Interview With Cem Bozdağ, The New Chairman Of The Board Of Directors At TASFED

Your author (BY) interviewed with Cem Bozdağ (CB), a beloved face of the industry who was elected as the chairman of the Board of Directors of the Turkish Elevator Industrialists Federation (TASFED) this year.

BY: First of all, congratulations for being elected as the chairman of Board of Directors at TASFED. It is not easy to take over the seat after Founding President Yusuf Atik. It is obvious you need to work harder to further expand and improve the federation. What kind of projects await us in the future?

CB: On behalf of the board of directors of our Federation, I would like to thank Mr. Yusuf Atik, who was on duty before me and is currently our honorary president, for his work and support for our Federation. 

As the Board of Directors of our federation, we are analyzing the past problems of our sector in the light of the principles we have adopted. We are working on what awaits our sector and making efforts on how the international lift industry should be structured and what needs to be done to strengthen the position of the Turkish Lift Industry abroad and to make it a brand. In the light of these efforts, we hold necessary consultations with industry stakeholders. In general, we strive to take steps that will move our industry and federation forward.

BY: There are many committees in your federation. Could you tell us about these committees and the projects they will carry out in the new structure?

CB: We have established the Technical, Finance, Training, Association Development, Press and Public Relations committees and have started working. We are also working to establish a few more committees regarded as necessary.

Our committees primarily work to contribute to the sub-working groups formed by the ministry. They guide their work with the data we obtain from the meetings with associations and the opinions of industry representatives. We are making comprehensive planning regarding the 2025 event calendar and the work planned by our committees. Wit the approval of our Board of Directors, we will share these with the industry soon.

BY:In the past, excellent Academy projects have been implemented to address the qualified personnel problem, a bleeding wound in our industry. What kind of projects will you offer in terms of education?

CB: At TASFED, the importance we attach to education is evident in what we do. The fact that students started studying in the lift department of the vocational high school with the TASFED Academy that we opened in Gaziantep province is an indication of this. 

The training committee of our federation is working on topics such as how we can benefit from digitalization in the training to be given in every field of the industry, what should be done to bring new colleagues to our industry and what technical training will be offered in the missing subjects. The report we are preparing on bringing human resources into the industry will include information on comprehensive analyses and actions to be taken. We will also share it with you soon.

BY: In these days when the New Lift Operation and Maintenance Regulation is being discussed, which issues do you expect to improve the most as the Federation? What kind of suggestions have you made for the draft regulation as a federation?

CB: As the Federation, we have carried out the necessary studies regarding the drafts of new Lift Maintenance Regulation and Lift Periodical Control Regulation and notified the ministry in writing. The number of points we contribute and object to is high, so it would take a long time to mention them here.

We consider the new regulation drafts as the beginning of a process that will impact the future of our industry and embodies a tremendous change over the next two to three years. We are going through a process that requires the correct guidance of public authorities to prepare our industry for this process in the best possible way.

In the new period, companies who do business properly will move forward while the others will fall behind. On the other hand, the quality of the materials used has been gaining importance. In this period, where personnel competence, digitalization, monitoring and reporting are at the forefront, companies will undergo restructuring.

BY:We have an association population in our country. There are many associations that are not members of the Federation, which was established to be an umbrella organization in the lift and escalator industry. Do you think a unification and unity of voice will be possible in the near future?

CB: The Federation is an umbrella organization composed of associations. It has increased its power by adding the word “Türkiye” to its name. The high number of associations established in the country is actually an indicator of how much importance we give to NGOs. The main problem here is not the establishment of associations but to keep them active and functional. As a Federation, we are working with our Association Development Committee to develop our associations and make them more functional. 

As we have always said in every platform, we expect every association in this industry to join our Federation, which is the umbrella organization. The Federation belongs to the industry. Together, we can increase our power and accomplish great things. 

BY:These days, as a country, we are paying the price for wrong economic policies, high inflation and low exchange rates, which negatively affect the competitive power of the industrialists.  What are your observations and expectations on this issue?

CB: Our country is experiencing certain economic challenges in a high inflation atmosphere. These days, labor costs have increased, there is a shortage of competent personnel and international competition has become more difficult. Such conditions should be a reminder for us to go through certain transformations. The necessity of training qualified personnel rather than high-tech products, efficiency, digitalization, branding and cheap labor, etc. 

The most important issue that we should always keep in mind is that every crisis also brings along an advantage. We should focus on this and direct our companies accordingly.

BY:The Lift Symposium, which you supported and took place on the Executive Board, was recently held. How was the symposium from your perspective? 

CB: As you know, the Lift Symposium is held every two years by the Chambers of Mechanical Engineers and Electrical Engineers, and it is an organization to which we, as the Federation, attach great importance. We held meetings with industry stakeholders and exchanged opinions on both technical issues, public issues and the regulations. We keep up with new developments, make remarks on the standards and provide training. The topic of this year’s symposium was lifts and the earthquake. EN 81-77 Standard and Seismic lifts were given extensive coverage.  Other headlines covered in the symposium included digitalization, sustainability and use of AI in lifts. It was an effective and informative symposium for the industry. As the Federation, we plan to support all organizations that benefit the industry.