Industrial setup in Turkey: Turning an investment project into an operational site

Many companies are now considering Turkey as a way to strengthen their industrial competitiveness, bring production closer to their markets, diversify their supply chain or create complementary manufacturing capacity near Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia and North Africa.

However, once the investment decision has been made, a new challenge begins: turning an industrial project into an operational reality.

Setting up a factory in Turkey, creating a production site, opening an industrial subsidiary, selecting a location, coordinating stakeholders, managing administrative procedures, recruiting teams, supervising works and preparing the launch of operations in the Turkish market are all stages that must be carried out in a structured manner.

Industrial establishment in Turkey is therefore not only about building a factory or purchasing equipment. It requires genuine local project management, capable of coordinating the legal, administrative, technical, HR, industrial and operational dimensions of the project.

For a business owner, industrial director or development manager, the question is no longer simply why invest in Turkey, but how to execute an industrial project effectively through to the actual start-up of the site.

Why Turkey is attracting more industrial investment

Turkey has established itself as one of the leading industrial platforms in its region. Its attractiveness is based on several factors: a diversified manufacturing base, a qualified workforce, a dense subcontracting ecosystem, strong export experience, geographic proximity to Europe and significant production capacity across many sectors.

Automotive, industrial equipment, metallurgy, plastics, technical textiles, electronics, medical devices, chemicals, food processing, packaging, defence, machinery and industrial components are among the areas in which Turkish industry has recognised expertise.

This industrial depth explains why many companies consider an industrial investment in Turkey, the creation of a production site, the opening of a factory, the establishment of an assembly unit or the development of a regional industrial platform.

Turkey can also respond to increasingly common strategic challenges: reducing dependency on distant supply chains, bringing production closer to European customers, increasing responsiveness, optimising logistics costs, diversifying geographic risks or securing production in an already structured industrial environment.

The success of an industrial project in Turkey depends above all on the quality of execution: site selection, creation of the local structure, coordination of experts, management of authorisations, supervision of works, industrial recruitment and preparation for start-up.

Managing an industrial project in Turkey after the investment decision

Once the project has been validated, the main challenge becomes coordination. An industrial establishment project involves many stakeholders at the same time: public authorities, suppliers, subcontractors, architects, design offices, engineering firms, construction companies, banks, accounting firms, lawyers, local experts, public organisations and the investor’s internal teams.

Industrial project management in Turkey consists of ensuring the consistency of all actions undertaken, monitoring deadlines, coordinating decisions and maintaining a clear view of progress. This local project management approach is particularly important for a parent company located abroad. Without an operational relay on the ground, exchanges can become cumbersome, responsibilities may become fragmented and certain administrative or technical issues may slow down the schedule.

Coordinating an industrial establishment project in Turkey therefore requires a contact person capable of acting as the link between headquarters teams, local partners, external advisers and the operational stakeholders involved in the project.

The objective is to turn an investment decision into a concrete, clear and controlled execution plan.

Creating the local structure and securing industrial authorizations

Most industrial projects require the creation of a local legal structure capable of carrying the investments, signing contracts, opening bank accounts, recruiting teams and operating the future site. Creating an industrial subsidiary in Turkey therefore involves coordinating the legal, tax, administrative and banking formalities required to launch the project.

Depending on the nature of the activity, it is also necessary to anticipate permitting issues, industrial permits, administrative authorizations, regulatory obligations and the procedures required to open or operate the site. These matters may concern authorizations related to the activity, buildings, environment, safety, technical installations, connections or operating conditions.

Proper coordination of these procedures is essential. An administrative delay, an authorization that has not been anticipated or an incomplete file can directly affect the factory launch schedule. In an industrial project, administrative execution is therefore not secondary. It determines the real ability to produce in Turkey within the expected timeframe.

Selecting the industrial site and coordinating buildings, infrastructure and equipment

The choice of industrial site is one of the most structuring decisions in an establishment project. Depending on the project’s objectives, several options may be considered: an organised industrial zone, known in Turkey as an OSB, a standard industrial zone, a free zone, acquisition of land, rental of an existing building, rehabilitation of an industrial site or construction of a new production unit.

Each option has its own advantages and constraints in terms of cost, timing, land availability, infrastructure, workforce, logistics, connections, expansion possibilities and access to certain incentive schemes. An organised industrial zone in Turkey can, for example, offer an already structured environment, with infrastructure, services, industrial proximity and an administrative framework that is better suited to certain production projects.

Once the site has been selected, the project enters a particularly demanding operational phase: coordination of the building, works, infrastructure, technical networks, utilities, layout and equipment required for production start-up. Building a factory in Turkey, fitting out an existing site or bringing an industrial building into operation requires the synchronisation of numerous workstreams: plans, quotations, tenders, suppliers, subcontractors, delivery schedules, industrial equipment, materials, safety, compliance and site preparation. This stage largely determines the quality of the future launch.

Recruiting teams and preparing the factory launch in Turkey

An industrial site cannot operate without a suitable human organisation. Recruiting teams in Turkey is therefore a key stage of the project. It may involve site management, production managers, maintenance, quality, supply chain, administration, finance, HR, purchasing, technicians, operators or support functions. This phase often requires the definition of the target organisation chart, preparation of job descriptions, publication of job ads, identification of candidates, coordination of interviews and support in building the first teams.

However, launching a factory in Turkey also requires preparing internal procedures, management tools, supplier relationships, administrative flows, operating rules, logistics needs and the first operational cycles.

The objective is to move gradually from a productive investment project to an industrial organisation capable of functioning. The first few months are often decisive: stabilising teams, adjusting processes, resolving bottlenecks, ramping up production, ensuring operational compliance and securing the first flows. A successful industrial establishment is therefore not measured solely by the delivery of the site, but by its ability to produce, deliver, recruit, manage its obligations and operate in line with the objectives set.

Advantis supports companies with industrial establishment projects in Turkey

For more than twenty years, Advantis has supported SMEs, mid-sized companies, industrial groups and international investors in the implementation of their industrial establishment projects in Turkey.

Our teams act as the local project coordinator to manage the different execution phases: creation of the local structure, coordination of experts and partners, follow-up of administrative procedures, management of tenders, selection of service providers, coordination of infrastructure, monitoring of authorisations, support for industrial recruitment and assistance with the operational launch of the site. Our role is to turn an industrial investment decision into a project that is effectively executed, coordinated and operational, while reducing the project management burden borne by the parent company.

The objective is to enable companies to develop industrial activity in Turkey under secure, structured conditions adapted to realities on the ground, from the investment decision through to the actual start-up of the industrial site.