Finalists have been announced in the 16th National Furniture Design Competition organized by the Central Anatolian Furniture, Paper and Forestry Products Exporters Association (OMKO). Noting that winners will have the chance to study at international institutions with government support and that 300 young people have so far gained experience abroad through the competition, OMKO Chairman Tahsin Ata said, “Talented young people with a solid grounding in design joining our workforce—now exceeding 300,000 nationwide—will broaden our sector’s horizons. Our industry produces over 1 billion dollars each month, and once we achieve the desired increase in value added through innovative designs, Türkiye will rank among the world’s top ten in furniture.”
The 16th National Furniture Design Competition—Türkiye’s meeting point for new ideas and creative perspectives in furniture—will conclude with an award ceremony on September 24, 2025, at ATO Congresium / Ankara. Standing out from more than 1,000 applications this year, selected designs will be exhibited in the categories of home, office, kitchen–bathroom and smart furniture. In addition to different age groups from primary school to university, professional designers also compete, enabling young talents to present their projects to the industry. Conducted under the coordination of the Ministry of Trade, in cooperation with TİM and organized by OMKO, the competition will once again place the “Design for Export” approach at its center. A total of ₺977,500 in prizes will be awarded, and winners across 38 categories will be announced. Those who place will have the opportunity to study abroad with government support in countries such as Italy and the United Kingdom. Highlighting innovation and a sustainable design mindset, the ceremony will offer an inspiring atmosphere with day-long events and talks by leading experts.
“Our strong production base lifted our global market share to around 2%”
Emphasizing that the competition is an effective vehicle for discovering young people’s creative potential and boosting competitiveness in one of Türkiye’s net-export sectors, furniture, OMKO Chairman Tahsin Ata said:
“Türkiye is among the countries that have made the biggest leap in furniture over the past decade. During this period, the main factor enabling us to raise our share of global furniture exports from 0.3% to 2% was our strong production infrastructure. Going forward, sustaining the same momentum and increasing our market share depends on original designs and robust branding. This competition is a strategic platform that unleashes our young people’s creative potential while supporting the sector’s global competitiveness. Thanks to government support for education, around 300 of our designers have so far gained experience abroad. Talented young people with solid design foundations joining our workforce—now over 300,000 across Türkiye—will open up new horizons for the sector. Our industry produces more than 1 billion dollars every month. Once we achieve the desired increase in value added through innovative designs, Türkiye will be among the world’s top ten in furniture. We believe the young people who qualify for overseas education this year will, with the knowledge and experience they gain, make valuable contributions to our furniture exports in the period ahead.”
“We aim to enter distant markets such as Asia and the Americas with new designs”
Pointing out that Türkiye must reach new markets and consumer profiles to raise its global market share in the nearly 300-billion-dollar global furniture export market, OMKO Chairman Tahsin Ata said:
“We position the ‘Design for Export’ vision not merely as a competition theme, but as a development strategy that will strengthen Türkiye’s export performance and brand perception over the next decade. Today a significant portion of our furniture exports goes to Europe and the Middle East. While our market share is strong in these nearby geographies, to achieve a global leap we need to expand into distant markets such as Asia and the Americas. With this competition, students and young designers not only present aesthetic solutions, they also generate innovative ideas in areas such as ergonomics, functionality and the use of eco-friendly materials. Creative ideas developed with an export-oriented design mindset will help Turkish furniture be preferred around the world and will guide our sector’s innovative transformation.”