ZEISS Technologies Expand Their Presence in Türkiye

ZEISS Press Meeting, June 23th, 2026

In today’s global industrial landscape, competitiveness is no longer determined solely by production capacity. It increasingly depends on manufacturing precision, data quality, and the ability to adapt to digitalization. ZEISS, one of Germany’s leading companies in optics and optoelectronics, shared its global technology strategy and growth plans for Türkiye during a press conference held in Istanbul. The key message was clear: precision measurement technologies integrated with artificial intelligence and digitalization are not addressing a distant industrial future; they are serving today’s production realities.Founded in Germany in 1846, ZEISS operates across a broad range of sectors, from healthcare technologies and microscopy to industrial quality solutions and semiconductor technologies. However, within today’s technological transformation, the company’s most strategic position lies in its role within the semiconductor ecosystem.

A Hero of Chip Manufacturing

Virtually every modern technology, from artificial intelligence and smartphones to data centers and electric vehicles, relies on semiconductors. In the field of optical lithography, one of the most critical technologies used in chip manufacturing, ZEISS occupies a unique global position.

The company works closely with the Dutch firm ASML, which develops the world’s most advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment and commands around 80 percent of the global market. ZEISS develops the ultra-precise optical systems used in Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines, which enable the production of state-of-the-art processors.

During the press conference, ZEISS was described as one of the strategic players in the global semiconductor supply chain. While current technology and trade disputes have not created direct pressure on the company, executives acknowledged that potential future restrictions affecting ASML could indirectly impact the broader ecosystem.

Artificial Intelligence Is Not the Future; It Is Today’s Manufacturing Reality

According to ZEISS executives, artificial intelligence is no longer a future scenario under discussion; it is already operating at the heart of modern manufacturing.

The company’s intelligent metrology systems and quality-control software use AI-powered analytics to identify production defects before manufacturing even begins. This significantly reduces faulty production, material waste, and energy consumption.

AI-supported manufacturing and quality processes are also widely used in healthcare technologies, particularly in optical surgical systems. As a technology company that delivers end-to-end solutions across multiple sectors, ZEISS has integrated AI throughout its operations, from product development to quality assurance.

Company representatives emphasized that AI will continue to deepen its presence in industrial processes, but stressed that it should be viewed not as a future project, but as a current industrial practice.

From Wind Energy to Additive Manufacturing

ZEISS technologies extend far beyond semiconductors and chip production. The company’s high-precision measurement systems are used in the wind energy sector to inspect turbine components, rotor blades, and critical mechanical parts, helping improve energy efficiency and operational reliability. Accurate calculations of tolerances and clearances between turbine blades and structural components are essential for both performance and equipment lifespan.

ZEISS metrology solutions are also employed in quality control processes for metal components used in the automotive, aerospace, defense, and energy industries. Additive manufacturing, reverse engineering, industrial computed tomography (CT and X-ray), optical laser measurement systems, and 3D quality-control solutions are among the company’s growing areas of activity.

With the introduction of Smart Devices Networks and data-driven manufacturing approaches since 2022, metrology systems have increasingly become an integral part of production lines.

ZEISS Blade Measurement Application

Europe Maintains Its Position in High-End Manufacturing

The conference also featured notable assessments regarding global manufacturing dynamics. While China has become a major hub for mid-tech manufacturing, executives noted that high-end technologies, including semiconductor equipment, precision optics, and advanced engineering solutions, continue to be largely developed and produced in Europe. Europe remains a global leader particularly in optical lithography systems, precision measurement technologies, and advanced imaging solutions.

Christian Martin, ZEISS Türkiye Chairman of Board, Özgür Aka,  ZEISS Türkiye IQS Country Director

Christian Martin: “Türkiye Is a True Industrial Powerhouse”

Christian Martin, Chairman of the Board of ZEISS Türkiye, expressed strong confidence in the country’s industrial potential. Martin described Türkiye as a genuine industrial powerhouse and a global manufacturing hub, emphasizing that the combination of German technology and Turkish industrial capabilities creates significant opportunities.

“We are working to ensure the long-term competitiveness of Turkish industry and to digitally transform the manufacturing ecosystem from end to end,” Martin said. He added that ZEISS is leveraging more than 180 years of expertise to support Türkiye’s economic growth and digital transformation. The company has continued expanding its investments in Türkiye since establishing its direct presence in the country in 2014.

Özgür Aka: “Our Goal Is to Increase Türkiye’s Added Value”

Özgür Aka, Country Director of ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions (IQS) Türkiye, highlighted the company’s engineering and training investments.

Following the establishment of the Bursa Customer and Application Center, ZEISS recently opened its Ankara facility, which became the company’s 65th application center worldwide. Aka emphasized that the company’s objective is not simply to sell equipment but to enhance the technological capabilities of Turkish industry.

“We aim to provide Turkish engineers and manufacturers with world-class infrastructure and increase the value-added contribution of products developed and manufactured in this country,” he said.

Business Volume in Türkiye Has Doubled

According to figures shared during the conference, ZEISS Türkiye’s business volume has increased from approximately €20 million to €40 million over the past two years.

At a time when economic growth across Europe remains relatively modest, Türkiye’s ability to maintain growth of around three percent is viewed by the company as a significant opportunity.

ZEISS executives believe that Türkiye’s future industrial performance will play a decisive role in the company’s regional growth story.

Decarbonization Through Smarter Manufacturing

Decarbonization is at the center of ZEISS’s sustainability strategy. The company not only provides technologies for renewable energy industries but also helps manufacturers improve efficiency through advanced measurement systems.

AI-powered quality-control solutions reduce defective production, resulting in lower raw-material consumption, reduced energy usage, and lower carbon emissions. ZEISS’s corporate mission includes helping customers achieve their digitalization and decarbonization goals. At the same time, the company is pursuing its own sustainability targets and aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions in its local operations by 2030.

Recognized in Germany for its sustainability performance, ZEISS views decarbonization not merely as an environmental policy, but as a natural outcome of more efficient production systems.

An Opportunity for Türkiye to Move Up the Global Value Chain

The ZEISS example demonstrates that competitive advantage in modern industry is no longer based simply on producing more. It increasingly depends on producing more efficiently, more sustainably, and with greater technological sophistication.

Operating behind many of the world’s critical technologies, from semiconductors and artificial intelligence to wind energy and additive manufacturing, ZEISS represents one of the strategic engineering infrastructures underpinning the global industrial economy.

For Türkiye, the real opportunity lies not only in adopting these technologies but in building an industrial ecosystem capable of moving higher up the global value chain and creating greater value through advanced manufacturing and innovation.