My impressions of INNOTRANS 2022 – The Future of Mobility/Dr.İlhami Pektaş

Postponed twice before due to the Covid-19 outbreak and held as the 13th edition this year, the world’s most significant international rail systems exhibition Innotrans 2022 opened its door to visitors with the theme of “sustainable mobility” this year. Approximately 140,000 visitors from more than 131 countries and 2,834 companies from 56 countries, including Türkiye, attended the exhibition. Türkiye showed great interest in the fair at the Ministry level. During the exhibition, 124 new generation vehicles, including Hydrogen-powered rail system vehicle, Bozankaya’s European innovation award-winning tram, Erciyas Holding and Gökyapı’s new generation freight wagons were exhibited on the 3,500-meter rail line.

The most important feature of this exhibition for our country was the participation of Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Mr. Adil Karaismailoğlu and Deputy Minister Enver Iskurt, and their support to our companies. Turkey’s Ambassador to Germany Ahmet Başar Sen, AYGM General Manager Dr. Yalçın Eyigün, TCDD (Turkish State Railways) General Manager and ARUS President Hasan Pezük, ARUS Board Members, TCDD Taşımacılık General Manager Ufuk Yalçın, TÜRASAŞ General Manager Mustafa Metin Yazar, TCDD Teknik General Manager Mustafa Özdöner, TCDD Foundation General Manager Enver Sedat Tamgacı, ARUS Coordinator Dr. İlhami Pektaş and many companies participated in the exhibition.

Making examinations in the exhibition area, Minister Karaismailoğlu visited the booths of all our institutions participating in the exhibition one by one and had conversations with them.

Karaismailoğlu made statements to journalists about the national electric train. Pointing out that the mass production of “national electric trains” compatible for 160 kilometers per hour has started, Karaismailoğlu gave the good news that the first national electric train completed the 10 thousand kilometers of test drive and would receive the certificate and start transporting passengers soon.

During the opening ceremony of the exhibition, which was attended by more than 1,000 senior business leaders, scientists, experts and cluster managers, Federal Germany Minister of Transport and Digital Infrastructure Dr. Volker Wissing gave a speech on the future of mobility in the age of climate change. Underlining the vital importance of a reliable and flexible railway network, Dr. Volker informed that the German railway network was facing great difficulties due to the excessive increase in energy prices due to the impact of the war in Ukraine, which lead the country to seek alternative solutions.

At Innotrans 2022, taking place with great interest and participation, as ARUS management, we visited 63 companies participating in the exhibition one by one and received their opinions. All the companies indicated that they were very satisfied with the exhibition and that they received many orders.

Türkiye ranked among the top 10 in the category of the countries with the most participation. As known, the domestic contribution rates of our rail system vehicles, wagons, equipment, spare parts and infrastructure companies have increased to 70% with the domestic and national production movement in the rail systems started in our country in 2012 under the leadership of ARUS, thus the production of all kinds of rail system components and critical parts in European standards has become possible in Turkey. As of now, our companies have increased to the level of international suppliers and exporters with rail system vehicles, passenger and freight wagons, equipment, spare parts and infrastructure system productions.

In addition, the recent energy crisis and high labor costs in Europe have caused all large foreign producers and potential customers to turn their eyes to Türkiye and the importance given to the producers in Türkiye has increased even more. The subsidizing of energy prices in our country, our ability to manufacture in European standards, innovation awards and technological development in the field of rail systems increase Turkey’s foreign market potential day by day.

ASAŞ Aluminum is investing in a large aluminum body production line in rail systems. Having made an agreement for 45MN HybrEx ® press, having the largest press line produced with hybrid technique and saving up to 50% energy with 150MN press, which will make it the largest production facility with technological extrusion line in Europe, ASAŞ has announced that the company will reduce the foreign dependence of our country and make a great contribution to our country’s economy by producing large section profiles with the new production line in rail systems.

Having a range of 70 km with its European innovation award-winning battery and having broken the world record with this unique feature, Bozankaya tram attracted the attention of all participants at InnoTrans Berlin. Hundreds of participating companies, visitors, industry and press representatives admired the Tram.

Bozankaya and Durmazlar had lots of important meetings during the exhibition where they participated at the top management level and made intensive efforts to extend their export areas from Poland and Romania to other countries.

Türasaş became the center of attention for the companies and visitors participating in the exhibition with the company’s national electric high-speed train, new generation freight wagons and ongoing new projects.

During the exhibition, Aselsan exhibited the National signalization, Train Control and Monitoring System software and hardware products, thus drew the attention of the participants.

The first Turkish company to complete the SIL4 Certificate Process on the railway line, Yapı Merkezi Idis was proud to be the first Turkish company to participate with SIL4 certificate in accordance with EN50126, EN50128 and EN50129 standards in the YM IDAS signal system, which was developed by 100 per cent domestically and nationally.

TUBITAK RUTE had the opportunity to share its national signalization SIL-4 certified activities in metro line, new E5000 shunting locomotive engine and new traction motor technologies with all rail system sector representatives and attracted great interest in the international market.

