The Machinery and Construction Equipment Sector is opening its doors with the latest technological products at the KOMATEK 2024 Fair, the largest Machinery Fair of Eurasia.

Turkey’s construction machinery sector along with the forklift machinery sector increased both machine sales and exports last year. Factors such as meeting the accumulated demands during the COVID-19 pandemic period, adapting to the green transformation of the sector with changes such as engine phase transition, and sudden machine demand caused by earthquake disasters contributed to the increase in the construction machinery market.

According to the data of the Turkish Construction Machinery Distributors and Manufacturers Association (İMDER), the domestic sales figure of construction machinery, which was approximately 12 thousand units in 2022, reached 15 thousand units in 2023 with the significant market increase experienced. In the first quarter of this year, 3,336 units of construction machinery were sold in the domestic market. In the construction machinery sector, exports in 2023 increased by approximately 14% compared to 2022, reaching 2.26 billion dollars. In the January-March period of 2024, exports in the sector increased by 8.7% compared to the same period last year, reaching approximately 523 million dollars.

According to the data of the Forklift Machinery Distributors and Manufacturers Association (İSDER), while 12,921 units of forklifts were sold in the forklift machinery sector in 2022, this figure increased by 21% to 15,652 units in 2023. While exports amounted to 627 million dollars in the sector in 2022, including all complementary sub-sectors, exports reached approximately 1 billion dollars in 2023. In the January-March period of 2024, exports in the sector reached approximately 164 million dollars, increasing by 4.8% compared to the same period last year.

“The Green Transformation Contributed to the Increase in Machine Sales”

The launch meeting of the 17th International Machinery, Technology, and Equipment Specialized Fair for Construction and Building Machinery, KOMATEK 2024 Fair, was held at the Double Tree by Hilton Moda Hotel. Nadir Akgün, Chairman of İMDER (Turkish Construction Machinery Distributors and Manufacturers Association), and Serkan Karataş, Chairman of İSDER (Forklift Machinery Distributors and Manufacturers Association), attended the launch meeting of KOMATEK 2024 Fair.

Nadir Akgün, Chairman of İMDER, stated in his speech, “We expect KOMATEK Fair, which will be held in Istanbul for the first time in its history, to have the highest number of participants this year. Istanbul’s international airport will also create an increase in the number of foreign visitors. We are aware that exhibitions like KOMATEK, which are the cornerstone of our sector, will support our country’s economy as always, thanks to the direct and indirect potential contributions they will make to our beautiful city of Istanbul and our country.”

Highlighting the significant role of international fairs in the development, trade, and cultural exchange of countries and cities, Akgün stated, “As İMDER, the main supporter, and İSDER, the supporter, we wish success to KOMATEK 2024 Fair, which will open its doors for the 17th time between May 29 and June 1 at Istanbul Fair Center, as the largest fair ever held in our country. Istanbul is not only the industrial center of Turkey with its 16 million population and historical location but also the most important industrial settlement for many regions such as North Africa, the Middle East, the Balkans, and Turkic Republics. KOMATEK 2024, which will be the meeting point for domestic and foreign sector professionals where the latest products and technologies of the sector will be exhibited, is wished to be beneficial for our sector and our country. I thank everyone who contributed.”

Providing information about developments in the sector during the meeting, Akgün stated that companies in the sector reached record levels of domestic machine sales compared to previous years in 2023. He said, “In the construction machinery sector, the domestic sales figure of construction machinery, which was approximately 12 thousand units in 2022, reached 15 thousand units in 2023. In the first quarter of this year, 3,336 units of construction machinery were sold in the domestic market. The green transformation, which includes changes that enable our sector to adapt to green transformation such as meeting the accumulated demands during the COVID-19 pandemic period and sudden machine demand caused by earthquake disasters, has also been effective in the increase in machine sales. We will continue to strive to represent our sector in the best way possible in national and international events and to strengthen our activities in the domestic market and our exports.”

Akgün emphasized that İMDER has been guiding the growth of the construction machinery sector since its establishment and that they are working to demonstrate the power of the Turkish brand in all areas under tough competitive conditions. He said, “As the Turkish construction machinery sector, we made great efforts to meet the intense demand from both domestic and international markets. We tried to respond to increasing demands by increasing our production capacity and working hours. Companies in the sector also set a record in exports, reaching approximately 2.26 billion dollars in exports.”

Akgün stressed that the Turkish construction machinery sector ranks among the priority sectors in both developed and developing countries and makes a significant contribution to the country’s economy in terms of both employment and added value. He said, “As a sector, we are aware of the need to prove ourselves in global competition and to develop in technology and innovation. Additionally, within the framework of the green economy and green energy approach, we are investing in sustainable and clean production technologies for the machines of the future.”

