The 13th annual logitrans Turkey international transport logistics exhibition opened today (Wednesday 13 November) to great excitement among the dozens of attendees who watched officials declare the show open.
The opening ceremony saw Gerhard Gerritzen, member of organiser Messe Munchen’s management board joined by Ilker Altun, EKO managing director, and Peter Luttjohann, the head of freight transport division at the German federal ministry of transport and digital infrastructure to make speeches and presentations.
The hour-long opening ceremony was introduced by Altun who said: “This is the major fair in this industry,” while Gerritzen added: “This is the largest logistics fair for the Eurasian region.”
Altun added: “Turkey is a gateway to Africa, the Middle East and China along the new Silk Road.”
Gerritzen concluded: We wish you all a successful and inspiring show.”
Turkey has ambitious plan to treble exports by 2023. For the first time, a non-European country has taken a pavilion. Canada is represented in Hall 9.
There has been a 16% increase in participants, noted Gerritzen, from last year.
Representative from Turkish road and freight forwarder associations painted a picture of the state of Turkish logistics, especially in context of German trade.
German companies, especially manufacturers, have invested some $30bn in the country, while Turkish investors have moved some $1.8bn in the other direction.
“Germany is Turkey’s biggest trade partner,” said one Turkish speaker.
The new airport serving Istanbul was also a talking point. The changes to processes and procedures and locations were noted for the airfreight industry.
After the opening comments, gifts were given to acknowledge exhibitors who had returned to the show over a number of years, including three who had attended for more than a decade.
The three-day event, held in Istanbul, will be looking at logistics developments made in Germany, Turkey’s place in a changing international trade arena, careers in logistics, what Canadian companies can offer, digitisation of automotive distribution in Europe, air cargo and e-Commerce and logistics sourcing in 2020.
