Alstom, a French-based producer of rolling stock, announced the launch of Teknopark Istanbul Centre, its first engineering centre in Turkey, which will focus on railway signalling.
The engineering centre is designed to better manage customer demands and enhance local content while offering real-time assistance to projects in Turkey.
The regional facility is part of Alstom‘s localisation plan, which aims to build crucial expertise in the country while developing a local pool of highly trained engineers in charge of important signalling technologies, such as interlockings, Automatic Train Control and the European Train Control System.
Alstom’s new engineering centre is part of the company’s worldwide service hub and includes a real laboratory for software testing in collaboration with Alstom’s laboratories in Madrid and Rome.
The expanded education system makes it possible for a skilled labour pool to satisfy business requirements.
The number of university graduates climbed from 248,310 in 2002 to 1,112,747 in 2021, according to research on a skilled and competitive workforce by the investment office of the Republic of Turkey.
Boris Symchowicz, VP of signalling and infrastructure for the AMECA region at Alstom, said: “We are thrilled to continue our longstanding partnership with Türkiye by opening a new engineering centre in the country. This move not only provides meaningful train and hire opportunities for talents but also strengthens our capacity to better serve our customers in Türkiye and beyond.”
Alstom is a key player in rail transport infrastructure in Turkey, with activities starting in the 1950s, as the global manufacturer has provided over 1,200 jobs in the region.
Alstom Türkiye managing director Volkan Karakilinc said: “Türkiye has been home to Alstom for over 70 years and we are thrilled to establish a new engineering centre as a cornerstone of our efforts to expand mobility innovation in Türkiye and beyond.
“Alstom is committed to continuing to invest in the country, as we see Türkiye as an important partner with great ambitions to be a leading country in smart and sustainable mobility.”
The rising economy presents profitable infrastructure investment prospects, according to studies from the investment office of the Republic of Turkey.
The studies said that “between 1986 and 2022, contracts for 262 Public-Private Sector Partnership projects with a total value of $184bn were signed”, demonstrating Turkey’s growth.
Alstom is advancing both the development of the nation’s rail infrastructure as well as the EU’s objective for sustainable mobility by investing in a new engineering facility in Turkey.
Alstom’s new facility will foster regional proficiency in cutting-edge signalling technologies, which are essential for the effective and secure operation of rail networks whilst supporting the promotion of rail as a sustainable form of transportation.