Second Steering Committee Meeting Held for the RESMAR Project 19 January 2026

The 2nd Steering Committee Meeting of the “Making Industrial Organizations Resilient to Disasters with a Business Continuity Management Approach: Marmara Region Application (RESMAR: Resilient Marmara)” Project, which aims to increase the resilience of Organized Industrial Zones in the Marmara Region against disasters and crises and is co-financed by the European Union (EU) and AFAD, was held on January 15, 2026. Managers and representatives from the AFAD Presidency and Organized Industrial Zones Supreme Organization (OSBÜK), along with the project team, participated in the meeting.

The meeting focused on the technical studies completed within the scope of the project, the management model developed, and the activity plan for the upcoming period. The Business Continuity Management System approach, which is based on international standards and aims to ensure that production and services in industrial facilities continue under all conditions, was shared with the participants.

The meeting began with the opening speech by AFAD Head of Marmara Disaster Risk Reduction Department, Gökhan Yılmaz. Yılmaz emphasized that the business continuity approach is a strategic necessity not only for the industry but also for all critical sectors nationwide. Yılmaz stated that:

“Preparations made before disasters occur directly reduce not only the loss of life but also economic losses; that their goal is to build an economy that is less affected by disasters and recovers quickly, and a society with high institutional self-confidence; and that they aim to disseminate this model developed under RESMAR as an institutional approach within AFAD’s central and provincial organizations.”

Following the opening speech, Project Team Leader Prof. Dr. İbrahim Akgün provided a comprehensive presentation on the technical components of the project, the methodology used, and the implementation approach. Prof. Akgün emphasized that within the project's scope, not only plan documents were prepared; but also, an ISO 22301 compliant, living, and continuously updated Business Continuity Management System was established.

During the meeting, key topics such as the “OIZ Business Continuity Management System Establishment and Implementation Guide,” prepared to enable OIZs to establish their own business continuity systems covering crisis management, cyber incidents, emergency response, and coordination processes, were discussed. It was reported that response processes are handled within an Integrated Management Approach where strategic, tactical, and operational levels complement each other, and that the developed model is applicable with the same Universal Methodology across all basic services provided in OIZs (energy, infrastructure, licensing, fire brigade, etc.).

It was also shared that the business impact analyses conducted in the pilot region, Tuzla Chemical Industrialists OIZ, have been completed and that the model will be disseminated throughout the Marmara Region based on these outputs. In the expert presentations; Dr. Emin Yahya Menteşe shared analyses on the seismic safety of industrial infrastructure; Prof. Dr. İhsan Çiçek shared evaluations on climate change adaptation and 2060 projections; and Dr. Kadir Tomas shared holistic risk management approaches regarding technological and industrial risks.

The meeting concluded with the clarification of the project's roadmap for the future period. It is planned to examine international best practices on-site with a study visit to Spain in April 2026 and to integrate these experiences into the national model. With the “Report on Legislation and Implementation Recommendations” to be prepared at the end of the project, it is aimed to contribute RESMAR outputs to national policy and implementation processes.

The RESMAR Project will present a sustainable and scalable national industrial resilience model for the Marmara Region industry as of August 2026.

Project Information

• Project Name: Making Industrial Organizations Resilient to Disasters with a Business Continuity Management Approach: Marmara Region Application (RESMAR)

• Financing: Co-financed by AFAD and the European Union

• Duration: 2024 – August 2026

• Implementation Area: Selected OIZs in the Marmara Region

• Objective: To increase the resilience of industrial organizations against disasters, establish business continuity systems, and disseminate good practices.

• Contact: resmar.afad.gov.tr | resmar@afad.gov.tr