ISTANBUL

German tech conglomerate Siemens’ Turkish subsidiary deems Türkiye as a center, supplying the firm’s global technologies with production, export, engineering, and research and development (R&D) capabilities.

Huseyin Gelis, chair of Siemens Türkiye, told Anadolu that Türkiye has been a strategic driver of the firm’s global success this year, not only as a market but also as a hub reaching across the world.

“This year was a period during which we increased Türkiye’s share, added value, and strategic impact in the global Siemens ecosystem, and we will continue to play an active role in Türkiye’s transformation by combining our know-how with our R&D capacity,” he said.

Gelis said digital transformation in industry has become a necessity to maintain competitiveness, and that while trial and pilot applications of this transformation have been completed, firms are demanding more integrated, scalable, data-driven solutions with strong cybersecurity.

He pointed out that artificial intelligence (AI)-powered production optimizations, automation, and real-time data analytics are some of the fundamental requirements for companies to boost operational efficiency and competitiveness.

He mentioned that Siemens' global strategy prioritized AI automation, smart infrastructure, and sustainability, which influenced investment priorities and business development approaches in Türkiye.

“We are focusing on solutions that support energy, industry, and infrastructure transformation by addressing the needs of the domestic market with a global vision,” he said. “We aim to create a foundation for long-term and sustainable growth in Türkiye with this approach.”

Gelis stated that, in addition to infrastructure renewal efforts, other transformation efforts focused on digitalization, digital twins, AI, and sustainability gained traction, as tech investments became increasingly critical to maintaining a competitive edge in production and export performance—Siemens Türkiye's solutions, tailored to the needs of various sectors, came to the forefront this year.

“We contributed to the production efficiency of the steelmaker Kardemir through electrification and automation modernization, as well as digital energy management solutions, which left an impact on the digitalization of the iron and steel sector,” he said.

“Another project for the petrochemistry firm Petkim involved the energy infrastructure change of 15 main facilities and the modernization of a total of 18 factories in a joint project by Siemens Türkiye and SOCAR Türkiye,” he noted.

“In the southern province of Gaziantep, we carried out a project in Türkiye’s largest organized industrial zone, where we provided energy services to 500 new industrial plots—this project will utilize air- and gas-insulated, double-busbar medium-voltage switching solutions, digital protection systems, energy automation, and Internet of Things (IoT)-based health monitoring sensors, among others,” he added.

- Transformation to continue with similar investments next year

Gelis stated that the transformation in industry will extend to 2026, where Siemens Türkiye will play an active role with its global know-how and domestic capabilities.

“We are at the center of this transformation with our solutions that reduce carbon emissions, boost efficiency, and provide digital measurements and analysis capabilities ranging from energy infrastructure to industrial facilities, cities, and transportation,” he said.

He noted that the currency, interest rate, and energy market fluctuations caused by geopolitical developments created a costly environment worldwide, but Türkiye can overcome these challenges.

He said Siemens Türkiye will prioritize digitalization, AI-powered applications, energy efficiency, industrial automation, and digital twin technologies.

“We offer these solutions to our business partners through the Siemens Xcelerator platform,” he said.

“Strengthening employment, supporting talent development, increasing domestic high-tech production, and promoting sustainable solutions will be our focus moving forward—we will continue to create long-term value with our projects contributing to Türkiye’s digital future with widespread adoption of digital applications in industry and the development of smart grid and energy storage solutions,” he added.