İZKA now has a role in the management of EURADA… With its vision of “being a forerunner and effective Agency in sustainable local development”, İZKA has now achieved an international success both for İzmir and for our country. İzmir Development Agency now has a voice in the management of EURADA, the European Association of Development Agencies.

According to the new regulation accepted at the EURADA 2011 General Assembly held in Bielsko-Biala, Poland on the 17th of November 2011, regional development agencies not only from EU member countries but also EU candidate countries can also be a full member of EURADA. Our General Secretary Dr. Ergüder CAN has been elected to represent İZKA, İzmir and our country both in the management body, the Board of Directors and in the executive body, the Executive Committee of EURADA in the term 2012-2014.

Recent developments regarding the involvement of regional development agencies from the EU accession countries in the management of EURADA strengthens the views that a successful EU accession process can only be achieved starting from the local level.

Various development agencies from European countries such as Belgium, Italy, Spain and Poland will be represented in the new 13 membered Board of Directors and in the 10 membered Executive Committee of EURADA which has a total of 119 members across Europe.

General Secretary of Middle Black Sea Development Agency (OKA), Mr. Mevlüt ÖZEN will also represent OKA and our country both in the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of EURADA. Considering the geographical, economical, social and political size of Turkey, being represented in the management of EURADA by 2 development agencies for the same period of 2012-2014 is very good news for our country.

EURADA will give priority especially on strengthening the cooperation within EU enlargement countries and the third part countries and transferring more European funds to local levels in the new period. We wish success

Finn press members, who came to İzmir with the organization of Turkish Embassy Information Counselor’s Office in Helsinki for the promotion of İzmir in Finland, came together with the authorities of İzmir Development Agency (IZKA) on 15^th September 2011 for dinner which was hosted by IZKA. The managing director of Provincial Culture and Tourism Directorate of İzmir Mr. Abdülaziz EDİZ, the Secretary General of IZKA Mr. Ergüder CAN and the deputy manager of IZKA City Marketing and Foreign Relations Unit Ms. Begüm TATARİ were also present at dinner.

The promotional video of İzmir was run during dinner and İzmir omnibus as well as EXPO 2020 İzmir brochures and other promotional materials were given as gifts to guests.

The press members who have come to İzmir for the first time all stated that they were impressed a lot by the historical and cultural richness of İzmir and its smiling people. They also said they will mention about all of these characteristics of İzmir in their articles and thanked İZKA for their hospitality.

İzmir International Fair’s partner country Austria’s Commercial Attaché Mr. Christian MAIER and Austria Chamber of Commerce Neighbor Country Fairs’ Specialist Mrs. Franka WEISSENSTEINER, accompanied by Austrian company representatives visited İzmir Development Agency (IZKA) on 14th September 2011. The delegation came together with the IZKA City Marketing and Foreign Relations Unit and Investment Support Office experts and watched the presentations of İzmir and EXPO 2020. After having had an exchange of ideas about the developing of commercial relations between Austria and Turkey and being informed in detail about EXPO 2020 İzmir, the delegation invited the İZKA staff members to Austria stand which is opened in İzmir International Fair.

Fairmont Raffles Hotels International, of which Swissotel chain is an affiliate, organized a Customer Advisory Board Meeting for discussing the future of tourism sector between the dates June 30th and July 2nd, 2011. The organization, being held in different places around the world until now, has been a great opportunity for the presentation of İzmir in the European meetings and incentives market with the participation of many senior managers from international companies and travel agencies in Europe.

In this context, a presentation about the İzmir destination was made and a seven minute promotion video about İzmir was shown on July 2nd, 2011 to the Customer Advisory Board of Fairmont Raffles Hotels International by İzmir Development Agency Foreign Relations Unit Expert Begüm TATARİ.

The participants stated that they were been very much affected by the video and the presentation that they wanted to come to İzmir for holiday again. In addition, they emphasized that the number of direct flights to İzmir has to be increased for more tourists and investors to come to İzmir and for more international congresses and meetings to be organized in the city.

As part of the activity, the participants had the opportunity to visit the historical and touristic places in İzmir, such as Ephesus ancient city.

A delegation visit of the Turkish

During the visit, on 8^th of April, ‘Turkey Business and Investment Seminar’ and B2B company meetings organized by the Confederation of Danish Industrialists‘ which is Denmark’s leading institution of business world. Republic of Turkey’s Minister of Finance Mr. Mehmet Simsek gave ​​a special speech at the meeting to the representatives of 50 companies.

‘In 2023 Turkey’s economy will be one of the world’s top 10, during this period it’s very important for the investors to review the opportunities in our country and I suggest you to follow closely especially the reform process for translate the bilateral cooperations to investment partnerships. 40% of the wind turbines in the world are produced in Denmark. In energy efficiency is the first in all Europe. These are the emerging sectors in our country and cooperation possibilities exists’ he said.

Information about investment opportunities both in Turkey and İzmir was briefed to participating Danish companies who are the global leaders in information technology, marine, renewable energy, environmental technologies (low-carbon technologies), as well as healthy lifestyle products, food industry, construction / infrastructure, textile-garment. After the presentation of ‘The Republic of Turkey Prime Ministry Investment Support and Promotion Agency’ about investment opportunities in Turkey, İzmir Development Agency City Marketing and Foreign Relation Unit Coordinator Mrs. Zeynep Tansuğ who participated to the meeting as the guest of DEIK responded the questions of Danish companies about finding local partners and company matches and performed a presentation of investment opportunities in İzmir. Denmark’s leading companies Ramboll, Haldor Topsoe, COWI, Global Windpower, Vestas and Unipak asked their questions to the Minister of Finance and the representatives of the Agency.

