ANKARA, Turkey, Dec. 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- TurkTraktor, the joint venture between CNH Industrial and Koc Holding, received the first place award in the Automotive category at the Third Private Sector R&D Centres Summit. The ceremony was held in the Turkish capital of Ankara on December 10, 2014, in the presence of the Minister of Science, Industry and Technology. TurkTraktor was awarded the first prize on the basis of its performance according to "project capacity and quality", "cooperation and interaction", "intellectual property competency", "human resources" and "budget" criteria.
At the ceremony, TurkTraktor General Manager and CNH Industrial Turkey and Caucasus Head Marco Votta thanked the 117-member R&D team and stated that the prize is a big source of pride and motivation for all: "We feel proud to be developing our local tractor range with our local engineers. We design and assemble the transmissions, engines, cabs and hydraulic units of our tractors here in Turkey. This is the key to our success and the popularity of our products among farmers."
The R&D centre is associated with the joint venture's Ankara manufacturing plant that produces tractors ranging from 48 to 110 hp for the company's Case IH and New Holland Agriculture brand. In 2013, it exported 35% of its production to markets around the world. For the past seven consecutive years one out of two tractors sold in Turkey have been manufactured at this facility.
TurkTraktor's R&D Centre is fully accredited by CNH Industrial and operates as part of its global R&D network. It is also the first centre in the agricultural equipment sector to be accredited by the Turkish Government. The centre conducts product development and research projects, also working in collaboration with universities, which lead to numerous patent applications every year.
"The patent activities we launched in 2006 have resulted in a portfolio including 103 patents, 8 industrial designs, 29 brands and 27 Internet domain names. We not only receive patents for our products but also for the equipment we develop in order to facilitate our job on the production line," further commented Marco Votta.
About TurkTraktor - Founded in 1954 as the first automotive manufacturer in Turkey, TurkTraktor is the market leader in Turkey and has exported to over 130 countries around the world. Its production has grown from 815 units in 1955 to 40,000 in 2013. Its manufacturing and R&D facilities in Ankara employ over 3,000 people. TurkTraktor opened a second manufacturing plant in Erenler that started production in June 2014.
CNH Industrial N.V. (NYSE: CNHI /MI: CNHI) is a global leader in the capital goods sector with established industrial experience, a wide range of products and a worldwide presence. Each of the individual brands belonging to the Company is a major international force in its specific industrial sector: Case IH, New Holland Agriculture and Steyr for tractors and agricultural machinery; Case and New Holland Construction for earth moving equipment; Iveco for commercial vehicles; Iveco Bus and Heuliez Bus for buses and coaches; Iveco Astra for quarry and construction vehicles; Magirus for firefighting vehicles; Iveco Defence Vehicles for defence and civil protection; and FPT Industrial for engines and transmissions. More information can be found on the corporate website: www.cnhindustrial.com
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