A new CC-Link Partners Association (CLPA) office has been opened in Turkey to serve a region expected to see sustained industrial growth for the next decade or more. This move expands the global network of existing CLPA offices, which already includes China, Germany, Japan, North America, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, India and the United Kingdom.
CC-Link is one of the world's foremost open industrial automation network technologies and the CLPA is the organisation responsible for the development and promotion of the network worldwide. Its 2,000 plus partners includes manufacturers of CC-Link products, users and other interested parties such as universities and system integrators. The network's global installed base has exceeded 12 million devices, with close to 300 companies offering over 1,300 CC-Link products.
Turkey is seen as a vital link in the development of the global economy, connecting Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Eastern European regions. Its economy has grown at above 5 percent per year for over a decade, a development level that is expected to continue well into the long term future.
Manufacturing is a strategic part of its economic expansion plan, with state-of-the-art automation being used to ensure world-class quality, safety and productivity levels. It already has a base of established traditional industries and is focusing on creating new modern sectors such as automotive and household appliances.
Turkey has been known for centuries as the entryway to Asia, as it provides a land-based trade route between Europe and Asia. This matches with a long-running objective of the CLPA, which runs a successful programme called Gateway to Asia (G2A), designed to help entry into, and subsequent business development in, the booming markets of Asia. Hence the opening of the new Turkish office provides the CLPA with both a metaphorical and literal Gateway to Asia. It also provides coverage across literally the whole of the continent, from Turkey in the west, to Japan in the east.
The new CLPA office was officially launched at this year's WIN Automation fair in Istanbul, in front of visitors and exhibitors from around the world. As well as delegates from Europe, America and the Far East, the fair attracted visitors from Albania, Algeria, Bosnia Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Jordan, Serbia, Tunisia, Uzbekistan and Yemen.
