Turkey must digitally transform its industry: Development minister
ANKARA - Anadolu Agency
Turkey should digitally transform its industry to boost competitiveness, Development Minister Lütfi Elvan said on Feb. 22.
Speaking to state-run Anadolu Agency, Elvan noted that many big companies in the world do not have large buildings and factories but are still able to create more added value than factories with thousands of workers.
“We must realize the industry’s digital transformation to boost our competitive power,” Elvan said.
He noted that new technologies and the use of big data enabled people to better understand what products are in demand and what particular markets request what kind of products.
“Many huge companies in the world don’t have big buildings and factories but they create more added value than factories where tens of thousands of people work. So we should certainly realize the industry’s digital transformation to boost our competitive power,” Elvan said.
“First of all our current industrial plants should be transformed. Secondly, any new plants that are established should have an infrastructure that enables digital transformation in industry,” he added.
The minister also pointed out the importance of qualified people, arguing that the digital transformation in industry would be realized by humans despite advances in artificial intelligence.
“Robots will play an increasingly large role in production in the near future. This transformation will not increase unemployment if a qualified workforce can be formed,” Elvan said.
“We should organize more training programs to train more qualified people. Departments in Turkish universities should be transformed and diversified accordingly,” he added.
