Lütfi Okay, Coordinator of Altınay Technology Group, states that despite being newly established, the “Future Systems” division within Altınay Robotics Technologies successfully developed component manufacturing technologies for leading OEMs such as BMW and Audi through a robotic flexible multi-joining technology implemented in Germany.
We spoke with Okay about the latest developments within Altınay Technology Group and the robotics industry.
You are working toward creating a Türkiye that produces technology rather than merely consuming it. What are your goals in this regard?
As Altınay Technology Group, our primary objective is to deliver innovative, high-technology projects. In line with this vision, throughout 2019 we continued our projects in industrial robotics, energy storage and management systems, autonomous technologies for land and air platforms, control systems, R&D, and product development.
With our growing pool of qualified human capital, we continue to build a strong professional ecosystem to help establish a Türkiye that produces technology rather than simply using it. Societies that dominate technology today and in the future will become global leaders through their ability to transform knowledge into technological products and industrial value. Altınay Technology Group continues to align the activities of all its companies with the vision of contributing to Türkiye’s goal of becoming one of the world’s advanced nations.
Altınay Robotics Technologies celebrated its 25th anniversary last year…
Yes, 2019 was a special year for us. It marked both the 25th anniversary of Türkiye’s first industrial robot and the founding of Altınay Robotics Technologies. We celebrated this milestone through various events and digital platforms with our stakeholders.
Within Altınay Robotics Technologies, we established an official R&D Center and launched a new division called “Future Systems” to develop next-generation technologies. Despite being newly formed, this division successfully developed robotic flexible multi-joining technologies in Germany in 2019, enabling us to provide component manufacturing technologies to major automotive OEMs such as BMW and Audi.
What developments occurred in robotics technologies?
It was a year largely focused on international robotics projects. High-capacity production lines were commissioned in Romania and Morocco for automotive suppliers. Domestically, we installed production and assembly lines for global manufacturers.
On the Olbricht side, a project for the glass industry was commissioned in the United States, and another project was initiated. In intralogistics, we successfully implemented a complete tea packaging and palletizing line for Çaykur, one of Türkiye’s major producers. Additionally, work continues on high-speed automated warehouse systems for a globally recognized manufacturer.
Why did you incorporate two German companies with over 50 years of history into your Group? What are your objectives?
We acquired KSM in 2015 and Olbricht, a company specialized in glass technologies, in 2017. Our objective was to expand our activities in two strategically important sectors and to enter the European Union market, particularly Germany.
Market research indicated that operating as an established German company would enable us to deliver solutions more effectively and achieve faster results. We observed that local management and German-language communication were highly valued by German clients. Therefore, rather than establishing a new entity, we chose to acquire well-established German companies.
Their strong corporate culture, customer portfolios, and long-standing industry relationships provided a strategic advantage. Over time, this strategy has proven successful.
KSM primarily focuses on the German market. Olbricht, on the other hand, already had an international customer base before the acquisition. Today, Olbricht operates through teams in both Germany and Türkiye: the German team focuses on glass technologies, while the Türkiye-based team concentrates on intralogistics, end-of-line solutions, palletizing, packaging, and automated warehouse systems.
With aging populations in Asia and Europe, “metal-collar” employment is increasing, while in Türkiye concerns are raised about robots causing unemployment. How do you evaluate Türkiye’s position in industrial robotization?
When we examine developed countries, we see that they completed industrialization at different times, but they share a common approach: they did not treat industrialization merely as a manufacturing capability, but as a national technology development mission.
Countries that adopt this mindset achieve global competitiveness and leverage technology as a national advantage. Advanced industrialized nations integrate science and technology across education, finance, trade, and regulatory policies. Their success stems from this holistic approach.
According to International Federation of Robotics (IFR) data, countries that have completed industrialization have robot density levels far above the global average, yet maintain lower unemployment rates than developing countries. In fact, they actively attract qualified human capital—not only engineers but professionals across various roles.
Robots should not be perceived as replacing human labor but as taking over repetitive, dangerous, or high-volume tasks that demand consistent quality. According to IFR statistics, the global average robot density is 99 robots per 10,000 employees, while in Türkiye it is only 30. This indicates that we still have significant progress to make.
Rather than debating whether robots will cause unemployment, we should focus on how professions will evolve and how workforce competencies must diversify. In a rapidly evolving technological landscape, individuals must develop more adaptable and advanced skill sets.