The 7th International Young Businessmen's Congress (UGİK), organized by Young MÜSİAD under the theme "Realize Tomorrow Today," was held at the headquarters of the Independent Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (MÜSİAD). MÜSİAD President Abdurrahman Kaan, commenting on the program, stated that strategist CEOs will manage the changes in the future, saying, "We need young people who will become fully equipped executives."

Speaking at the 7th UGİK opening ceremony, President Kaan discussed the changes in business life caused by the global pandemic and the new business models it presents. He emphasized the importance of self-sufficiency and the dictates of new production, consumption, and lifestyle models. Kaan stated that while adapting to these conditions initially proved challenging, it has now gradually become a part of daily life, and that remote working has become almost completely established in the West. President Kaan addressed potential future threats and their potential negative impacts on production, saying, "We must establish self-sufficient production and trade bases, without interrupting or disrupting production; by making production a part of human nature and by integrating it into our energy and investment capital."

"WE MUST IMPLEMENT SMART AGRICULTURAL STRATEGIES"

Kaan emphasized the necessity of implementing smart agricultural strategies that will elevate Türkiye to self-sufficient agricultural status, and spoke about the MÜSİAD Smart Agriculture City Project, which has been implemented within this framework. President Kaan stated that in the future, the language, method, diplomacy, definition, and jargon of investment are beginning to change. He noted that investors can now invest in any country where their money will be valued. He also stated that a direct investment basket, which purchases risk, is being created by distributing investments across different countries.

Kaan emphasized the importance of connecting one country's resources with another's financiers to funnel the next leg of investment toward the home country, continuing:

"In other words, Turkey, seeking to define its future investment strategy, can not only attract investment to its own country but also bring financiers and resources together by matching country data and trade this business. This agency system is not a structure that can be controlled by the state; voluntary attachés and capital organizations will come into play. Furthermore, Turkey can implement its industrialization policy within its own territory by shifting its base production to land- and resource-rich countries such as Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Egypt, North Africa, Central Africa, and even Syria. This way, high-value-added products and high-technology production can be used more efficiently for the future of the industry."

"STRATEGIST CEOS WILL MANAGE THE CHANGES IN THE FUTURE WORLD"

President Kaan stated that the changes in the future world will be managed by strategist CEOs, making the following assessments:

"In other words, we need young people who will be both strategy-setting consultants for their company and aware of all production or business processes. They are knowledgeable about the duties, responsibilities, and tasks of every department. They maintain constant oversight. They can quickly adapt their organization to changes in the external world. They can take initiative on their behalf in relations with external stakeholders. They have received multidisciplinary training. They will closely follow all administrative processes, from legal procedures to financial statements, as well as technical and technological changes. They will understand their working and processing systems. In short, they will become fully equipped managers."

President Kaan stated that they also need young and vibrant minds who possess the skills of language skills, eloquence, persuasion techniques, meeting and stress management, and the functioning of government and bureaucracy. They prioritize people, are close to their employees, empathetic, and, in short, don't leave work to the boss. Kaan stated that their work on the strategist CEO is ongoing, adding that without leaders capable of leading the future, dreams for the future world will remain on hold.

"WE ARE PUTTING NEW IDEAS ON THE AGENDA THAT WILL CREATE ADDED VALUE FOR OUR ECONOMY"

Young MÜSİAD President Furkan Akbal stated that they are working diligently for Turkish youth, aiming to improve their skills and quality, and to contribute to the national economy and the socio-cultural fabric of society. Akbal stated that they aim to bring together the world's leading entrepreneurs and thought leaders with the vision of the new generation at this 7th congress. He said, "Our congress develops roadmaps to design our future, our country, and our entrepreneurial ecosystem in a much stronger way. It brings together experienced figures with the ideas and perspectives of the new generation."

Referring to UGİK's theme of "Realize Tomorrow Today," Akbal said, "We evaluated the future of production, finance, competition, and business."