(MENAFN) The LES-EXPO 2026 Europe-Asia-Africa Load Engineering Services Fair will gather key international players in the load engineering sector in Istanbul, scheduled for April 7-9, 2026, as stated by the Load Engineering Association (YMB).

Türkiye’s load engineering industry, essential for the nation’s industrial and infrastructure projects, has grown into a $15 billion sector. It encompasses freight engineering for major projects such as bridges, ports, power plants, and wind turbines, operating through over 5,000 companies and employing roughly 150,000 people. Four Turkish firms rank among the world’s top 100 in heavy lifting and transport, a market exceeding $600 billion globally.

This discipline, which integrates lifting, moving, and assembling extremely heavy and oversized loads with advanced engineering, has been crucial for landmark projects like Istanbul Airport, the 1915 Canakkale Bridge, the Eurasia Tunnel, and the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant. The LES-EXPO 2026 will highlight these achievements on an international stage.

YMB President Ahmet Altunkum described cargo engineering as “the unsung hero of Türkiye’s industrial and infrastructure development.” He emphasized the precise and safe handling of massive loads, such as lifting a 155-ton component to a height of 318 meters during the 1915 Canakkale Bridge construction, which set a world record for the heaviest lift at such an altitude.

Altunkum highlighted that Turkish companies are increasingly sought for complex, high-value projects worldwide. The sector has evolved beyond traditional lifting and transport, now offering comprehensive engineering solutions that include detailed in-house calculations, simulations, and advanced technology implementation.

“Leading Turkish firms are now exporting solutions for complex assembly and transportation projects across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia. Operations once reserved for global giants can now be executed by Turkish companies with the same engineering standards,” Altunkum said.

Ibrahim Burkay, chairman of the Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BTSO) and KFA Fairs, stressed that cargo engineering remains a critical component of megaprojects in Türkiye and the wider region.

The upcoming fair is expected to bring together hundreds of companies from three continents, offering an opportunity to demonstrate Türkiye’s growing global competitiveness in the freight engineering sector.

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