BODTO-SUPPORTED RESEARCH PRESENTED IN ATHENS

Dear Members,

The initial findings of the research project titled “The Historical Evolution of Bodrum’s Wooden Yacht Manufacturing Cluster”, supported by the Bodrum Chamber of Commerce (BODTO), were presented to the international academic community at the 41st European Group for Organizational Studies (EGOS) Conference, one of the world’s leading conferences in the field of management studies, held in Athens, Greece.

Led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Serkan Dirlik from Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, and conducted as part of the doctoral dissertation of Yunus Emre, a Ph.D. candidate in the university’s Institute of Social Sciences, Department of Business Administration, this study represents the first scientific attempt to document the historical development of Bodrum’s wooden yacht manufacturing cluster.

As part of the project, a paper titled “Survival in Declining Craft Industries: The Case of Bodrum’s Wooden Yacht Cluster” was presented at the 41st European Group for Organizational Studies (EGOS) Colloquium, hosted by Alba Graduate Business School – The American College of Greece (ACG) between July 3–5 in Athens.

Based on in-depth interviews with active and retired wooden boat masters, the research analyzes, from a theoretical perspective, the historical trajectory of boatbuilding in Bodrum since the 1930s, key transformations throughout the decades, and the survival strategies of the workshops that have managed to sustain their operations to this day.

The main goal of the study is to ensure the preservation of Bodrum’s wooden yacht manufacturing cluster and to document the historical narrative of this valuable craft tradition.

BODTO Chairman Mahmut Serdar Kocadon stated:

“With the support of our Chamber, we launched the ‘Bodrum Wooden Yacht Manufacturing Research Program’ to help sustain Bodrum’s wooden yacht manufacturing cluster—one of Turkey’s most significant examples of artisanal craftsmanship—and to document its historical narrative.”

Chairman Kocadon expressed his gratitude to those who contributed through interviews, particularly IMEAK Chamber of Shipping Bodrum Branch President Orhan Dinç, BODTO Vice Chairman Erdem Ağan, and the distinguished boatbuilding masters Yılmaz Dinç, Mazlum Ağan, Umut Yıllıkçı, Mehmet Nalbantoğlu, Ethem Özyurt, Ali Dikan, Fuat Turan, and İsmail Özyurt.

He extended special thanks to Orhan Dinç, whose contributions provided crucial data for the project, and stated that it was a source of great pride and joy to see research on Bodrum’s wooden yacht manufacturing cluster presented at such a prestigious international academic conference attended by scholars from around the world.

Finally, Chairman Kocadon emphasized that BODTO will continue to provide full support for the preservation of Bodrum’s wooden boat and yacht craftsmanship, which has been one of the region’s key economic and cultural assets since the 1930s. He reminded that the “Bodrum Gulet” received its geographical indication registration last year and added that further academic research on the cluster will continue, with the aim of producing a significant publication based on the comprehensive interviews conducted with all the master craftsmen.