THANKS TO FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF IZKA OUR PRODUCTION DIVERSIFIED, AND EXPORT INCREASED.

İzmir Engineering, who get machine equipment support with 50% co-financing from the SME financial support program in 2009 also attended to the delegation of DEIK. The representative of the company Mrs. Zeynep Manav said ‘In the past we were producing only for a single manufacturer. We increased our production capacity thanks to support of IZKA and now we reached the capacity of exporting. We are in Denmark for diversification of our export market and realize bilateral negotiations’.

İZKA with her vision of ”being a forerunner and effective Agency in sustainable local development with an international reputation”, is turning the historical bridges into today’s opportunities. In this context İZKA had appended its’ signature to a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Sarajevo Economical Area Development Agency SERDA. The MoU underlines a mutual collaboration in fields which cover basic activity areas of the two agencies on regional planning, sector-specific support mechanisms, fund and program management and investment incentives.

The MoU signed on 19th July 2010, Monday in SERDA office in Sarajevo is important for turning the historical bridges into economical opportunities between Turkey and Bosnia Herzegovina, especially İzmir and Sarajevo all of which carry strong ties with their historical, social and cultural connections.

Before the signing ceremony of MoU, İZKA General Secretary Dr. Ergüder CAN has presented institutional structure and activity areas of İZKA to President of Sarajevo Cantonal Assembly, Sarajevo Canton Economy Minister and to several representatives from municipalities and ministeries, to SERDA managers and staff, to directors from Province and Region City Hall and Sarajevo and Bosnia Herzegovina local and national press. After the first presentation, an introduction film that defines İzmir and İzmir’s investment facilities for seven minutes has been presented.

After the signing ceremony of MoU between İZKA and SERDA, a press conference has been held. In this conference which aroused a huge interest by Sarajevo and Bosnia Herzegovina local and national journalists and the media, representatives of the both agencies have specified that the collaboration between their agencies is going to get stronger with their deep historical, social and cultural connections. Turkey’s Sarajevo Embassy Commercial Advisor Sinan YANAZ and a commission has joined the ceremony which has been broadcasted in diverse televisions in Bosnia Herzegovina.

The same day, İZKA General Secretary Dr. Ergüder CAN and agency expert Güvenç KÜÇÜKTOK have paid a visit of courtesy to International Burch University and International Sarajevo University rectorates both of which are Turkish universities founded in Sarajevo.

Today, İZKA Commissions’ Sarajevo visit will continue with the meetings with Sarajevo Canton Assembly Chairman Denis ZVİZDİC and Canton Economics Minister Abid SARİC. After Bosna Herzegovina, İZKA commission is going to have meetings with Dubrovnik Tourism Office, Dubrovnik Port Authority and Congress Tourism Office in Croatia’s Dubrovnik city which is well known with its’ tourism incentive policies, diversified tourism, city branding and urban marketing achievements. Later, İZKA Commission is going to pass to Zagreb and have contacts with Zagreb Development Agency, Croatia Trade and Investment Promotion Agency and Zagreb Chamber of Commerce in order to introduce the province of İzmir and İZKA to their correspondants, to transfer expertise and opinions between their organisations and networking.

The result of the İZKA tender for the “Strategic Plan of City Branding of İzmir” had been announced on February 18^th, 2010. The winning bidder was the Art Grup, Wolff Olins, American World Services, TNS Global, Kita Tasarım Reklam ve Danışmanlık consortium. As the first phase of the project, researches are being conducted. The consortium is doing interviews with opinion leaders in İzmir and continuing perception analyses not only in İzmir, but also in other cities of Turkey and all around the world. Moreover, ideas about İzmir are being taken via the survey website www.izmirholiday.com. Two entrants will be awarded trips for two at Hilton İzmir, based on their answers to the last question in the survey. To take part in the competition, please click.

İzmir delegation headed by Governor of İzmir and the president of İzmir Development Agency had visited EXPO 2010 in Shanghai and involved in multilateral meetings between April 29th and May 2nd.

The delegation consisted of Izmir Development Agency Executive Board members and IZKA Experts. The delegation organized by İzmir Development Agency had spent time in EXPO field for the potential candidacy of İzmir in future EXPO organizations. The opening ceremony was led by İzmir Governor. The Consul General of Turkey to Shangay Murat Ülkü, Turkish Pavilion Commissar Sencar Özsoy, and IZKA delegation members were present during the opening ceremony.

The only Project selected in Turkey for the EXPO, in parallel with Better City, Better Life theme was the Grand channel Project implemented by İzmir Metropolitan Municipality. The stand which is located in UBPA (EXPO Urban Best Practices Area) section is expected to draw many visitors and contribute a lot to İzmir promotion.

EXPO 2010 CANDIDACY OF IZMIR IS A QUESTION MARK

The delation held a meeting with BIE Secretary General, Vicente Gonzalez Loscertales. Loscertales expressed his positive feelings for meeting with İzmir delegation and stated that he is looking forward to İzmir’s decision about bidding for 2020 organization.

Governor Kıraç invited Loscartales to national day of Turkey in EXPO and İzmir Day activities.