TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR “KAHRAMANMARAŞ GOLD AND JEWELLERY CENTRE

Setting the Scene A long-standing craft at a turning point. Turkey has a deeply rooted gold and jewellery tradition that combines hand craftsmanship with increasingly advanced production technologies.

Within this national landscape, Kahramanmaraş is one of the country’s main production centres. Its cluster consists largely of family-managed SMEs, with skills traditionally transferred through apprenticeship and on-the-job learning.

• Local production had limited direct access to export markets and often reached foreign buyers through Istanbul-based companies.
• Dependence on external design, modelling, testing and certification services increased costs and time to market.
• Earlier investments in Altınşehir and in university-based 3D design and modelling created a foundation for a shared service centre.

The project therefore entered a territory with strong manufacturing know-how, but with limited visibility, specialised services and capacity to retain more value locally.

The Challenge at Stake Turning production capacity into sustainable competitiveness. The central challenge was to bridge the gap between a strong manufacturing base and the capabilities required to compete in modern value chains.

The project documents describe a fragmented SME structure affected by logistical constraints, high input costs, price fluctuations, weak standardisation and the absence of an accredited laboratory in the region.

• Limited institutional and technological capacity restricted productivity and added value.
• Gaps in design, 3D modelling, branding, digital marketing and export skills constrained market development.
• Individual SMEs faced high barriers to investing in specialised infrastructure and expertise.

Implementation also had to adapt to external shocks. COVID-19 affected travel and group activities, while the February 2023 earthquakes damaged project facilities, laboratories, equipment and SME workplaces, disrupted operations and contributed to the loss or migration of qualified personnel.

Turning Vision into Action A competitiveness centre serving the regional jewellery cluster. The official project, Technical Assistance for “Kahramanmaraş Gold and Jewellery Centre”, aimed to contribute to the socio-economic development of Kahramanmaraş by strengthening the competitiveness of jewellery-sector SMEs. Its main beneficiaries were local gold and jewellery enterprises, with the Kahramanmaraş Chamber of Jewellers as the end recipient of the assistance.

• Establish and operationalise a Centre providing high-technology and qualified services.
• Develop diagnostic studies, a business and operational plan, service manuals, human resources and an accreditation pathway.
• Deliver design and modelling training, mentoring, advisory support and networking opportunities for SMEs.
• Provide access to services such as 3D modelling and prototyping, casting, laser processing, assay, gemmology, training, export advice and quality support.

The design connected two complementary components: building the Centre’s service infrastructure and strengthening the technical and business capacity of the enterprises expected to use it.

How We Made It Happen Combining diagnostics, institution building and direct SME support. The methodology linked the operational development of the Centre with practical support for enterprises.

The work began with cluster mapping and diagnostic studies involving 50 manufacturing SMEs, examining demand for services, productivity baselines, technical and business constraints, willingness to pay and opportunities for improvement.

• A five-year operational plan, financial sustainability model, organisational structure, staff profiles and service delivery manuals were developed.
• An accreditation roadmap, staff training, systems documentation and an international benchmarking study visit supported the Analysis and Test Laboratory.
• Training curricula responded to identified needs in hand design, 3D modelling, stone processing, precious-metal colour design and manufacturing.
• Mentoring and networking addressed foreign trade, marketing, branding, productivity, quality, finance, innovation and market connections.

Stakeholder cooperation supported implementation. The Ministry of Industry and Technology, the Kahramanmaraş Chamber of Jewellers, Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Eastern Mediterranean Development Agency contributed complementary roles. Eurecna led the implementing consortium with Friuli Innovazione and T2I and coordinated the technical assistance.

Creating Impact Building shared services and strengthening enterprise capabilities. The project created a structured model through which shared facilities and specialised services could support firms that faced high individual investment barriers. It produced the institutional and operational foundations for the Centre and widened SME access to technical knowledge, laboratory and certification pathways, business advice and market networks.

• Two common-use facilities were established or supported.
• Training sessions recorded 259 attendances, including repeat participation, representing 119 SMEs.
• The project working paper reports 206 SMEs supported, 39 SMEs mentored, 48 SMEs involved in networking and 8 jobs created.
• Key outputs included diagnostic assessments, an operational plan, a sustainability model, service manuals, staff development, accreditation documentation, communication tools and a project website.

The 2023 earthquakes interrupted this progress and damaged facilities and equipment. The project team monitored the situation, supported recovery discussions and continued mentoring on access to finance. At the time of the sixth interim report, several proposed recovery and follow-up measures were still awaiting approval.

Lessons for the Future Infrastructure creates value when it becomes a reliable service system. The experience demonstrates that a shared competitiveness centre can help fragmented SME clusters access technology, expertise and market-support services that individual firms may be unable to develop alone. Physical infrastructure, however, must be supported by qualified staff, sustainable management, clear procedures and continuous engagement with enterprises.

• Begin with a demand-driven diagnostic and use enterprise feedback to shape services and training.
• Combine technical upgrading with mentoring, quality support, branding, export development and networking.
• Secure local ownership, staffing, financing and service-delivery responsibilities from the outset.
• Build continuity, risk monitoring and flexible recovery measures into projects supporting productive clusters.
• Adapt the model to each territory rather than replicating facilities and services without a local needs assessment.

The approach is potentially replicable in other industrial clusters characterised by many SMEs, fragmented service provision and limited access to technology, certification and markets. Its transferability depends on tailoring governance, services and skills development to the specific sector and local context.