Organized by KFA Fuarcılık A.Ş. with the support of the Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BTSO) and the Machine Manufacturers Association (MİB), the MEEXX – Machinery and Industrial Production Technologies Fair was held at the Bursa Fair Center between 3–6 December 2025.
Hosted for the first time at the newly renovated Bursa Fair Center, MEEXX BURSA 2025 brought together all components of Türkiye’s machinery manufacturing industry and the latest production technologies, establishing itself as a new reference point for the sector.
BTSO Chairman Burkay: “The Machinery Sector Is One of Türkiye’s Most Strategic Fields”
Speaking at the opening of MEEXX BURSA 2025, BTSO Chairman İbrahim Burkay stated that the machinery sector is one of the most strategic areas for Türkiye’s technological and economic independence.
Burkay emphasized that Türkiye has become a strong manufacturing country in machinery, with 57,000 entrepreneurs and exports exceeding 28 billion dollars. However, he drew attention to the fact that a major share of Türkiye’s annual machinery imports (worth 45 billion dollars) consists of products that are already produced domestically.
Burkay said, “Producing is as critical as integrating the technology you produce with global markets. In this sense, the MEEXX Fair has created a powerful meeting ground for both our domestic companies and international buyers. With its advanced production infrastructure and qualified workforce, Bursa is one of Türkiye’s key centers in the machinery industry. I hope this fair will continue to grow and contribute to strengthening our city’s international exhibition capacity.”
MİB Chairman İğrek: “The Era of Competing Solely on Price is Over”
In his opening speech at MEEXX BURSA 2025, Machine Manufacturers Association (MİB) Chairman Fatih İğrek outlined both MİB’s position in the industry and the future vision of Türkiye’s machinery sector.
İğrek noted that MİB is the most established and representative organization of the machinery manufacturing industry in Türkiye, bringing together more than 200 leading machinery manufacturers under one roof. Representing a wide product range (from sheet metal processing machines and machine tools to compressors, gearboxes, hydraulic–pneumatic systems, and vehicle-mounted equipment) İğrek summarized the mission of MİB by saying, “We don’t just manufacture machinery; we build Türkiye’s engineering infrastructure and export it to the world.”
Türkiye Ranks 4th in Europe in Machinery Exports
Providing an overview of the sector with key figures, İğrek stated that annual machinery production exceeds 60 billion dollars, machinery exports reached 28 billion dollars in 2024, and the industry has grown approximately 14-fold compared with 2002. He noted that Türkiye ranks 13th globally and 4th in Europe in machinery exports, with a local production rate hovering around 70%, and an export unit price of 6.2 dollars—nearly three times Türkiye’s national average. Direct and indirect employment in the industry has reached 550,000 people. “These figures clearly show that machinery manufacturing is the engineering backbone of Türkiye’s economy,” he said.
İğrek highlighted recent global challenges such as shrinking demand, an economic slowdown in Europe, aggressive price competition from China and South Asia, rising energy and labor costs, and financing pressures. Despite these factors, he described the Turkish machinery industry as “one of the world’s most resilient and adaptable industrial structures.” Emphasizing that the era of competing solely on price is over, he listed Türkiye’s strategic differentiators as advanced engineering, smart and user-centered design, high efficiency and automation, advanced software and process technologies, quality, and rapid adaptation capabilities. He stated that the industry’s goal is “not to produce cheaper, but to produce smarter and more efficiently.”
Touching on digital transformation and R&D, İğrek emphasized that digital twins, robotic automation, industrial AI, sensor-based monitoring, and predictive maintenance systems have become fundamental standards for modern industry rather than luxuries. He underlined that all manufacturing structures—including SMEs—must be part of this transformation. Stressing the need for a paradigm shift in R&D, İğrek explained that Türkiye’s competitiveness depends on technical education reinforced with science, engineering, and modern curricula; university–industry collaboration; and applied training models. He added that young people must be positioned at the center of design, software, and production processes. “Quality of life and sustainable development both stem from production,” he said.
MEEXX: A Platform for Trade and Technology Partnerships
Discussing the significance of MEEXX BURSA 2025, İğrek defined the fair as a milestone for Bursa’s repositioning in machinery exhibitions and a “new beginning” for Türkiye’s machinery sector. He described MEEXX as a platform for both trade and technological partnerships, as well as a showcase for Türkiye’s ambitions in machinery and technology. Emphasizing the strength and heritage of Türkiye’s industry, the vision of its machinery sector, the talent of its engineers, and the courage of its entrepreneurs, he concluded: “Türkiye will not only be a regional but also a global power in machinery and technology production. MEEXX BURSA 2025 is a new and critical step on that journey.”
Consultation Meeting on Competitive Dynamics and Strategic Transformation
At the end of the first day of MEEXX BURSA 2025, a Consultation Meeting on Competitive Dynamics and Strategic Transformation in the Machinery Industry was held, moderated by BTSO Chairman İbrahim Burkay and attended by Deputy Minister of Industry and Technology Dr. Çetin Ali Dönmez, MAİB Board Member Ahmet Özkayan, MİB Chairman Fatih İğrek, and Ministry of Trade Department Head Mehmet Elbir.
The meeting addressed key sectoral issues such as global market contraction, aggressive pricing from China and Far Eastern countries, digital transformation, and government support mechanisms, while offering comprehensive evaluations on opportunities, new technologies, and competitive production models.
MAİB – ABIMEI Cooperation Protocol
MEEXX BURSA 2025 also served as an important platform for developing international partnerships. A cooperation protocol was signed between Türkiye’s Machinery Exporters’ Association (MAİB) and the Brazilian Association of Importers of Industrial Machinery and Equipment (ABIMEI), a leading organization in Brazil’s high-volume machinery import market.
MAİB Board Member Ahmet Özkayan stated that Brazil is becoming an increasingly important market for Türkiye: “Brazil is a giant market with machinery and equipment imports exceeding 44 billion dollars in 2024. Türkiye currently holds a small share of this market, but we have more than doubled our exports to Brazil in the last five years, surpassing 110 million dollars. Particularly in metal processing and machine tools, growth approaching seven-fold is the clearest indication of trust in Turkish machinery.” He added that the protocol offers a long-term and robust industrial cooperation vision between the two countries.
Buyer Delegation Program at MEEXX
Presented with a renewed vision this year, MEEXX BURSA 2025 created a comprehensive platform where nearly 120 companies showcased domestically developed machinery and technologies.
With a buyer delegation program involving professionals from Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia, MEEXX BURSA 2025 strengthened its position as one of the most important international meeting points for Türkiye’s machinery sector.
MEEXX BURSA 2026
Concluding successfully with a renewed vision in Bursa—the traditional meeting point of the machinery sector—MEEXX, the Fair for Sheet Metal Processing Machines, Metalworking Machine Tools, and Automation Technologies, will be held again at the Bursa Fair Center between 25–28 November 2026.