OSS Association Brings the Industry Together with Turkey's First Aftermarket Summit

AFM23, Turkey's first and only Aftermarket Summit, hosted approximately 500 participants. Organized by the Automotive Aftermarket Products and Services Association (OSS), the summit was attended by manufacturers, suppliers, distributors and independent services, as well as global stakeholders and leading names of the industry. Speaking at the opening of the 7-session summit, OSS President Ziya Ozalp said, "The upward trend in the sector continued in 2023. As OSS with 250 members, we continue to keep the risks and opportunities that may arise with the electric vehicle transformation and its possible reflections in the supply chain on our agenda, which is also on the main agenda of our umbrella association FIGIEFA, which we represent as one of the 8 board members and the only non-EU country."

Steven Young, Member of the Board of Directors of DEIK, one of the remarkable names of AFM23, made a detailed presentation about what awaits the automotive industry in the journey to 2050. Steven Young said, "We need to focus on the future with the same speed as in the past," and added, "When we talk about the future, the terms and the way of doing business used to be automotive technology in the automotive industry. But not anymore. We are talking about smart mobility. In the new era, developing countries will come to the forefront. On the energy side, the use of hydrogen in passenger cars and light commercial vehicles will accelerate. Making good products in no way guarantees your success in competition. From now on, the competition will be between business models. In other words, it is very important that we can offer a good product to the customer with a good service package."

The Automotive Aftermarket Products and Services Association (OSS) completed Turkey's first Aftermarket Summit with great success. At the summit, which was held with the intense interest and wide participation of all stakeholders of the sector with approximately 500 participants, the reflections of the radical change in the automotive industry on the aftermarket and the solutions to the problems and problems faced by the sector were discussed. At the AFM23 summit organized over 7 sessions, important names from each other made detailed presentations on the future of the sector and how to adapt to the change in the automotive industry. It was emphasized that all the income obtained within the scope of AFM23 will be donated to the earthquake region.

We continue to stay positive for the sector!

Speaking at the opening of the summit, OSS Chairman Ziya Özalp said, "Our OSS Association was founded in 1995 to contribute to the development and growth of the Automotive After Sales Sector in our country. As of today, we are entering our 28th year. We are also a member of FIGIEFA, which operates in the international arena in this field. With Turkey's first Aftermarket Summit, which we are organizing for the first time as of today, we aim to discuss the problems and new trends of the sector and to improve the communication of every player of our sector with each other. The Aftermarket Summit, which we aim to make traditional, will be an important part of our efforts for the development of our industry. We can only increase the development of our industry together, just like today. Our number of members has reached 250 today on this path that we are moving forward by adding polyphony to our internal voice." Stating that the sector is going through a serious test in the global arena as well as the challenging national agenda, Ziya Özalp said, "After the pandemic that forced the sector, the earthquakes on February 6 hurt us as well as all of Turkey. We will continue to extend our hand to the region. We have to be hopeful and give hope to the sector and the world. As aftermarket manufacturers and distributors, we continue to remain positive on behalf of the sector." Emphasizing that the structural change in the automobile industry continued its upward trend in 2023 despite all global and national uncertainties and unpredictable realities such as the pandemic, OSS President Ziya Özalp continued as follows: "Sales figures, exports and employment figures are 'tangible' proofs of this. As OSS, we continue to keep the risks and opportunities that may arise with the electric vehicle transformation and its possible reflections in the supply chain on our agenda, which is also on the main agenda of our umbrella association FIGIEFA, which we represent as one of the 8 board members and the only non-EU country" he said.

Over 65 will open great areas for the business world!

DEIK Board Member Steven Young, one of the remarkable names of the summit, made a detailed presentation on "What will change in the journey to 2050" and answered the questions of the sector representatives. Emphasizing that 4 main issues will stand out in the journey to 2050: connectivity, second urbanization, demographic energy and climate, Steven Young said, "The number of smart devices will increase to 55 billion and this will increase very rapidly. By 2050, most of the world's population will prefer to live in big cities, which will be a major test for infrastructure in cities. It is also predicted that the 65 and over age group will grow 2 times more than other age groups. This will open up tremendous new areas for the business world. Our traditional sectors may find it difficult to attract new talents, young talents and this may cause gaps in the coming years. It will also affect cost balances. Therefore, as companies, we need to make ourselves attractive employers that appeal to the Y generation. In this sense, from the physical environment of the company to gender equality, this is very important. We need to give importance to this." Stating that energy and climate problems have started to be experienced today, Steven Young noted that the world will need more energy and more clean water and fresh water in 2030.

