OKI signed Memorandum of Understanding with Turkish State Railways
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OKI has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Turkish State Railways to conduct a Proof of Concept involving emergency notifications using Internet of Things (IoT) disaster prevention inspection and monitoring technology – “Zero Energy IoT Series,” as well as disaster risk prediction utilising satellite images and other complementary methods.
Through this initiative, they aim to contribute to the safe operation of the TCDD and create new value to support the development of social infrastructure in Türkiye and other regions with similar needs. This demonstration test was approved by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry for FY2023 under the Global South Future-Oriented Co-creation Project Subsidy.
In recent years, Türkiye has made progress in upgrading its aging systems with the latest technology in addition to expanding its transportation network. As part of this, the improvement of railway infrastructure is positioned as a national project. On the other hand, natural disasters such as landslides, sinkholes and floods have damaged railway facilities in the TCDD, and the expansion of maintenance and management of railway facilities has become an urgent issue.
OKI’s “Zero Energy IoT Series,” which will be utilised in this demonstration test, is a cutting-edge solution that remotely monitors infrastructure constructions such as bridges without requiring external power or signal installation. In addition, this solution has been installed many places in Japan and has been recognised for its practicability and high reliability. It visualises changes based on data measured by various sensors, such as river water levels, inclination and natural frequencies of infrastructure constructions, and uses a high-sensitivity camera to capture clear images day and night. Infrastructure managers can view these data and images via the cloud on a remote computer or smartphone browser. In addition, the system has an automatic notification function when an abnormality is detected, making it possible not only for normal maintenance but also to quickly grasp the situation and formulate countermeasures in the event of a disaster. This makes it possible to strongly support infrastructure managers in making accurate decisions.
Takashi Inoue, an executive officer and the head of component products division at OKI, said: “The signing of a MOU with TCDD marks an important milestone in the global expansion of OKI’s social infrastructure solutions. Türkiye has great potential as a hub linking Asia and Europe due to its geographical characteristics, and we are confident that OKI’s technology can contribute to the local community and the environment.”
In addition, TCDD commented as follows regarding the collaboration: “First of all, we would like to express our sincere appreciation for the cooperation. As the entity responsible for the infrastructure of high-speed, conventional, and commuter railway lines, TCDD is increasingly facing challenges caused by natural disasters, particularly those associated with climate change. In this context, the development of technology-based, real-time monitoring systems is considered essential to ensure the safety and reliability of railway infrastructure. The high-quality equipment developed by OKI appears to meet TCDD’s technical requirements. We hope that this collaboration will generate results that exceed mutual expectations and contribute meaningfully to railway infrastructure resilience.”
Going forward, by the end of March 2026, OKI will use sensors to detect disasters along Turkish railways and verify disaster risk predictions using satellite data, aiming to improve the safety and efficiency of operations. Furthermore, through the expansion of the railway network to support the development of local communities, OKI will promote ripple effects on the local economy.
OKI will use the demonstration experiment as a model case and aim for further growth in the global market, with a view to expanding into neighbouring countries and other regions. OKI will strengthen its efforts to solve social issues by building sustainable infrastructure.
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