Can we get to know you?

After graduating from Sabancı University Mechatronics Engineering Department, I completed my higher education in the Department of Automation and Robotics at Dortmund Technical University in Germany. After working in different departments at Birlik Fasteners, I continue to serve as general manager, which I took over from my father. Our company was founded in 1988 and we produce special fasteners such as screws, bolts, nuts and rivets needed by the automotive suppliers’ industry, white goods, furniture and construction sectors.

How would you define a real entrepreneur, what is the most important criterion? What are the differences or similarities when compared with entrepreneurs abroad? So, what do you think is the basis of success and failure, considering the areas that entrepreneurs are heading towards?

A true entrepreneur is someone who aims to add value to society and the environment, and who puts forward their ideas creatively. By following trends, they can recognize needs and opportunities before others. Due to the nature of entrepreneurship, there are risks and uncertainties as well as opportunities. They can provide continuous development, especially by doing research in the field of technology and sectoral areas. This will help them minimize risks as much as possible. Those who can motivate themselves in the face of obstacles and adapt easily to changing conditions will achieve success more easily. One of the most important criteria is to plan your goals well in advance and to be determined in this sense, because even if you have a very good idea throughout the process, many unexpected difficulties may arise during the realization phase. Therefore, besides a good business plan, it is necessary to have a financial plan in order to manage financial resources correctly.

Entrepreneurs can find more incentives and support abroad. In countries where bureaucratic processes are easy, entrepreneurs can set up their businesses faster. At the same time, the biggest advantage of being in a region with a higher market size is the potential to reach more customer base. They have the opportunity to find investors and develop their business much faster.

The most important step towards success for entrepreneurs is to analyze the competition well while analyzing the target market and revealing creative solutions suitable for customer needs. They should head towards a market where there is no or little competition, or they should determine the methods that will make them stand out in the market. In this sense, technology and data analysis come to the fore. In addition to using technology well, building a strong team and being a leader who can motivate both herself and all members are the cornerstones of entrepreneurship. Maintaining an interdisciplinary interaction and having good communication skills are essential for the success of the team.

Currently, four generations can successfully work together in companies. Of course, there are many pluses to this, but can you tell us about the essentials for ensuring institutional efficiency and increasing intergenerational interaction?

Opinions and interpretations of different generations in business life may differ from each other. Here, only an environment with good communication can provide corporate efficiency. It is necessary to provide an environment open to new ideas where employees can freely share their thoughts. Different generations have a lot to learn from each other. We must value diversity for both personal and organizational development and appreciate everyone's contribution. We can benefit from the experience of experienced employees and the knowledge of younger generations about new technologies and trends. Especially the Human Resources Department has a great role to play in strengthening the bridge between generations. Each generation needs to be able to balance different values, behaviors and ways of doing business in a way that creates synergy. Training and development opportunities that can increase intergenerational interaction and meet the needs of different generations should be provided and competencies should be increased in this way. It should be embraced that diversity is a wealth for companies. A business environment where four generations will learn from each other and work together to create a strong ecosystem is critical to the sustainable success of the company.

Employee circulation in the young generation is very high. What do you think is the trademark of this, can you summarize? What conclusions do your observations and witnesses reveal? In which areas and how do improvements need to be made?

The younger generation has more job opportunities than previous generations. They may seek different work experiences to advance quickly in their careers and acquire new skills. They keep their doors open for new job opportunities with their constantly updated profiles on job search platforms. One of the reasons for this is that they cannot adapt to the culture of the workplace. If the values of the workplace are incompatible with their own, commitment to the workplace may not be achieved. Especially at the time of the pandemic, ensuring the balance of work and private life began to play an important role in the career choice of the new generation. While investing in the new generation's career and competencies, she also takes care to spare time for herself, family life, friends and social activities. They prefer a work environment that respects this balance.

The company must have an understanding that values its employees and supports their continuous development. A work environment should be created in which they can gain competence with trainings appropriate to their abilities and career goals. A sense of belonging also develops in a company that embraces different views, different ways of doing business and diversity.

Changing a job carries its own risks. When the expectations of the employee in the new job she entered with the hope of achieving better conditions are not met, she starts looking for a job again. It is possible to re-adjust to her new job and to start her career again from the lower steps. The constant change of employees also creates a cost for companies. Companies must realize that a different work culture is expected in order to create well-established teams from the younger generations. Companies can increase loyalty to the company by understanding the expectations and needs of the younger generation and by providing them with suitable working environments.

Do you think environmental sustainability is understood correctly in our country? How can we achieve success in this regard and how can we make improvements? What does the new generation say about this, can you summarize their perspectives?

Environmental sustainability is an issue that both the public and businesses should be aware of in terms of using and protecting natural resources and the environment to meet the needs of future generations. Although the concept of environmental sustainability has gained more importance over time in our country, it still requires more training and development.

As part of the EU Green Deal strategy, the European Union aims to become a net zero emission zone by 2050. In this context, by 2030, the EU has a target of reducing its net greenhouse gas emissions by 55% compared to 1990, which is referred to as 55 Compliance or Fit for 55. In order to finance this transformation, green finance and green central banking are emerging.

