The Defence Industry Symposium 2022, held under the theme “Localization Activities in the Light of Academic Studies”, was organized by the Chamber of Mechanical Engineers (MMO) with the support of the Ministry of National Defence (MSB) and the Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB). Hosted in Kayseri’s Erciyes Cultural Center, the event gathered 20,000 visitors, 54 exhibition stands, and 500+ B2B meetings, bringing together academia, industry, and public institutions within Türkiye’s defence ecosystem.

Across three days, the symposium featured:

16 sessions and 52 academic papers,

59 technical presentations covering localization, R&D, quality assurance, SIA agreements, and patent processes,

Panels with key executives from TUSAŞ, TEI, ASELSAN, ROKETSAN, ASFAT, TÜBİTAK SAGE, Airbus, and ASPİLSAN, highlighting national production and innovation efforts.

The symposium emphasized the need for qualified human resources, university–industry cooperation, national certification systems, and expanded local manufacturing capacity.

As a major outcome, the event accelerated the re-establishment of TOMTAŞ, Türkiye’s historical aircraft factory, as a joint initiative between TUSAŞ, ASFAT, and Erciyes Technopark.

Defence Industry Symposium 2022 stands as a milestone event advancing Türkiye’s independent defence production, innovation, and industrial collaboration.