Industrial location selection criteria in Samsun metropolitan area: Samsun central organized industrial zones

In this thesis, industrial site selection criteria in Samsun metropolitan area were examined specifically for Samsun Central Organized Industrial Zones (OSB). The study will examine whether the firms in Samsun Central OSB and Food Specialized OSB choose locations according to industrial site selection theories and their satisfaction. It was determined that factors such as transportation, land cost, and energy access were at the forefront in location selection decisions. While the availability of land in an appropriate size and at low cost was an important reason for preference for firms, it was observed that transportation opportunities were particularly decisive in location selection in industrial zones. At the same time, it was revealed that energy outages and infrastructure problems had negative effects on industrial activities. The findings show that cooperation between firms was insufficient and that firms did not interact with each other in the areas of technical knowledge and financial support. In addition, the fact that the vast majority of firms had R&D departments showed that they were trying to increase their competitiveness by investing in innovative production technologies. It was concluded that infrastructure improvements and cooperation between firms should be encouraged in order to increase the sustainability of OSBs and the competitiveness of firms. In this context, determining the OIZs in Samsun in accordance with the location selection criteria contributes to industrial development.