materials, auxiliary materials, machines and consumables, and that there is a current account deficit of around 3.5 billion US dollars per year in pharmaceutical production. He stated that there is a total current account deficit of 5 billion US dollars annually. In addition, foreign dependency on raw materials and sub-industry products is high in the sector, and there will be difficulties in the supply of raw materials and sub-industry products during any global pandemic, war and trade wars; He shared with the participants that this would negatively affect our pharmaceutical production. In order to reduce both the current account deficit and dependency on foreign countries, he said that Abdi İbrahim İlaç A.Ş. started a localization program called Focus Project in pharmaceutical production and sub-industry, and thanks to this program, the number of local sub-industry companies reached 56. He stated that there is a clustering effort in the pharmaceutical production sub-industry sector and that the momentum in localization will increase with the realization of the clustering. He said that they want to develop projects for raw materials, auxiliary materials, machinery and equipment together with companies already working in the health sector in Gaziantep or investors interested in this sector.
Silk Road Development Agency Coordinator Osman TOKSİN said that there were already companies operating in the medical sector in Gaziantep, but increasing the product diversity will make the city stand out in the sector. Stating that they could hold one of the supplier meetings held by the Agency in different sectors in Gaziantep for the pharmaceutical sub-industry, TOKSİN assured that after this first meeting, which is an acquaintance meeting, they would be a pioneer in directing both the companies and potential investors in the city to this sector. Additionally, TOKSİN talked about the Supply Chain Localization program, which brings together companies in need of suppliers and suppliers within the Ministry of Industry and Technology, and said that the details of this program can be accessed via the website at https://www.yatirimadestek.gov.tr/tedarik-zinciri-yerlilestirme.
İpek YARDIM, who participated on behalf of Gaziantep OSB Technocity, stated that both the companies in Technocity, the companies in Gaziantep OSB, which are the partners of Teknokent, and Hasan Kalyoncu University Kalyon Garage Prototyping and Entrepreneurship Center, as a partner of Technocity, can play an important role in localization, and that they can hold meetings on this subject. YARDIM said that a meeting series could be arranged and the processes could be detailed.
Uğur KOCA, who attended the meeting on behalf of BKM Birlik Makina Kalıp, said that the company currently serves different sectors, including the defense industry, and that they wanted to evaluate opportunities for the pharmaceutical production sub-industry. Mr. Murat BÖRÜ stated that they would be pleased to discuss the details and agreed to meet at a later date.
Cuma AKARSU, who attended the meeting on behalf of Stampamed Medical, talked about the products they currently produce and stated that they wanted to take part in localization within the scope of the company's capabilities and capacity. The parties agreed to discuss the details after the meeting.