The chairman and four governing body members from the Machinery Exporters’ Association of Turkiye (MAIB) paid a courtesy call on APO Secretary-General Dr. Indra Pradana Singawinata at the APO Secretariat in Tokyo on 26 January to discuss cooperation opportunities with APO members to increase productivity in the machinery sector.

MAIB Chairman Kutlu Karavelioglu and delegation evaluating productivity levels in the machinery industry with APO Secretary-General Dr. Indra (far L).

MAIB Chairman Karavelioglu appreciated the opportunity to meet Secretary-General Dr. Indra and discuss potential cooperation with the Turkish machinery sector. He noted that with Turkiye’s membership in the APO, productivity levels of machinery exporters could be better measured and elevated through their involvement in its activities.

Secretary-General Dr. Indra summarized the APO’s history and functions and acknowledged the importance of Turkiye in the Asian economy in terms of the quality and cost efficiency of the products exported to Asia-Pacific countries. He also hoped that cooperation between the private sectors in Turkiye and other APO members could lead to more synergy in innovation-led productivity growth.

Chairman Karavelioglu and Deputy Chairmen Yilmaz and Agrikli explained recent MAIB projects on smart manufacturing and sustainable production, which focused on increasing productivity by 37% through reorganizing and optimizing production processes without additional investments. Secretary-General Indra was interested in sharing Turkish machinery exporters’ experiences with APO members through in-country and multicountry projects.

Secretary-General Dr. Indra and the MAIB delegation agreed that efforts for more private-sector involvement in APO activities through productivity measurement and enhancement as well as promoting productivity awareness in the region and beyond would be mutually beneficial.