KALE CELEBRATES ITS 69TH ANNIVERSARY AND CERAMICS FESTIVAL
Kale Group celebrated its 69th anniversary at the Kaleseramik facilities as part of its traditional Ceramics Festival. The event included the opening of the Frontier R&D Center for Ceramic Technologies and the Kalesinterflex 2nd Line Expansion Investment. The program also included sports awards, seniority ceremonies, and a traditional circumcision ceremony, once again emphasizing Kale Group's 69-year-old corporate culture and sense of unity.
Kale Group celebrated its 69th anniversary with its employees, business partners, and stakeholders at the Traditional Ceramics Festival. The ceremony, held at the Kaleseramik facilities in Çan, was attended by TUBITAK President Prof. Dr. Orhan Aydın, Çanakkale city protocol officials, and representatives from the public and private sectors. During the ceremony, the Frontier R&D Center for Ceramic Technologies and the Kalesinterflex 2nd Line Expansion Investment were inaugurated, and the group's vision for technology, R&D, high value-added production, and human-centered development was shared.
Zeynep Bodur Okyay, President and CEO of Kale Group, stated that Kale's capacity to produce technology is based not only on investments but also on a culture of knowledge production and long-term investment in human resources. Emphasizing that they have never viewed R&D as just a department, Okyay said:
"You can buy technology. You can buy machinery. But you cannot buy the ability to produce knowledge. Knowledge is only produced through learning, developed through experimentation, patiently preserved, and over time transformed into corporate memory. That is why we have never seen R&D as just a department. R&D is Kale's way of thinking."
Kalesinterflex Increases High Value-Added Production Capacity
The Kalesinterflex 2nd Line Expansion Investment, commissioned as part of the Ceramic Festival, is one of the important steps that will increase Kale Group's competitiveness in the high value-added product segment. Thanks to this new production line, Kaleseramik's production capacity for large-format porcelain plates with a thickness of 3mm will increase by 44 percent, reaching 2.4 million square meters. While Kalebodur's total porcelain plate production capacity exceeds 5.6 million square meters, the company offers a wide range of products for different application areas with large-format options ranging from 100x300 cm to 162x323 cm and thickness alternatives between 2 and 20 mm.
Frontier R&D Center for Ceramic Technologies
Another investment inaugurated at the ceremony, with the participation of TUBITAK President Prof. Dr. Orhan Aydın, was the Frontier R&D Center for Ceramic Technologies. Built upon Kale's more than 50 years of experience in R&D and entitled to receive approximately 125 million TL in support over five years under the TUBITAK 1515 Frontier R&D Laboratories Support Program, the center is the first and pioneering laboratory in Türkiye in the field of ceramic technologies, focusing on laser, microwave, and functional digital ink development. The center will conduct research on digital printing technologies, next-generation functional surfaces, environmentally friendly production methods, and advanced process technologies.
TUBITAK President Prof. Dr. Orhan Aydın stated that this Frontier R&D Laboratory established by Kaleseramik will make significant contributions to the green transformation of the ceramics sector and the reduction of external dependence by focusing on advanced materials and innovative manufacturing technologies, and added, “I wholeheartedly believe that this laboratory, which will generate value in a wide range of areas from energy and water efficiency to qualified human resources, patents, and international collaborations, will further strengthen Turkey's position in the global science and technology arena.”
Technology-focused growth continues in defense and aerospace
Kale Group continues to support the technology and R&D-focused transformation it has carried out in its Construction Group companies with its activities in the defense and aerospace sector. While strengthening Türkiye's technological capabilities in the defense industry with its domestically developed turbojet engines, the Group continues its negotiations with more than 10 countries for jet engine exports. While the development of two new jet engines continues under the coordination of the Presidency of Defense Industry, it also strengthens its capabilities in the field of electromechanical systems with Kale ANDAR, which it recently added to its structure, and contributes to Türkiye's critical systems development capability.
Zeynep Bodur Okyay, President and CEO of Kale Group, stated that defense and aerospace activities are a crucial part of the Group's transformation vision, saying, "Defense and aerospace is not a new field for us; it is the transfer of our nearly forty years of engineering experience to advanced technologies. Being the defense company that developed Türkiye's first domestic jet engine and achieved the first export with this product is a source of immeasurable pride for us. True success in defense and aerospace is not achieved through short-term gains, but through technological competence built over the years and sustainable engineering capabilities."
The Ceramic Festival tradition continues
As part of the Ceramic Festival, one of the most important gatherings of Kale Group's culture; employees, their families, retirees, dealers, and business partners came together this year as well. The program included sports awards, seniority ceremonies, and a traditional circumcision ceremony, once again emphasizing Kale Group's 69-year-old corporate culture and sense of togetherness. This year, 435 employees participated in sports events across six branches, and a traditional circumcision ceremony was held for 102 children. Additionally, seniority awards were presented to employees who have worked for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 years at Kale Group.
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