Bursa Leather Specialization and Mixed OIZ[1] (BURSA DİKOSAB) closed 2021 with growth, but aims to increase the tanning capacity of leathers to 500 tons. The OIZ will have an area of 355 hectares. DİKOSAB will expand the effluent treatment plant and open a solar power plant. Background: Footwearbiz data from Turkey shows leather sector export values of more than $1.75 billion in 2021, an increase of 29% over the previous year.
[1] Organized industrial zone
The Turkish leather industry
Official data from Turkey show export values of the leather sector of more than $1.75 billion in 2021, an increase of 29% compared to the previous year.
Footwear accounts for $1 billion in exports, finished leather $270 million, leather goods $240 million, and leather clothing $200 million.
Italy is the main export market, with 98 million dollars. Then come Spain, $87 million, the UK, $72 million, the US, $67 million and France $63 million, rounding out the shortlist of the five major customers.
BURSA DİKOSAB
The OIZ (Industrial Zone) of Bursa is one of the main industrial zones of Turkey, it will continue its growth in 2022. With the advantages it offers, BURSA DIKOSAB has managed to incorporate more and more companies every day, bringing the number of its plants to 91. At the same time, the 15 plants under construction are expected to start production in 2022. Operating on an area of 177 hectares, the region will produce on an area of 355 hectares with the addition of the new expansion area. Vice President Serdar Faik Pala, says that both companies and employees will increase, because the overall leather processing capacity will increase from 350 tons of leather to 500 tons in 2022. In addition, the daily capacity of the wastewater treatment plant will increase, from 8 thousand cubic meters to 15 thousand cubic meters. Pala noted that the solar plant (GES) project will also be implemented in the coming period.
Q: How was 2021?
A: Creating significant added value not only for Bursa but also for Turkey; spent 2021 growing. Our capabilities have increased compared to the past. New entrepreneurs came and new businesses opened. We have also acquired a new region. Therefore, we will have an area of 355 hectares. We are currently on an area of 177 hectares, but this area will increase.
Q: How is the sectoral distribution of companies operating in the OIZ?
A: There are not only leather processing facilities in BURSA DİKOSAB. In addition, there are factories of related sectors. There are chemical plants, factories where we obtain amino acids from leather, warehouses of raw leather, "gelatin" plants obtained from leather and used in the food industry. We host the production facilities of many industries indirectly related to leather processing.
Q: Can an urbanization begin around the OIZ, with the increase in the number of factories and employees?
A: We think that after a while there will be a need for housing in our region. As a board of directors and businessmen, we have anticipated this possibility. Our population will increase thanks to the expansion of TEKNOSAB, TOSAB and DİKOSAB in this region. Therefore, nearby, a residential area designed by the municipality will arise. In 2022 these works will also gain speed.
Q: Do you think the leather industry is the place it deserves in Turkey? Will it develop further?
A: In the world, Italy is number one. This is because the discoveries of fashion and branding in Italy are very strong. Leather produced in Turkey ranks second in the world after Italy in terms of quality. Our quality is increasing day by day. I am sure that we will reach better points in the world thanks to the development of technology, the increase in knowledge and the increase in professional initiatives related to branding. The leathers we produce are currently exported abroad as shoes and bags. Around the world, private organizations receive state support in branding. We also receive these supports and there are new initiatives in terms of branding.
Q: What was the daily production volume in BURSA DİKOSAB?
A: In this sense, Bursa reached the first place in Turkey. Every day in our OIZ 350 tons of leather are tanned. Our goal is to reach 500 tons per day. Export data is increasing day by day.
Q: Has the pandemic had any negative effects?
A: As in every sector of the world, the negative effects of the pandemic have also been felt in the leather sector. Production volumes decreased by up to 30 percent, but we had taken our precautions and were prepared. We have worked hard to adopt sanitary measures in all factories and workshops in our region. We have taken all hygiene measures so that employees can stay away from Covid-19. We have constantly monitored these measures. Therefore, there were no significant problems in terms of the health of employees and workplaces. At the moment I can say that the factories in the area have reached their old capabilities.
Q: Do you foresee a technical and professional high school for the leather industry?
A: This issue is very important to us. New technological developments are being tested day after day, research and development studios quickly continue to search for new products. To keep up with these developments, it is necessary to train skilled workers. Engineers are growing at Ege University. However, we continue our negotiations with the Directorate of National Education for the establishment of a high school in order to train a skilled workforce. We also have an area reserved for this school.
Q: Could you provide some information on the application of the pilot area where the Bursa leather specialization and the mixed OIZ were selected?
A: We participate in studies carried out to prevent air, water and soil pollution in the leather processing industry. As Bursa Leather Specialization and Mixed OIZ, we were declared a pilot region in December 2020. We aim to present the Best Available Techniques Guide (BAT). For this reason it was decided to conduct a pilot project at the facilities within our OIZ. The opinion of our Regional Directorate on the subject was reported to the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization and our region was designated as a pilot region on December 22, 2020. In this context, our work in the context of a more sustainable production continues under the responsibility of the Ministry.
What are BURSA DIKOSAB's goals for 2022?
A: Our main plan for BURSA DİKOSAB will be to develop and expand our waste treatment facility. We have been selected as a pilot region by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization. Together with the undersecretaries of the ministry, we determined the criteria. We also held meetings with our industrialists about the wastewater treatment plant. We currently have a plant with a capacity of 8,000 cubic meters per day, which purifies wastewater from physical, chemical and biological waste. We plan to increase this capacity to 15 thousand cubic meters per day. Infrastructure work is currently underway. It will be designed and implemented by a joint decision. We will focus on this activity in 2022. On the other hand, we supply electricity to our industrialists in the OIZ. However, in the future, we will start producing electricity using solar energy.
