Logistics leaders’ message to young people: “Catch the change”

The “Log X Talks 2” event, organized by the Logistics Club of Istanbul Medipol University, was held at the South Campus Conference Hall. Leading figures in the logistics sector shared current developments and future predictions with the students at the event. The event was attended by Hakan Arıkan, General Manager of EU / OMNILOG and TRUKKER Board Member, Nükhet Işıkoğlu, General Manager of Railway Transportation Association, Ayfer Vurgun, UTIKAD Board Member, Kaan Donyağı, Regional Director of Barsan Global Logistics, Munira Asimi, General Coordinator of Efe Group Logistics, and Kadir Ören, FedEx Customs Manager.

ARIKAN: COMPANIES THAT CANNOT SEE CHANGE WILL PERISH 
In his speech, EU/OMNILOG General Manager and TRUKKER Board Member Hakan Arıkan emphasized the importance of digitalization and the sharing economy in the logistics sector. Arıkan discussed the trends affecting the world and explained the effects of urbanization and digital transformation on the logistics sector. Arıkan said: “Urbanization is a topic that is on the agenda not only of Türkiye but of the entire world. Today, 60 percent of the world’s population lives in cities, and logistics processes are directly affected.” Emphasizing that technological developments increase competition in the business world, Arıkan stated that companies that cannot keep up with change are being wiped out of the market and said: “Most of the largest companies in the world today did not exist 20-30 years ago. Companies that cannot see the change and cannot focus on the real needs of the customer are being wiped out from the market, as in the case of Nokia.” At the end of his speech, Arıkan gave advice to students, stating that they should follow technological innovations closely: “Innovations such as artificial intelligence are rapidly changing the world. Even the biggest companies of today may be replaced by new initiatives in a few years. The important thing is to be part of the change and to adapt to this change.”

IŞIKOGLU: RAIL TRANSPORT IS INDISPENSABLE FOR THE GLOBAL ECONOMY 
Nükhet Işıkoğlu, General Manager of the Railway Transportation Association, delivered a presentation on the strategic role of railway transportation in the logistics sector. Emphasizing the contribution of railway transportation to the global economy in her speech, Işıkoğlu said: “Railway transportation is a vast logistics network that enables the fast, safe, and sustainable movement of goods. For this reason, it has become one of the most strategic elements of global trade.” Işıkoğlu also touched upon the opportunities offered by Türkiye’s logistics location, stating that the country could play an active role not only between the West and the East, but also on the North-South line. Işıkoğlu said: “Türkiye’s location at the center of important trade lines such as the Black Sea region, Central Asia, and the Mediterranean basin could enable it to become more powerful in the logistics sector.” Emphasizing that railway transportation provides efficiency in logistics processes, Işıkoğlu drew attention to the advantages of railway and said: “It provides fast and uninterrupted transportation of goods between the port and inland regions, saves time and costs in transportation processes, and increases efficiency in container transportation.” Addressing the logistics students at the end of her presentation, Işıkoğlu concluded as follows: “It is of great importance for you to understand the critical role of ports and railways in trade and sustainability. You need to develop awareness in order to make these systems more efficient and environmentally friendly in the future.”