Kastamonu's digital trade potential
Kastamonu is one of Türkiye's most forest-rich provinces and it has turned that into a substantial industry: the integrated forest products plants in the province make particleboard, MDF, parquet and doors and export them to dozens of countries. The forest industry is the city's flagship sector and employs thousands of people.
This structure sets Kastamonu apart from finished-furniture centres: the city is largely a raw material and panel supplier, producing the raw material of furniture and selling it to the world. That means an export identity built on scale and on B2B.
Mining is the second strong arm: the copper operation in the region is the engine behind mining and metal exports, which have risen sharply in recent years. Alongside the forest industry, that gives the city a second international B2B field.
On the food side Kastamonu is rich in geographical indications: Taşköprü garlic is the leading garlic name in Türkiye and a registered product; einkorn wheat and bulgur and Kastamonu pastırma are registered regional products as well. These products are very well suited to branded e-commerce.
Nature tourism is a growing potential: Mount Ilgaz and the green landscape draw visitors in both winter and summer. The city's calm, natural identity offers a strong story for regional produce and tourism brands.
Kastamonu's opportunity is to turn its strong production and its geographical indications into international value online: taking panels and forest products to more countries through a multilingual B2B showcase, and Taşköprü garlic and pastırma into brands and e-commerce. Production capacity is high; what is missing is digital visibility and brand.