Festo: Partner for Automation and Didactic
04/23/2007
As Turkish plant and machine manufacturers now also produce a large volume of export-oriented goods for the global market, they have to meet strict international quality standards. In order to achieve this, they need highly skilled employees with state-of-the-art technological know-how.
The Turkish economy has been growing strongly for several years now. This is true in particular for the country’s plant and machine construction industry and its suppliers. The past fifteen years have seen the creation of a lively market for automation technology. Festo has been heavily involved in this development throughout. The training of skilled workers has been the key to success.
The Turkish economy is booming. Over the last five years, the country has experienced a period of unbroken growth. Turkey has developed into a reliable partner for foreign investors and the number of direct investments continues to grow steadily.
“The Turkish market has caught up more and more with the traditional core markets for automation over the past few years,” says Otto Bauer, General Manager of Festo Turkey. Due to strong economic growth, there is a considerable backlog in demand. The latest products and technologies are now being introduced in Turkey almost at the same time as in other countries.
With a market volume of € 170 million and double-digit growth, Turkey is on its way to becoming a major player in automation technology.
Potential recognized early
Festo recognized the country’s potential for automation from an early stage: the company founded its national company in Turkey, Festo San.ve Tic.A.S, based in Istanbul, as early as 1989. “The market for automation has grown consistently by 10 to 20% every year over the last fifteen years,” explains Bauer.
Today, Festo is the market leader in its segment. Many thousands of customers, mostly in the plant and machine construction industry, have come to rely on the company’s products. The main customers are in the automotive, food and packaging sectors. Over 100 employees, mostly engineers, look after customers from the company’s eight offices.
“Our customers appreciate the close cooperation with an innovative partner”, explains Bauer. “Many new handling systems and customised applications are used for the first time in Turkey or even developed specifically for our Turkish customers.” Thanks to its local management team, Festo speaks the language of its customers and is always on site. Products are tailored by the national company to specific customer needs. Customers appreciate high-tech solutions offering easy “plug-and-work” operation. Unfortunately, the supply of skilled workers can hardly keep up with the country’s rapid growth.
Didactic offers relief to skilled staff shortage
Festo, the global leader in industrial training and education, was the first German company to launch training initiatives in Turkey over fifteen years ago.
Today, almost all the leading universities, technical colleges and public education institutes cooperate with the supplier of learning systems. Over 400,000 pupils and students at 450 vocational schools and universities have been trained over the last ten years. During the same period, some 20,000 technicians, engineers and teachers have attended Didactic training courses.
Our customers in the automation sector appreciate the extensive range of training courses and seminars offered for their skilled staff. There are several Didactic centres around the country. There is also strong demand for in-house training.
As Turkish plant and machine manufacturers now also produce a large volume of export-oriented goods for the global market, they have to meet strict international quality standards. In order to achieve this, they need highly skilled employees with state-of-the-art technological know-how.
New perspectives
Training requires commitment. This was the motto for a very special training programme supported by Festo over the past few years. Some 100 handicapped people were successfully trained over the course of several seminars in the field of mechatronics. Most of them immediately found employment. Three graduates are now full-time employees at Festo’s Turkish subsidiary in the field of Didactic sales, Automation sales and Human Resources.
“Mechatronics know-how is interdisciplinary and therefore eases the path into technology and a career,” enthuses Bauer. For him, knowledge transfer in all its various aspects is the key to success on the Turkish market. “We aim to continue growing faster than the sector in Turkey,” states Bauer.
