Adnan Dalgakıran Announces Candidacy for ISO Chairmanship

Adnan Dalgakıran announced his candidacy for the Chairmanship of the Board of Directors of the Istanbul Chamber of Industry (ISO) at a meeting attended by more than 150 people, including prominent industrialists from the business community, the heads of numerous associations and exporters’ unions, and members of the ISO Assembly. Dalgakıran also shared his vision and roadmap for the new term.

Drawing attention to the fact that the competitive conditions facing industry are being reshaped across a wide range of areas, from global trade and technology to energy and finance, Dalgakıran said they aim to transform ISO into an institution that does not wait for problems to emerge before putting them on its agenda, but instead anticipates risks and opportunities, develops solutions, and measures its performance through the results it delivers. Outlining his strategic objectives under eight main headings — Unity, Intelligence, Competitiveness, Transformation, Market, Financing, Impact and Strength — Dalgakıran said, “We are running to make ISO the strongest institution for industrialists once again. In the new term, we will measure our success not by words, but by the concrete results we deliver for our industrialists.”

Adnan Dalgakıran, candidate for the Chairmanship of the Board of Directors of the Istanbul Chamber of Industry, announced his candidacy at a widely attended meeting bringing together prominent industrialists from the business community, the heads of numerous associations and exporters’ unions, and members of the ISO Assembly. Speaking at the meeting, which brought together more than 150 participants, Dalgakıran shared ISO’s vision for the new term with the public. He stated that while Turkish industry is struggling with high costs, pressure on access to finance, weakening demand and idle capacity, it is also facing major changes in technology, artificial intelligence, the green transition and global trade. He emphasized that ISO’s role in the new term should therefore be reconsidered in line with these developments.

Dalgakıran noted that simply producing is no longer sufficient for industrialists, and said interconnected issues ranging from sales and financing to profitability, capacity utilization, competitiveness and marketing must be addressed with a new approach. He stated that what will be decisive in the new period will not only be “what is produced,” but also how it is produced, how companies compete, and how products reach the right markets.

“We Are Running to Make ISO the Strongest Institution for Industrialists Once Again”

Stating that the rules of technology, trade, energy and competition are being rewritten around the world, Dalgakıran said ISO should be an institution that prepares industrialists for these changes in advance, rather than merely following them. Dalgakıran said:  “We are running to make ISO the strongest institution for industrialists once again. We know the problems our industrialists are experiencing today. When sales weaken, production slows down; when financing becomes more expensive, investment comes to a halt; when the cost-price balance deteriorates, profitability disappears; and idle capacity erodes capital. While rising costs weaken our competitiveness, products that are not properly communicated and do not reach the right customers lose their value. This picture shows us that in the new term, ISO must prepare not only for today’s problems, but also for the conditions of tomorrow.”

“We Will Build an ISO That Identifies Problems Before They Emerge”

Emphasizing that the “ISO that anticipates and takes action” approach lies at the heart of his vision for the new term, Dalgakıran stated that the Chamber’s strength should be measured by the connection it establishes with its members and the results it delivers. Dalgakıran said: “We aim for an ISO that does not speak up after a problem has emerged, but identifies problems before they arise and takes preventive action. We will build a structure that brings every problem to the table for a solution, uses data to guide industrialists in their future decisions, follows every issue concerning industrialists in Ankara, and communicates risks and opportunities around the world to its members at exactly the right time. ISO will become the industrialist’s companion and solution partner.”

“The Election Will End, Unity Will Begin”

The first heading of the programme announced by Dalgakıran was “Unity.” Stating that differences during the election process should be left behind once the election is over, Dalgakıran said they would reduce the distance between ISO’s management, Assembly and members.

“We may be rivals in the election; in production, we are all on the same side,” Dalgakıran said, emphasizing that in the new term they would adopt an approach based on more communication, more consultation and greater collective intelligence.

Dalgakıran stated that decision-making processes would be shaped with the participation of the Assembly, professional committees, sector representatives and members. He said: “We will bring different perspectives together around the common ground of production. We will make our decisions based on up-to-date data, international benchmarks and information from the field. We will assign a responsible person and establish a timeline for every issue, and regularly monitor the outcome. We will place collective intelligence at the heart of ISO’s decision-making mechanism in a truly meaningful way.”

“Industry Radar” for Türkiye’s New Industrial Intelligence

Announcing that the “Intelligence” heading would constitute the second major pillar of the new term, Dalgakıran said they aim to establish an industry intelligence that is data-driven, continuously monitors global developments and anticipates the future.

Within this framework, Dalgakıran announced plans to establish an “Industrial Strategy and Competitiveness Center” through international partnerships. He also stated that they plan to implement the “Industry Radar” project, which will continuously monitor technological and economic transformation around the world in real time.

Dalgakıran said: “From Silicon Valley to Shenzhen, and from Seoul to Europe, we will monitor developments that are transforming industry around the world 24/7 and bring them to our industrialists. Our industrialists will see a development not after their competitors, but as early as possible. ISO will not only assess the present, but will also prepare its members for the future by reading the trends ahead.”

Dalgakıran also stated that the programme aims to map Türkiye’s industrial capacity and machinery base, make use of idle capacity and prevent the creation of unnecessary capacity.