German Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Bärbel Bas and her accompanying delegation visited MAN Türkiye A.Ş.’s production facility and Product Development Center (PDC) in Ankara. Following the visit, during which international cooperation, human resources, and sustainable industrial investments focused on innovation were discussed, Minister Bärbel Bas got behind the wheel of the new-generation eCoach and personally experienced its driving dynamics and technology. MAN Türkiye A.Ş., MAN Truck & Bus’s first production facility outside Germany, hosted an important international visit. German Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Bärbel Bas and her accompanying delegation visited MAN’s integrated production facilities and Product Development Center (PDC) in Ankara, receiving comprehensive information about the work being carried out there. During the program, attended by ministry representatives, embassy officials, and senior executives from MAN Truck & Bus SE in Germany and Türkiye, comprehensive information was provided on MAN’s operations in Ankara, including production activities, R&D studies, practices aimed at employee development, and projects supporting the working environment.
Human-Centered Production and Competence Development Discussed As part of the visit, discussions focused on MAN
Türkiye A.Ş.’s efforts in the field of “human resources,” which play a significant role in the company’s success. The delegation was briefed on practices related to employee safety, vocational training programs, competence development initiatives, and career development. Bärbel Bas and the members of the delegation examined the production lines on site and came together with factory employees and management representatives to exchange views on corporate culture, training opportunities, and industrial collaborations. Another key topic of the visit was the green transformation in Europe. During the meeting, where Germany’s transformation process and the conditions required for the expansion of electromobility were evaluated, there was a shared view that predictable and sustainable policies across the continent must be supported in order for the European commercial vehicle sector to maintain its competitiveness. Test Drive with the New-Generation Electric Bus “eCoach” At the end of the program, the delegation visited the Product Development Center (PDC).
Participants were introduced to MAN’s innovation capabilities and future mobility solutions. One of the most notable moments of the visit was the driving experience of the fully electric new eCoach on the test track. A test drive was conducted with MAN’s fully electric new eCoach bus model, developed to set the public transportation standards of the future. During the test drive, German Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Bärbel Bas got behind the wheel and personally experienced the driving dynamics and technology of the new-generation eCoach. Attending the visit on behalf of MAN Truck & Bus SE were Hubert Altschäffl, Executive Board Member responsible for Human Resources; Barbaros Oktay, Head of the Bus Business Unit; Manuel Hiermeyer, Director of Corporate Communications; and Christoph Schuler, Director of Public Affairs. MAN Türkiye A.Ş. CEO Mehmet Şermet and CFO Thomas Hakuba were also present. The visit once again highlighted the future importance of international cooperation, investments in human resources and innovation, as well as a sustainable industrial approach.