Follow India closely!

"We need to focus on the future with the same speed as we did in the past," said Steven Young, Member of the Board of Directors of DEIK: "When we talk about the future, the terms and the way of doing business used to be automotive technology in the automotive industry. But not anymore. We are talking about smart mobility. In 2020, the internet of things sector had already created a 250 billion dollar sector and it is growing rapidly. By 2030, 15 trillion dollars will be invested in this sector. The software center of the world is shifting beyond Silicon Valley to India. There is a tremendous investment in India. Pay attention and follow India. It will grow very fast. On the other hand, investments in developing countries, economic activity and consumption there are increasing. With this, local brands are starting to emerge from those regions. Especially the pandemic has taught this to the whole world as a lesson. Now the supply chain will be more localized. It is the middle classes that revitalize economies. Therefore, we see here that the population is predominantly in developing countries. A person moving from low income to middle income will have purchasing power that they did not have before. And maybe they will buy a vehicle for the first time. In this sense, economies will start to revive. But where will this happen? It will not happen in developed countries. It will happen in developing regions and countries. Africa is one of them. The Far East is another region."

The breaking point in hydrogen is 2030!

Stating that hydrogen will be one of the main change trends in the mobility of the future, Young said: "We are currently seeing it in heavy vehicles, it is being tested intensively. It is slowly becoming commercialized. But our prediction is that 2030 will be a breaking point. At the moment, there are still studies on unit costs and safety. When hydrogen spreads to passenger cars and light commercial vehicles, it will continue rapidly. What is the advantage? You can benefit from the existing infrastructure. You can fill the tank for 3 minutes and have a range of 1000 kilometers and zero emission from end to end. "Pointing out that competition is no longer just between products, Steven Young said, "Making good products does not guarantee your success in competition in any way. From now on, the competition will be between business models. In other words, it is very important that we can offer a good product to the customer with a good service package. If you look at the Fortune 500 list and compare 2000 and 2020, you will see that 52 percent of the companies are not there. They are not just not on the list, they are absent. If you look at the list published by the Istanbul Chamber of Industry, the top 1000. If you compare 2000 and 2020, you see that 41 percent of companies have disappeared. Change, speed and disruptive change, of course, agility is in this."

Mobility ecosystem was discussed!

Among the speakers of the Aftermarket Summit organized by OSS Association, Muhammed Ziya Ağbektaş, AYD Automotive Turkey Sales Manager, Domenico David Adamo, AYD Automotive Global Business Development Manager, Selami Tülümen, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Dinamik Otomotiv, Berrak Kutsoy, Corporate Communications Director of Esas Holding, Tomasz Bialach, Commercial Director of INTERCARS, Serra Titiz, Founder of Future is Clearer Youth Platform, Bora Gümüş, General Manager of MAHLE Turkey, Cemal Çobanoğlu, Automotive Aftermarket Director of Mann+Hummel Turkey, Martaş Automotive Spare Parts Tic. And San. A.Ş. Digital Transformation Director Serkan Kandemir, Messe Frankfurt Brand Manager Michael Johannes, NTT DATA Business Solutions Turkey Sales Director Emir Serpicioğlu, Dynamic Technologies Sales Manager Pınar Özer, OSS Balancing at Work Working Group Member and KAGİDER Executive Board Member Beylem Leblebici Birsen, OSS Balancing at Work Working Group Member Erdem Carikci and Ucel Kaucuk General Manager Mehmet Mutlu.

In the Future Mobility Session titled New Service World and Mobility Ecosystem, Bakırcı Group CEO Mehmet Karakoc, Turkey, Iran and Middle East Bosch Automotive Spare Parts Business Unit Services Channel Marketing Manager Cem Güven, Euromaster Operations Director Tegin Akyürek and Stellantis Parts and Service General Manager Mehmet Akin made evaluations. Following the "Social Success Story" special presentation by M. Sani Şener, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of TAV Airports and Chairman of the Board of Directors of TAV Construction, the summit was closed with the address of Ali Ozcete, Secretary General of OSS.