Otokar General Manager Serdar Görgüç said that the company’s operations
in the domestic and international markets continued seamlessly despite the
prolonged effects of the coronavirus pandemic. “In 2021, our revenues rose by
55% year-on-year, reaching TL 4.5 billion. As we maintained our competitive
position globally, our exports amounted to US$345 million. Furthermore, our net
operating profit reached TL 1 billion 76 million with a 69% year-on-year
increase, and we posted TL 1 billion 42 million in net profit. In 2021, our
commercial vehicle and defence industry sales showed a balanced distribution in
our revenues.”
Serdar Görgüç added that the company’s existing and new product
development activities continued throughout the year. “Our research and
development investments increased by 49% year-on-year, amounting to TL 300
million. As a result, our R&D expenditures in the last decade correspond to
8% of our revenues on average.”
Serdar Görgüç reminded that the Otokar military vehicles, actively
serving in United Nations peacekeeping missions and NATO forces, are exported
to more than 35 friendly and allied countries. Görgüç provided details about
the company’s defence industry activities:
“Last year, we mainly focused on
delivering the orders we received from different countries. Meanwhile, we also
found the opportunity to participate in fairs and exhibitions worldwide and
physically meet existing and prospective clients as the pandemic restrictions
on international travel lifted. Furthermore, our ARMA 8x8 armoured vehicle and
TULPAR tracked combat vehicle passed the rigorous tests of the Kazakhstan Army
with flying colours.
We also signed an international agreement to create autonomous military vehicles, which is a significant step toward expanding our unmanned ground vehicles market.” “Otokar continues to develop its technology and innovation capabilities as it works confidently toward becoming a worldwide brand,” stated Serdar Görgüç. “In the recent decade, our R&D spending totalled TL 1.6 billion.” Furthermore, for the past six years, we have been included in the Borsa Istanbul Sustainability Index to witness our environmental, social, and governance performance. As a result, sustainability is a major focus of our work.
In addition to studying how the European Green Deal would impact our
trade with the EU, we also follow Koç Holding’s 2050 Carbon Neutral Program, an
important part of the group’s Cultural Transformation Program. As a result, our
research focuses on alternate fuels, energy efficiency, and green sourcing.”
Serdar Görgüç, CEO of Otokar, stated that the company intends to maintain its
sustainable growth in 2022: “We are still committed to being a worldwide player
in the automotive and defence industries.” We intend to preserve our local
market leadership in commercial vehicles while increasing our market share in
international markets, particularly Europe, by selling more vehicles. We will
continue to offer our products and capabilities to serve our country in the
defence industry. We will endeavour to grow our footprint in our worldwide
target markets. The dedication of our staff, the trust of our clients, and the
harmony and cooperation of our business partners will propel us toward these
objectives.”