Istanbul, September 11, 2024
Press Release
Innovative products developed by national and international technology producers and the latest advancements in the service sector will take the stage at IFAT Eurasia, the leading environmental technologies gathering in Eurasia, to be held on May 15–17, 2025.
As the global population and consumption continue to rise while natural resources diminish, climate disruption and environmental pollution have intensified their impact amid political tensions and regional conflicts. Topics such as pollution, raw material and energy security, efficiency, and monitoring of water and carbon footprints have gained even more importance. As a result, the responsibilities of the environmental technologies sector, which offers solutions in these areas, have increased significantly.
IFAT Eurasia, representing the world’s largest environmental technologies event—the IFAT family—in the Eurasian region, has been held since 2015. Alternating biennially with IFAT Munich, the 2023 edition of IFAT Eurasia hosted 203 exhibitors, including 56 from abroad, and welcomed 8,764 visitors—803 of whom were international. In addition to individual participants from a wide geographic area, delegations and procurement committees from Kazakhstan, Iraq, Romania, Saudi Arabia, and Greece gathered under the IFAT Eurasia umbrella.
Namık Sarıgöl, Exhibition Director of EKO Fair Organization, emphasized the importance of environmental technologies, stating:
“The global challenges are also affecting our country. We are unable to meet the growing demands of our population and expanding industry with our existing energy and raw material resources. The dependency on imports is one of the major drivers of the foreign exchange deficit. To balance the need for sustainable living with the standards people expect, society must be made more aware. The negative impacts can be mitigated and minimized with current technologies.”
Highlighting the wide scope of environmental technology components—from access to safe drinking water, to industrial and municipal wastewater treatment, effective waste management, recycling and secondary raw material production, pollution prevention, renewable energy use, energy-from-waste, and energy efficiency—Sarıgöl added:
“With effective and integrated waste management planning, we can make significant progress on issues such as public health, environmental pollution, resource and energy security, foreign exchange savings, and employment.”
Sarıgöl pointed out that investments in environmental technologies are capital-intensive with long payback periods, stating:
“Only in water and wastewater projects, 1,400 new wastewater treatment plants and 30,000 kilometers of sewer infrastructure are planned—exceeding €18 billion in cost. Additionally, urban transformation projects will require the complete reconstruction of infrastructure in many settlements. Nearly 35 million tons of municipal waste are generated annually in our country. With the current recovery rate at about 25%, substantial investments are still needed to integrate the remaining waste into the system. That’s why we need innovative yet economically viable solutions for both the public and private sectors.”
On the strategic position of IFAT Eurasia in the sector, Sarıgöl remarked:
“Both our country and our neighboring nations have a growing need for environmental technologies. While we gain access to international solutions, we also have the opportunity to expand the export potential of our national manufacturers. What we need is to enhance the global visibility of our domestic players and strengthen communication networks. IFAT Eurasia plays a leading role in attracting international interest and positioning our country as a regional hub for the industry. From the Americas to Europe, the Balkans to the Indian subcontinent and the Far East, IFAT Eurasia brings together technology providers with visitors from across the Eurasian region. It is the most vital event for those tracking innovation in our sector. Tasked with promoting international cooperation and investment opportunities, IFAT Eurasia will continue to serve the sector by uniting technologies that meet all expectations in addressing environmental challenges. We invite all stakeholders of the environmental technologies sector to IFAT Eurasia on May 15–17, 2025.”