Our Elevator Industry is Ready for the Global Market

The novel coronavirus, which spread to the whole world after a soup drunk in China, again proved that the world is a global village. Population movements between the countries and the commercial activities increased the spread rate of the virus and affected the whole world. While some part of the population became ill because of the virus, the other part changed its daily routine to be protected from it.

While this virus affected human life at the micro level, it affected business organizations at a medium level and the economic conditions of the countries and international organization at a macro level. Countries that make efforts for getting through the process with less damage had to plan their industrial production to meet their needs primarily. Therefore, this process revealed the importance of national and domestic production, especially in the health industry, once again.

One of the industries that has strategic importance in providing competitive advantage to Turkey in terms or national and domestic production is the elevator industry. Our elevator manufacturers have the competence and power to compete in the global market. In other words, our industry is ready for the global market. However, a change process is required to accelerate this transformation. In general terms, our elevator manufacturers are successful in local scale and family business is remarkable. The evolution of this structure into a sustainable management approach is highly required for being prepared for the global market. Technology and productivity oriented production will accelerate the development process of business organizations and the industry. High value-added production, which is one of the priorities of our Ministry, will also contribute to the national economy through providing advantage in global competition for the elevator industry.

Non-governmental organizations also have the potential to trigger the development of the industry. In terms of global competition, collaboration and creating a joint brand for Turkey can be achieved under the guidance of non-governmental organizations in elevator industry. The fact that the companies in the industry manufacture different components is a positive data as it indicates that our production capacity covers a wide spectrum. Therefore, our production meets the needs of the whole industry. Through gathering under one single roof, production of different components will pave the way to a national brand, and this joint production will show its power in the global market.

Until now, we have emphasized the responsibilities of the industrialists. The public part of the business is prosecuted by our Ministry. Our Ministry determines the strategic industries in order to carry out the efforts considering the policies for the industry within a plan. These industries are determined based on being open to development and global competition. The production of elevators and their components have been determined to be a strategic industry by our Ministry. In this way, priority will be given in terms of providing public support. Elevator manufacturers will have convenience in loan and grant applications. Our Ministry and Istanbul Provincial Directorate are continuously in touch with the elevator industry. Being selected a strategic industry is also an indicator that the industry is open to new developments every day.

Our Ministry is the authority that draws the frame of the inspections that should be carried out for the elevator industry. In terms of the legal framework, protecting the safety of life and property; protecting the environment; preventing unfair competition within the market; helping to increase the quality and reliability level of our country’s products in the global market; preventing the entry of products that do not comply with the legislation of the country; and protecting domestic manufacturers and the national economy are the main objectives. Some arrangements are made with various directives under the scope of these objectives:

• Essential health and safety requirements that the elevators and their safety devices should meet, conditions required for putting these products on the market and market surveillance principles are determined.
• Procedures and principles about the periodic control of elevators and the procedures and principles about the authorization, obligations and inspections of Type-A inspection bodies that will take part in the periodic controls of elevators are determined.
• The rules about the registration, operation, maintenance, warranty and after-sales services of the elevators that are used for the transportation of the passengers, passengers and goods and only goods in a way that does not threaten the safety of life and property and protects the nature, inspection of the services and the improvement of the existing elevators are determined.
• Procedures and principles for market surveillance and inspection of the elevators, which are used for the transportation of the passengers, passengers and goods and only goods, are determined.

The above-mentioned regulations emphasize the importance that our Ministry attaches to inspection of the industry. In Market Surveillance and Inspection Directive,

“Product Safety” is emphasized (as a result of paying attention to the feedback received about the previous directives). Paying attention to product safety was required. Another important issue is that market surveillance activities for elevators will be carried out within the warranty period.

As in other provincial organizations of our Ministry, Istanbul Provincial Directorate is also in close interaction with the elevator representative. We hold regular meetings in cooperation with the associations that represent the industry. We have arranged meetings with TASIAD and AYSAD whenever a directive change takes place. We still carry our studies about the subject.

In 2020, we visited the elevator manufacturers with a committee consisting of the representatives of our Provincial Directorate and TASIAD. These visits allowed us to observe the production processes onsite and to listen to the problems of the business organizations, all of which is very important for all parties. The studies carried out by the government were also shared through these visits. Although these visits were interrupted due to the spread of COVID-19, our visits to the manufacturers will continue with the normalization process.

Additionally, we carry out quarterly meetings with the Type-A Inspection Bodies, authorized by our Ministry, where problems experienced onsite and solution proposals are discussed. Our target is to make all the elevators in Istanbul secure.

In 2020, our Ministry signed protocols with the electricity distribution companies on the Asian and Anatolian sides of Istanbul in order to reach the current number of elevators in the city. We received information about approximately 250,000 elevators in 2020. The activity still continues.   

Our Provincial Directorate plays an active role in elevator inspections. At the inspections, which start with Ministry instructions or applications made by citizens, both elevator safety and the competence of the maintenance company is inspected. Our purpose is to ensure the safe use of all elevators in our city.

In line with the priorities of our Ministry, our Provincial Directorate works continuously in order to protect safety of life property, make improvements in the elevator industry, increase the export share of the industry and prepare it for the global market by providing necessary support. We are open to cooperate with non-governmental organizations, industrialists and universities. We support all attempts that will pave the way for Turkey.