Turkish marine industry, today and tomorrow

Abstract

In parallel to the contraction in the global shipbuilding industry due to the 2007/2008 crises, Turkish shipbuilding industry is also influenced adversely and suffered considerable losses. The total number of shipbuilding facilities in Turkey is 145, out of which 99 are shipyards with an installed shipbuilding capacity of 4.2 million DWT. In accordance of the recent studies carried out by Turkish Shipbuilders Association, currently only 93 of shipbuilding facilities are in operation, out of which 57 are active shipyards and all of those facilities are currently providing around 20 000 employment, which is well below the total capacity. Due to the fact that the existing capacity of global shipping industry in the supply end will be over the real demand for the near future, Turkish shipping industry is to adjust its composition to be able to sustain its existence. New and Innovative ways to be implemented in design, construction and operation methodologies and processes of the current shipbuilding practices. EBDIG-WFSV project outcomes might be valuable to the Turkish Marine Industry in designing and building new generation marine vessels. To this end, there are also some internal initiatives to expand the R&D and innovation capacity of shipyards and design offices in Ship Building Industry. A Project Called "Ship Building Industry R&D and Innovation Capacity Developing Centre, Mentorship and Certification Program" is finalized with successful outcomes. The paper gives an overview of the Turkish Marine Industry for today and the near future. © 2015 The Royal Institution of Naval Architects.