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Çorum Organized Industrial Zone (OSB)

Çorum Organized Industrial Zone (OSB)

The Çorum Organized Industrial Zone (OSB) is a mixed industrial zone founded in 1977 and operating today on 665 hectares. It is the production hub of Çorum industry, with a cluster structure of mutually reinforcing sectors: machinery, agricultural implements, food, plastics and electro-plastics, and medical products. Having started production with its own equity, Çorum industry grew through a culture of inter-firm cooperation and partnerships into one of the so-called “Anatolian Tigers.”

Çorum OSB in Figures

Indicator Value
Founded 1977
Total area 665 hectares (256 industrial plots)
Number of firms 167 (official site, 2026)
Employment 7,930 (official site, 2026)
Exports To 136 countries; 17th among Turkish provinces
Structure Mixed industrial zone

The zone was established on a 260-hectare core area in 1977, expanded by 177 hectares in 1997, and grew further with 13 hectares added in 2006 and 215 hectares in 2008. According to the Sanayi Gazetesi directory, 194 firms operate in the zone employing 9,149 people; the Zone Directorate’s official website (as of August 2026) lists 167 firms, 7,930 personnel and exports to 136 countries. Province-wide, 1,174 manufacturing firms operate across 8 industrial sectors with 18,874 employees (OKA Çorum Investment Guide).

Sectors and Clusters

Production in Çorum OSB is concentrated mainly in the following areas:

  • Machinery manufacturing — especially mill machinery and food processing equipment
  • Agricultural implements and machinery
  • Food products — roasted chickpea (leblebi) and pulses processing stand out
  • Plastics and electro-plastic products
  • Medical and healthcare products — devices manufactured in the zone are exported worldwide
  • Metal and bi-metal casting
  • Ceramics
  • Precious metals — Ahlatcı Metal Rafineri, operating in the zone, is Türkiye’s largest gold refinery (2011); it anchors the province’s precious-metal exports
  • Metal industry, bricks and roof tiles

The zone also trains qualified workforce through the TOBB-OSB Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School, whose students come from firms in the zone.

Çorum’s national strength in mill machinery is illustrated by a concrete example: 13 of the 58 member firms of the Mill and Health Machinery Manufacturers Association (DESMÜD) are from Çorum (about 25%). See our article on the Çorum economy for details on these sectors.

Çorum’s Export Record

The export power generated by production in Çorum OSB has shown a striking rise in recent years:

  • 2024: With USD 3.465 billion in exports, Çorum became the leader of the Black Sea Region (18 provinces), maintaining this success since 2022.
  • 2025: Annual exports rose to USD 6.209 billion. In December 2025 the city reached its highest monthly figure ever with USD 936 million, up 96.83% from the same month of the previous year.
  • In 2025, Çorum ranked 3rd among provinces with the highest export growth on an activity basis (leaving Istanbul behind) and entered the national top 10. TOBB President Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu confirmed this momentum in industry, exports and innovation in early 2026.

According to the OKA Çorum Investment Guide, Çorum OSB alone generates 49.3% of the region’s exports (approximately USD 742 million).

Location and Access

The zone lies about 13 km southwest of the city centre at the 12th kilometre of the Ankara highway, in the Pınarçay area. The Teknokent is on the same axis; the industry, academia and technology zones sit side by side. This layout facilitates university-industry collaboration and the rapid transition of R&D output into production.

Address: Ankara Yolu 12. Km, Pınarçay area, Merkez/Çorum Phone: +90 364 254 90 29 Email: corumosb@corumosb.org.tr

Plot Allocation and Investment

Plots in the zone are allocated through an application and allocation process defined by the Zone Directorate. Infrastructure (roads, electricity, water, natural gas, fibre internet, treatment) is provided by the zone; investors can obtain free feasibility studies and incentive consultancy through the OKA Çorum Investment Support Office.

Place in the Ecosystem

History (according to the book Çorum Tarihi)

According to Çorum Tarihi (Turkish, “History of Çorum”), the OSB initiative began in 1976 as a joint effort by the provincial special administration, the municipality and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and was planned in 1977 on roughly 3,000 dönüm (about 300 hectares) of land 12 km along the Çorum-Ankara highway. The project phase ran from 1977 to 1980; infrastructure construction (roads, water, sewers and stormwater drainage) went out to tender in 1980 and, per the book’s records, was about 85% complete by 1984. Social facilities (an administration building, a garage/repair shop, a nursery, a bank, a dispensary, a post office, a restaurant and staff housing) went to tender in 1981 and were about 90% complete by 1984, while the low- and medium-voltage electricity network, tendered in 1982, was about 70% complete by 1984. At the time the book was written, the zone had 79 industrial plots — a number that has since grown, as the zone expanded, to today’s 256 plots. The 1985 sale price was set at 1,650 TL per m², reduced by a 10% incentive discount to 1,485 TL, with sales made on 9-year instalment terms (Çorum Tarihi, p. 333-334).

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