Japan Inc. in a fight to bring earthquake-dampening tech to Turkey

KAHRAMANMARAS, Turkey — Two years after earthquakes that killed more than 59,000 people in Turkey and Syria, Japan Inc. is stepping up efforts to provide Turkey with technology and services to help buildings and infrastructure better withstand seismic events.

A general manager of a Turkish-Japanese joint venture said demand for one product that can be applied to existing buildings was especially high. “There were close to three times more inquiries in 2023 compared to the previous year, which translated into a business increase of 700% last year,” Taner Atici of GK Global-Maeda Corp. said of externally reinforced concrete frames with patented anchor technology. “I expect contracts to increase [by] another 300% to 400% this year, compared to 2024.”