Industry | Geography | Food | Social and Cultural Life | History of Kocaeli
The REM 2011 will be held at Kocaeli University, Kocaeli a.k.a. İzmit, Turkey.The geological location of İzmit is between 40°-41° N and 29°-31° E, surrounded by the Gulf of İzmit at south, Istanbul and the Sea of Marmara at west, the Black Sea at north, and Sakarya at east.
İzmit is an important industrial centre, with a large oil refinery, and major paper and cement factories. There is also a transportation hub, being located on the main highway and railway lines between Istanbul and Ankara, and having a major port.
In the past few years the province has developed into a growth point for the Turkish automotive industry, receiving investments from Ford, Hyundai, Honda and Isuzu. Tyre and rubber products are produced to world class standard (Goodyear, Pirelli, Lassa and Bridgestone.) As of today, Kocaeli province has attracted more than 1200 industrial investments, 108 of which have been established with international capital. Turkey’s largest enterprise, the Tüpraş Petroleum Refinery Plant, is also located in Kocaeli, containing altogether 27% of the national chemical products industry, including petrochemical products. Eighteen of the 100 largest enterprises of Turkey are located in Kocaeli, and contribute to around 17-18% of the national tax revenues.