Turkey advances Metamorphosis Project
-Press release provided by IHKIB (Istanbul Apparel Exporters' Association)
Istanbul, Turkey – 4 February, 2025 – Stating that they have been guiding companies through the METAMORPHOSIS Project, carried out within the scope of the EU’s IPA projects, Paşahan said, “Although we have faced cyclical challenges over the past two years, we take a long-term perspective. Apparel will remain crucial for the Turkish economy for many years to come. With this awareness, we are establishing an infrastructure that will strengthen our position in global trade.”
The "From Design to Production: Digital Transformation in the Apparel Industry (METAMORPHOSIS)" Project, carried out by the Istanbul Apparel Exporters’ Association (İHKİB) under the EU’s Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA-2) program, has been completed. Speaking at the closing event of the project, which was implemented under the leadership of the Ministry of Industry and Technology, Mustafa Paşahan stated that the apparel industry is among the leading sectors pioneering digital and green transformation. Stating that they have been guiding companies through the METAMORPHOSIS Project, carried out within the scope of the EU’s IPA projects, Paşahan continued:
"We received a grant of €10.4 million from the European Union for the project, which was implemented under the leadership of our Ministry of Industry and Technology. Within the scope of the project, a current situation analysis of the apparel and textile sectors was conducted. Additionally, the EU Digital Single Market Strategy, Adaptation Strategy, and a Digital Transformation Roadmap for the sector were developed. Institutional capacity-building activities were carried out. Digital Fashion Design Training was provided to 125 SME representatives. A Digital Maturity Assessment was conducted for 60 SME-scale companies. More than 100 SMEs received Digital Transformation and Social Compliance Consultancy Services. A total of 100 testing and analysis services were conducted to enhance SMEs’ quality standards. R&D studies were carried out on Turkish organic cotton.”
Highlighting that they launched the Digital Transformation Center (DDM), the main hub of the project, for the service of the sector in 2022, Paşahan stated that the DDM has been authorized as an "assessor" for businesses' digital maturity assessments, roadmap creation, and investment planning processes under the Ministry of Industry and Technology’s "digital transformation support program."