İSDER (İstif Makineleri Distribütörleri ve İmalatçıları Derneği) Yönetim Kurulu Başkanı Serkan Karataş, “At the fair, we will evaluate the general situation of the sector and current developments,” said Serkan Karataş, Chairman of the Board of Directors of İSDER. “At the KOMATEK 2024 Fair, we will evaluate the general situation of the sector and current developments. We will discuss demand, supply, and market trends, as well as opportunities in the sector. The international dimension of KOMATEK is important for our sector in terms of establishing new partnerships and networks. Furthermore, our ability to organize such a large and international fair also demonstrates the progress our sector has made,” he said.

Karataş continued, “In 2022, the KOMATEK Fair, which was attended by approximately 20,000 sector representatives, public institutions and organizations, and all other relevant institutions, is expected to open its doors to the entire sector with much higher participation and approximately 50,000 visitors this year. Holding the title of the largest fair in the sector for years, this fair will once again serve as a platform to reach a target audience consisting of buyers and decision-makers from all participants. Recent global conditions, the prominence of environmental consciousness, advancements in motor technologies, and new machines and technologies powered by cleaner fuels have attracted the attention of users and the sector. It will be possible to see our domestically produced products that are making a name for themselves in global markets by utilizing electric motors, hydrogen-powered engines, and all the possibilities of technology at KOMATEK 2024. While expecting 50,000 visitors to the fair, we would like to express that we will also host approximately 5,000 high-level foreign guests. As umbrella organizations representing sectors with a trade volume of approximately 10 billion dollars domestically and annual exports reaching levels of 3-4 billion dollars, we aspire to do our best to ensure that our country and Istanbul, which is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, can be a leading city in fair tourism.”

Karataş stated that there are strong sales figures in the materials handling equipment sector, and exports continue to trend upwards, attributing this to the impact of deferred demand and the effect of consumers bringing forward their purchase requests. “In our sector, which experiences growth beyond our expectations, the export of 2023 increased by 23.1% compared to 2022, reaching levels of 771 million dollars. When including all complementary sub-sectors of the materials handling equipment sector, we can say that this figure reaches approximately 1 billion dollars. Thanks to the high-quality machines produced by our well-educated and qualified engineers, we are an important player in global competition. We will continue to exist in international fairs and events related to our sector in order to keep up with global developments and constantly renew ourselves,” he said.

Karataş emphasized that the green economy and goals within the scope of green energy, which have become the focus of the whole world due to global warming, also closely concern the materials handling equipment sector. “The materials handling equipment sector is closely following the developments in this process and determining its direction and method accordingly. The sector closely monitors developments in technology, innovation, and the digital world, and renews itself accordingly,” he said.

The KOMATEK 2024 Fair will be held at the Istanbul Expo Center (İFM) between May 29 and June 1.

With the main support of İMDER and the support of İSDER and SADA, the KOMATEK International Construction Machinery, Technology and Equipment Specialized Fair will be held at the Istanbul Expo Center (İFM) between May 29 and June 1, 2024. The 17th edition of the fair, known as the largest construction machinery fair in Eurasia, is expected to be attended by over 300 companies. In addition to direct participants from countries such as China, Germany, France, Italy, North Korea, the United Kingdom, and Spain, more than 200 foreign companies from many other countries will also participate. It is estimated that the fair will be visited by approximately 50,000 domestic and foreign visitors. Among the solution partners of the KOMATEK 2024 Fair are CCMA (China), UNACEA (Italy), and ANMOPYC (Spain), the international sister associations of İMDER, one of the leading associations in the sector worldwide.

Editor’s Note:

The Association of Turkish Construction Machinery Distributors and Manufacturers (İMDER) was established in 2002 by bringing together the companies in the sector of prominent actors of our economy such as BORUSAN, ÇUKUROVA, E-MAK, ENKA, ERG, GAMA, HİDROMEK, STFA, IŞIKLAR, KOÇ, SANKO, and SABANCI. With more than 50 member companies, İMDER represents over 95% of the construction machinery and equipment sector, which has a history of 80 years. In the construction machinery sector addressing all areas of infrastructure and investments in Turkey, there are a total of approximately 650 companies including 200 manufacturing companies, 220 auxiliary industry companies, and about 200 trading companies. Providing employment for about 150,000 people, including about 100,000 operators and users, it indirectly provides employment for approximately 1 million people. İMDER is a sectoral umbrella organization that successfully represents our country in relevant federations and global confederations in Europe and worldwide.

The Association of Materials Handling Equipment Distributors and Manufacturers (İSDER) was established in 2006 by 7 companies. Today, with 50 members, it represents over 80% of the sector. Materials handling equipment includes machines that facilitate the transportation, storage, control, and protection of materials, machinery, and products. They are present in almost every factory and play an important role in production and logistics. The materials handling industry covers seven different types of machines: forklifts, warehouse and shelving systems, conveyors, lifting equipment, cranes, platforms, and internal logistics equipment. Almost every part of physical trade is moved with a conveyor, forklift, pallet truck, shelving systems, or other materials handling equipment in manufacturing facilities, warehouses, and retail stores. Materials handling equipment is indispensable for the industry. The sector provides employment for approximately 400,000 people. İSDER is a sectoral umbrella organization that successfully represents our country in relevant federations and global confederations in Europe and worldwide.