How to make stuff with less energy – or, how Turkey can import less gas

This January figures were published showing that Turkish gas imports had hit an all-time high.

So the timing of the UK-Turkey Knowledge Partnership Conference at the British Consulate General in Istanbul on 17 January to examine Energy and Resource Efficiency in Manufacturing could not have been better.

Turkey is an increasingly important research and manufacturing hub.  Roche, Pfizer, Fiat, Mercedes-Benz, Huawei, Bosch, Siemens, Intel, Microsoft, ST-Ericsson and Nortel already have R&D activities here, while Ford, Fiat, Mercedes and Renault manufacture in Turkey.  But dependence on imported energy, and the resulting current account deficit, is a brake on Turkish growth.  Meanwhile the UK is a key centre of manufacturing and engineering expertise, including in energy efficiency.  UK car manufacture hit a four-year high in 2012 of 1.46m cars, with 80% exported; and British-built energy-efficient wings support 50% of the world’s large aircraft.

International collaboration in science, innovation and trade is crucial to tackle global challenges.  That’s why the UK-Turkey Knowledge Partnership, signed in 2011 to facilitate collaboration between the universities, research institutions, businesses and governments of the two countries, is so important.  At the KP Conference in Istanbul, we were delighted to welcome the Rt Hon Carwyn Jones, First Minister of Wales as an opening speaker and Professor Dame Julia King, Vice Chancellor of Aston University and the UK’s Low-Carbon Business Ambassador, as our key-note speaker.  The Conference, attended by a host of top Turkish and British academics and business people, delivered a concrete expression of practical co-operation on everything from alternative energy systems to low-carbon transport and materials, energy efficiency and manufacturing.

We look forward to further collaboration between British and Turkish institutions through the Knowledge Partnership and congratulate our Science and Innovation Network, together with their Turkish partners TUBITAK, for making the conference a resounding success.  Meanwhile I shall look with interest in the months ahead at future Turkish gas import figures and at plans to increase the share of renewable energy in Turkey from 10% now to 30% in 2023.