The wagon manufacturers Gökgrup, Erciyas Holding, Va-ko and Esray attracted great attention with their competitive products and technologies during the exhibition.

Esray exhibitied its innovative bogies and wagons in the international arena. The company introduced competitive products such as H-type and 3-axle heavy load wagon bogies. Esray stated that there was a huge increase in the exhibition orders compared to the ones 10 years ago; 10 years ago they could not have an appointment with Turkish companies, but now Turkish companies could not have time to breathe due to business meetings and visitor density.

Erciyas Holding exhibited the application of spiral welded pipe wagons at the fair for the first time in the world, and attracted great attention. Erciyas Holding is also the only Turkish company involved in the European Hyperloop project with its 4-meter diameter spiral welded tubes. Since 2017, Erciyas Holding has been cooperating with Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HyperloopTT), one of the most important companies in the world.

The articulated freight wagon by Gökyapı, which produces freight wagons according to UIC criteria, emerged as a product demonstrating the capability of Turkish companies. 3 new generation wagons with H-type bogies allow transporting more loads. Gök yapı could not get out of the booth due to business talks, meetings and visitor density.

Turkey’s first company with SIL 4 Certificate determining the critical safety level of products in train door system and platform separator door systems, Albayrak Makine received great interest in the fair by exhibiting its Platform Separator Door System and Train door systems.

Turkey’s first rail and wheel manufacturer, Kardemir held important business meetings to increase our country’s rail, wheel and rail system fasteners exports.

Critical products manufactured by our talented companies such as Sönmez Transformer and Aktif Elektroteknik led to astonishment in foreigners. Foreign companies came to the booths multiple times and could not hide their surprise to see if Türkiye could actually produce them. Thus, our companies showed to the whole world that parts with strategic importance in the sector could be produced in our country.

Canray Transport makes great investments for TOGG domestic otomotive industry, our national automobile and produces rail system interior dressing parts for Alstom. Increasing production capabilities and customer portfolio in the field of rail systems with investments in aluminum systems, Canray offers special solutions for the rail systems sector.

FMC received large orders from abroad for all freight wagon parts the company produced for hydraulic wagon manufacturers. FMC takes great steps towards becoming the leader in the forged products market.

Piton Technologies attracted attention with its asset management, operation-planning and passenger information systems. Having products used abroad, Piton Technologies aims to increase its exports even more with the new networks gained during the exhibition.

ERA Elektronik took steps to increase its market share in exports with numerous cooperation meetings held at the fair. ERA Elektronik applied for the ERCI Innovation Award this year with its innovative lighting product.

Elsitel stated that they attracted so much attention during the exhibition, and that they aimed to increase their business volume in the rail systems sector by 3 times in the next 5 years.

Producing composite products for Rail Systems, automotive, construction machinery, agricultural equipment, military and armored vehicles, Sazcılar introduced its products at the exhibition, thus presented them to the world.

Petes Makine, which produces train lifts, had the opportunity to introduce the bogie lowering system, plate lathe, functional lifting system, fixed underground wagon and train lifting as well as surface rotation systems to the whole world during the exhibition.

Hüroğlu, Grebo, Kanca, Kaykaç, Egemet, Avitech, TMS Rubber and Babacan Kauçuk stated that they had the opportunity to have important negotiations with foreign wagon manufacturers at the exhibition with their quality products due to the internal equipment, spare parts and increasing maintenance and repair activities in the expanding market in our country and abroad in rail system production. Our companies have received important orders by conducting positive negotiations with all organizations that carry out internal equipment, spare parts, maintenance and repair, as well as the large vehicle manufacturers.

Our member companies participating in the exhibition in the field of railway technologies: Albayrak Makine, Aktaş, Asaş, Aselsan, Asis Electronics, Avitech Rubber, Ayvaz, Babacan, Bimed, Bozankaya, Çoşkun, Durmazlar, ERA Elektronik, Erciyas Holding, Esray Machine, FMC Hydraulic, Gage Automotive, Gök Yapı, Kanca Hand Tools, Kaykaç Makine, Mobit, Ozar Group, Petes Makina, Piton Technologies, RC Endüstri, Sistaş Çelik, Sönmez Transformator, Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, TCDD (Turkish State Railways), TCDD Taşımacılık, TCDD Teknik, TMS Mars Rubber, Tübitak, Türasaş, Va-Ko Vagon.

Our member companies participating in the exhibition in the field of interior equipment: Canray, Epengle, ERA Elektronik, Etka-d, Grebo, Hüroğlu, Orion Deri, Ortakçı Glass, Pilot Seating, Sazcılar, Uyguner Leather, Vogelsitze.

Our member companies participating in the exhibition in the field of railway infrastructure: Aktif Elektroteknik, Egemet Egemetal, Elsitel, Emas Demir Çelik, Er-Bakır, Güney Çelik, Gürmak, Kardemir, Mipsan, MZA, Özkan Steel, Panel, Sarkuysan, Taç Rubber, Ulusoy, Yapı Merkezi İdis, Yapıray.

Our member companies exhibiting vehicles and freight wagons: Bozankaya, Erciyas Holding, Gökyapı.