Source:Ekonomim  Newspaper

CHINESE INVESTORS ARE COMING TO ISTANBUL: INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN PLASTICS ON THE TABLE

The 18th PAGEV Turkish Plastics Industry Congress, which will be held on December 2, 2025, one day before Plast Eurasia Istanbul, Turkey’s largest and Europe’s most significant plastics industry fair, will shed light on the future of plastics. The 18th PAGEV Turkish Plastics Industry Congress, the most comprehensive international gathering of the Turkish plastics industry, stands out with its content focusing on raw materials, recycling, medical plastics, technology, EU green transformation policies, and international trade—positioning Türkiye as a strategic “Green Bridge” between both Europe and the Far East.

The 18th PAGEV Turkish Plastics Industry Congress, the most comprehensive international meeting of the Turkish plastics sector, is once again being held this year at Istanbul TÜYAP Palas Hotel with a record level of top-tier participation from around the world and the region. The congress will focus on the theme: “Responsible Industry with Innovation, Technology and Circular Markets: Shaping the Future of Plastics.” It will bring together leading figures from international organizations as well as important representatives from the petrochemical, finished products, recycling, and machinery sectors. With its content and panels that position Türkiye as a strategic “Green Bridge” between Europe and the Far East, the congress will host visionary discussions on the future of plastics—discussions that are expected to shape the future of the sector as well.

Chinese Investors to Explore New Opportunities

The congress will open with a speech by PAGEV and SEM Plastik Chairman of the Board Yavuz Eroğlu, and this year’s most important international guest will be Zhanjie Wang, President of the China Plastics Processing Industry Association (CPPIA). Wang will participate in a panel titled “Next-Generation Raw Materials and Circular Markets: The Chemistry of Competition, Regulation, and Green Transformation.” He will address the importance of Türkiye for Chinese investors.
In a statement shared prior to the panel, Wang said:

“While China is the world leader with 80 million tons of finished product output, Türkiye is the 6th largest producer with nearly 11 million tons. We appreciate PAGEV’s guiding and facilitating role in Türkiye–China joint investments. Last year, the delegation of Chinese machinery manufacturers who visited Türkiye upon PAGEV’s invitation signed the first joint investments. This year, we are here as Chinese finished product manufacturers to explore new export-oriented investment opportunities with our Turkish colleagues.”

Wang’s remarks once again highlight Türkiye’s rapid progress toward becoming a regional production and export hub for Chinese investors. This cooperation will be discussed in both its technical and strategic dimensions during the congress.

The moderator of the first panel of the day—where Wang will speak as a panelist—will be Kurt Kuruç, General Manager of MCC Korsini. Other speakers will include Burcu Olcay Üstüner, CEO of BAYEGAN; Dr. Frank Eisenträger, Market Development Manager of INEOS Styrolution; Fuat Şahin, Board Member of MELTEM KİMYA; Semih Tılfarlıoğlu, R&D and Business Development Director of KÖKSAN; Nicolas Menet, Plastic Recycling Business Development Manager at AXENS; Prof. Dr. Ozan Sanlı Şentürk of Istanbul Technical University; and Lorenzo Meazza, Senior Analyst at ICIS.

 

Panels to Shape the Future of Plastics

One of the fastest-growing sub-sectors of Türkiye’s plastics industry in recent years, medical plastics, will be discussed in a dedicated panel titled “Medical Plastics.” This session will offer an extensive perspective on quality, regulation, sterile production, advanced processing technologies, and global supply chains. Hon. Prof. M. Özgür Dumlu, Managing Partner of GHS Global Healthcare Services, will serve as both moderator and panelist. Other speakers will include Dr. Ali İhsan Şerbetçi, Chairman of SET MEDİKAL; Zekeriya Avşar, Chairman of ÇAPA MEDİKAL; and Philippe Mafille, Medical Business Development Manager at Husky Technologies.

Another highly significant session at the congress will be the panel titled “Smart Manufacturing: A New Era of Efficiency with Machinery Technologies, Artificial Intelligence, and Automation.” This session will analyze Türkiye’s momentum in technology investments, the integration of AI applications into the plastics machinery ecosystem, and the Industry 4.0 transformation. Speakers will include Teoman Alper Yiğit, General Manager of FANUC Türkiye; A. Kadir Topuçar, General Manager of ENGEL Türkiye; and Doğa Olgunsoy, General Manager of SPS Senur Plastic Systems.

The final panel of the day—“A New Era in the EU–Türkiye Plastics Ecosystem: Regulations, Trade Flows, and Green Transformation Strategies”—will address the EU’s new plastic taxes, recycled content mandates, and sustainability regulations. One of the focal points will be the advantages Turkish exporters will gain through the verification and certification services provided by Certiloop, a Turkish company accredited by the EU.
Moderated by Vahap Munyar, General Coordinator of Nasıl Bir Ekonomi Newspaper, the panel will feature Dr. İsmail Musab Gülaçar, Deputy Director General at the Ministry of Industry and Technology; Bernard Merkx, Chairman of the Relast Eurasia Advisory Board and Director of Greenwave Plastics; Yağmur Eroğlu, General Manager of CERTILOOP; Elif Berrak Taşyürek, Head of the EU Single Market and Green Deal Department at the Ministry of Trade; and Salih Eminoğlu, Branch Manager at the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, Department of Circular Economy and Waste Management.

The Future of Plastics in Türkiye Is Being Redefined

PAGEV Chairman of the Board Yavuz Eroğlu emphasized that this year’s congress represents the most concrete manifestation of PAGEV’s “Green Bridge” vision. He noted that a new “Türkiye Plastics Ecosystem” has emerged—one that aligns with Europe’s green regulations, builds cooperation with the production power of the Far East, and holds the potential to become an export hub for the Middle East and Africa.
Eroğlu stated that Türkiye is moving toward becoming the region’s most strategic production center, with its alignment to EU sustainability criteria, investment partnerships with major producers such as China, and rising investments in high-tech, medical plastics, and recycling.

Eroğlu concluded:

“This year, our congress demonstrates Türkiye’s rise as a strategic production hub between the EU and the Far East. We are putting the entire value chain on the table—from raw materials to recycling, from PHA miracle bio-products that return to nature, to medical technologies, smart manufacturing, and international trade regulations. Together with global experts, public authorities, academia, and industry representatives, we will carry our sector toward a more innovative, more responsible, and more circular structure.”