Within the framework of the common goal with the EU, Turkey also announced the Green Reconciliation Action Plan to the public. The objectives of the action plan include carbon regulations at the border, a green and circular economy, green finance, clean economic and secure energy supply, sustainable agriculture, and sustainable smart transportation. The issue that will affect our exporting companies the most is seen as the carbon regulation mechanism at the border for the specified import products. Investments and incentives for green technology and renewable energy sources are gaining momentum in this context in our country. In this way, while protecting biodiversity and ecosystem, energy costs will decrease. Improving waste management processes and promoting recycling will reduce negative impacts on the environment. Minimizing the use of plastic, using sensory or energy-efficient electric lamps, using renewable energy such as sun and wind, using rainwater harvesting and recycling systems, ecological agriculture that will protect our waters and soil, and organic farming instead of pesticides or chemical fertilizers. We can address this issue in a wide range, such as agricultural promotion and environmentally friendly transportation that will reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Awareness of everyone on this issue will also provide social transformation. Young people show their sensitivity on these issues on social media and digital platforms. In this way, they can create more information flow and awareness. They demand concrete steps from both companies and the government through joint projects. They attach importance to and support social responsibility projects and environmentally friendly projects of companies or organizations.

What does successful digital transformation mean and are we ready for it? In the simplest terms, does calling with Skype or Teams mean adapting to digital transformation? We were doing these before, what has changed and differentiated?

Businesses have to adapt to developments and technological changes in the digital transformation process. Rapid changes in the digital world are essential to increase the competitiveness of companies, so the faster and more effective we adapt to technological developments, the more successful digital transformation will be.

This transformation requires businesses to integrate digital technologies into their business processes. By using digital tools, we can increase efficiency and improve the customer experience. At the same time, we can ensure that we are in an advantageous position in reaching new markets. By analyzing data, we can optimize business processes at critical points. We can use smart sensors to reduce operational costs, and we can track production instantly with the internet of things. We can increase efficiency in resource use.

One of the biggest advantages of digital transformation is the support of data-driven decision making. We can make data-driven decisions using big data analysis and artificial intelligence technologies. In this way, the strategic management and performance of enterprises can be improved.

Significant progress has been made in the field of digital transformation in Turkey in recent years. Providing fiber optic infrastructure, widespread use of broadband internet, cloud information technology are the most fundamental factors of digital transformation and although Turkey has taken important steps in this regard, it needs further development. In order to use these technologies effectively, we will need more qualified human resources and employees with digital skills. We need to go a long way in the integration of digital technologies and the development of digital skills in the education system in Turkey. With the spread of digital transformation, the issue of digital security and data protection is also important.

In order for us to approach the 2030 EU Digital targets, a suitable investment environment must be created. Incentives need to be increased in order for digital services to become widespread in different sectors. Data security, protection of personal data and legal regulations on these issues are required. In addition, it is important for the public and private sectors to work together, to overcome the bureaucratic processes quickly, to accelerate digital transformation and to use resources more efficiently.

We take advantage of all the possibilities of the digital age, we come face to face with Metaverse, Metaverse now brings us even closer. What is the trend of young people against the Metaverse? What are the advantages and disadvantages of working in an industrial company that focuses on digital transformation?

Metaverse is a digital platform where the virtual world and real life are brought together. With Metaverse, we can access virtual events, social interactions and other digital opportunities. With augmented reality technology, there are opportunities for entertainment, communication and business establishment in 3D virtual environments. It offers young people the opportunity to make new connections by offering different social interactions from real life. In games created with virtual reality, people create their own characters and exhibit a virtual existence in the digital world. It allows art-related people to create digital design and content. We can visit these works of art in virtual exhibitions and virtual museums. It brings business opportunities such as e-commerce and digital marketing in the virtual world. It can also bring the instructors and students together with virtual reality on the same platform by transferring the education processes to the digital environment. By bringing industry and art to the same environment, it enables creative ideas to emerge.

Thanks to digital transformation, real-time data can be collected through sensors, so resources can be used more efficiently. It is possible to increase productivity in the production line by preventing maintenance and malfunctions and by intervening instantly in production. At the same time, energy efficiency and sustainability can be supported by systems that protect the environment. Digital transformation can be achieved with applications such as optimizing production processes with data analytics. The digital transformation process brings some challenges along with its benefits. Issues such as technology investments, personnel training, security and privacy come at a separate cost to companies. As employees embrace digital transformation and adapt to the process, decisions can be made more informed and companies can gain competitive advantage.

How did reasons such as wars, opposing power balances, scarcity-water problem or the pandemic affecting the world change the future? How do you evaluate the future?

Especially during the pandemic period, technological transformation accelerated. Employees tried to run their jobs with remote access, and the use of technology in companies became more common in this period. The importance of digital transformation required for Education 4.0 was realized. Smart boards, projectors and 3D printers are now more common in classrooms. Students can easily download the application to their phones or access their lessons over the web and watch the videos of their lessons with uninterrupted and unlimited access. They can install e-books and all downloadable resources on their devices. They can continue their education without time and place restrictions.

In the field of health, it has also ensured that preparations and measures are taken against possible pandemics or other health crises that may occur in the future. Leveraging more effective healthcare infrastructures, medical research and technologies to combat epidemics has impacted the transformation of healthcare. International opposing forces and conflicts can shake all other states in the world economically, healthily and culturally. While the social dynamics of countries change with migration, it is important that infrastructures are prepared on issues such as employment, health and education. Economic sanctions, trade restrictions or embargoes are a problem not only in the war zone but also in other countries. The production of products imported from the relevant countries is interrupted and there are breaks in the supply chain. For example, difficulties in food and energy supply can lead to a crisis all over the world.

We see the impact of climate change on our natural resources. Access to water and clean food must be made possible for future generations. We can protect our lands and water resources with sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions.

All these developments, globalization and the abundance of information flow have changed the needs and expectations of the next generation. With the need for continuous learning, easy and fast access to information has become even more important. They can follow all developments quickly and announce their ideas through social networks. A generation is coming, who is sensitive to nature and the environment, human rights and equal opportunities, and has a high awareness. With their easy adaptation to technology tools, they will bring innovations to our lives both in the social field and within the scope of sustainable business models.