By K Raveendran at CeBit Eurasia, Istanbul
Deutsche Messe, organisers of CeBIT technology shows and global conferences, is keenly watching the success of Dubai’s Gitex but is for the present content with carrying on with CeBIT Eurasia Turkey as the regional edition, although the leading global technology show organizer considers Dubai as a most desirable venue.
Deuteche Messe apparently believes that Gitex is such a strong contender that there won’t be critical mass for a second technology show. CeBIT Eurasia Turkey’s jurisdiction covers the UAE and other Gulf countries as well.
‘’Dubai is a strong competitor and we do not currently have any plans to organise a Cebit event in the city, although Dubai is permanently on our scanner,’’ said Alexander Kuhnel, general manager of Deutsche Messe Worldwide. Alexander was speaking on the sidelines of CeBIT Eurasia Turkey, which opened in Istanbul.
Turkey has a strong ICT industry and is ideally placed to serve as the Middle East hub for CeBIT activities, he said. CeBIT has five major events, covering five continents. The main event is in Hannover, Germany while the regional versions are held in Bangalore, India; Sydney, Australia and Brazil, apart from CeBit Eurasia.
Turkey has one of the most dynamic ITC markets in Europe and is considered to possess high growth potential, with the ICT sector’s size expected to increase to $160 billion by 2023. The share of ICT in the national GDP is accordingly expected to increase from 2.9 percent currently to 8 percent.
The effects of digitalization are visible in all areas of Turkish life, where it is creating new business models and styles. These are among the trends that will strongly feature at the CeBIT show and global conferences.
The CeBIT show has undergone a certain transformation in keeping with the fast-changing technology scene, with the focus now being placed entirely on B2B. CeBIT is now a 100 percent business platform, including innovations and future solutions for various vertical industries such as education, e-banking, e-trade, healthcare, logistics, machinery etc, according to Murat Ozer, deputy general manager. B2C has been spun off for separate events.
This year’s excitement includes the presence of Aktifbank, an innovative bank that has no branches, as one of the key sponsors, according to Murat says. Aktifbank represents a new way of banking, which offers 9 different products, including credit and insurance, through shops and other retail outlets. Another key sponsor is SAP, which has established an Innovation Centre in Istambul, a kind of laboratory that will develop innovative solutions to meet the requirements of the Turkish market, which could also serve as models for other countries.
As the international gateway to the ICT markets of Turkey, South East Europe and the Black Sea, CeBIT Eurasia Turkey has attracted 705 exhibitors from 18 countries. These include companies from the UAE, along with China, India, Russia, South Korea and Taiwan.
This year’s CeBI Global Conferences has three main components, such as CeBIT CCTT Summit, Healthcare IT Conference and Media & Mobile Economy Summit.
