There are two basic sectors that determine economic activities in the Western Black Sea Region. The first of these is mining, which dates back to the mid-19th century, and the second is the iron and steel industry. In the region, which generally has an economic structure dependent on these two sectors, it is of great importance to create and develop sectoral diversity, improve the investment environment and increase the capacity and capabilities of existing enterprises.
According to 2022 data received from the Provincial Directorates of Industry and Technology, there are a total of 1,373 industrial facilities in the region. 49.5 percent of these facilities are located in Zonguldak, 32.6 percent in Karabük and 18 percent in Bartın. The districts with the most industrial facilities are Karabük Center (215 facilities), Kdz. They are listed as Ereğli (203 facilities), Bartın center (191 facilities), Çaycuma (160 facilities) and Safranbolu (138 facilities). On the other hand, there are relatively few industrial facilities in Ovacık, Amasra, Eflani, Ulus and Kozlu districts.
67,357 people are employed in industrial facilities in the region. Approximately 57.6 percent of those employed are in Zonguldak, 24.4 percent in Karabük and 18.01 percent in Bartın. The districts that stand out in terms of employment numbers are as follows: Kdz. Ereğli (15,518 people), Karabük Center (12,322 people), Bartın Center (10,343 people), Kilimli (6,352 people), Çaycuma (5,676 people) and Zonguldak Center (3,560 people). Kdz. Ereğli, Karabük Center and Bartın Center districts are the prominent districts in terms of the number of industrial facilities and employment.
The majority of industrial enterprises operating in the region are micro and small-scale, parallel to the country in general. While the rate of micro-scale enterprises is below the country average in Bartın and Zonguldak, it is seen that the rates of small, medium and large enterprises are higher than the country average. In Karabük, micro, medium and large scale enterprises are above the Turkish average, while small scale enterprises are below the Turkish average. Approximately 85 percent of the businesses in the region are micro and small-scale enterprises, and the rates of medium and large-scale enterprises are above the country average. This situation can be attributed to the prominence of sectors related to mining, iron and steel and forest products in the region.
When the sectoral distribution data of Zonguldak province is examined, the number of enterprises in the mining and iron and steel sectors attracts attention. The number of enterprises in coal extraction and other mining and quarrying sectors reflects Zonguldak's prominent position in traditional mining activities. The iron and steel production infrastructure in the province is especially effective in sectors such as the basic metal industry, fabricated metal products manufacturing (except for machinery equipment) and machinery equipment manufacturing not classified elsewhere, and this is also reflected in the number of enterprises. In addition, it is seen that the rich forest wealth of the province is reflected in the number of businesses in sectors such as wood and wood products and furniture manufacturing. The manufacturing of food products and rubber and plastic products are other prominent sectors of the province.
When the number of enterprises in Karabük province is examined, the main metal industry, fabricated metal products manufacturing (except machinery equipment) and machinery and equipment manufacturing sectors not classified elsewhere, which are sectors related to iron and steel, similar to Zonguldak province, stand out. In addition, since Karabük province has the highest proportion of forest assets in our country, the wood and wood products manufacturing and furniture manufacturing sectors in the province also attract attention in terms of the number of enterprises. Food product manufacturing, other mining and quarrying and clothing manufacturing sectors are other leading sectors of the province.
When we look at the number of businesses in Bartın province, it is seen that the wood and wood products manufacturing and furniture manufacturing sectors come to the fore in Bartın, depending on the presence of forests, as in other provinces. In addition, the manufacturing sectors of food products, clothing, other means of transportation and other non-metallic mineral products are other sectors of Bartın with a high number of enterprises.
In summary, it can be said that in terms of the number of enterprises in the TR81 Region, in addition to mining, iron and steel related sectors and forest industry related sectors, the manufacturing of food products, textile and clothing manufacturing and partly the manufacturing of other transportation vehicles stand out. It is considered that integrated iron and steel facilities such as TTK, Erdemir and Kardemir, the presence of hard coal and the wide forest cover in the region are effective in this distribution.
