A Turkish Vision Shaping the Future: An In-Depth Conversation with Selçuk Bilgin

Since 2005, Doruksistem has been guiding chemical-sector companies on compliance with local and international regulations and European Union legislation. In our interview, Doruksistem CEO Selçuk Bilgin shared the company's founding story and valuable insights on the sector's future with our readers.

Selçuk, it is a great pleasure to get to know you closely. We would like to start our interview by introducing you. Could you tell us a bit about yourself and your professional background?
Of course, with pleasure. I graduated from the Chemical Engineering Department at Middle East Technical University (METU) in 1992. In those days, when engineering was mentioned, people thought of technical topics like production, process and quality. Concepts such as regulations, environmental sustainability or product safety were not on our agenda. However, when I started working, I realized that production alone was not enough. How you produce, for whom, and with what responsibility is just as important as what you produce.

When the European Union began discussing the REACH regulation in the early 2000s, this became a turning point for me. I sensed that not just a technical, but a social transformation was at the door. REACH was not merely a system for tracking chemicals; it was a harbinger of a new understanding that placed transparency, safety and environmental impact at the center of every stage from production to the end user. I saw the gap in Turkey on this subject at that time and founded Doruksistem in 2005.

So what has been the journey of Doruksistem since its founding?
At first, I was alone. A desk, a computer and plenty of notebooks... It took courage to tell sector representatives, whose faces grimaced at the word regulation, "This is your future!" But I always believed. I said I would explain to each company individually, touch each product one by one, and review each label personally if necessary. And I did.

In the early years, the state's digital registration system was not yet in place. We can say that no one knew how hazard classification would be done, how to prepare a Safety Data Sheet, what a Chemical Products Registration System (KKDIK) was, or how to classify a hazardous substance. It was almost impossible to access ready-made resources for learning. And considering that the concept of internet research had not yet taken root, we worked like doctoral students, mixing many sources. But we learned, we implemented, and today I can proudly say that I have directly or indirectly touched over 100,000 Safety Data Sheets (SDS) prepared in Turkey. By the way, it would be wrong to just mention SDS in passing. We are talking about creating a risk communication tool by evaluating all the quite complex processes from the production of a substance, product or article to its use, first aid, fire, identification of personal protective equipment, transportation rules and regulatory compliance. You examine and build a systemic structure and present it to the user as a summary that will communicate all risks, taking responsibility for it. We prepared this carefully and manually. We provided service by training new experts. But what is more important for me now is seeing that experts who learned this systemic infrastructure from us are working in respected companies today throughout Turkey and even abroad.

We trained experts not only as Chemical Assessment Specialists but also in many fields such as risk assessment consultant, product safety leader and sustainability coordinator. We built process safety systems for many factories together with them, prepared high-level safety reports against major industrial accidents. We did not merely transmit information; we enabled the experts we trained to internalize this experience. We showed them not just regulations, but how to read the future. This became and continues to be a source of hidden pride for me.

So what services does Doruksistem offer today? What makes you different in the sector?
Doruksistem has never been a classical consulting firm that merely prepares documents and conducts registration. In fact, even now I cannot say I very much like the concept of consulting firm. Our business is to produce safety. Documents, analyses, labeling, certificates... These are all tools. Our actual goal is to build systems. Engineering, Technology and Conformity Assessment offered with current practices and providing guidance. A system in which everyone from producer to consumer is involved, feels confident, and prioritizes sustainability. We could say it is a system that is a travel companion to visionary companies. Our name is DORUKSISTEM for this reason. Doruk comes from the name of my son.

Today we provide consultancy on dozens of different regulations such as KKDIK, REACH, CLP, SEA, DSA, MoCRA, GPSR, ESPR. Label control, SDS preparation, technical file production, risk analyses, regulatory registrations, product licensing, authorization processes, export support, e-commerce regulations, digital product passport and more... Believe me, every month we face a new regulation or amendment. We continuously learn and renew ourselves.

But one of the projects we are most proud of is UseSafe. This is a digital certification and traceability system that we have developed and are developing under patent. It records not only product safety but also the product's life cycle, carbon footprint, regulatory compliance, sustainability performance and the entire journey the product takes to reach the user in a transparent and verifiable manner. Very soon, with international standards also in place, we are opening it for practical use. We are quite excited about the global implementation of system components in terms of regulations and standards. I believe that by the end of 2025 and mid-2026, it will become a globally recognized brand.

Are companies in Turkey struggling to implement these systems? What do you think is the biggest obstacle?
To put it plainly, the biggest obstacle is not information but lack of vision. Technical human resources in Turkey are improving with each passing day. However, the essence of this work requires seeing regulations not only as a "requirement" but as an "opportunity."

Most companies still view the regulatory compliance process as "unnecessary cost." But here is what we tell them: This is the future of your brand, your product, your corporate culture. When you comply with regulations, you not only eliminate the risk of penalties; you also open doors to the international market, gain brand value and strengthen your sustainability record.

For this reason, we founded Doruksistem Academy. We are training Chemical Assessment Specialists, educating risk assessment consultants and helping companies establish their own regulatory units. We also obtained our TSE Training Organization conformity certificate for Chemical Assessment Specialist Training. This step was very valuable for us.

In every training, we say: "Knowing the regulation is not enough; you must understand and apply it."

Sustainability is the most discussed topic in recent years. What approach have you adopted on this issue?
For us, sustainability is not just reporting; it is the work itself. We structure all our services based on sustainability. Because the world is now questioning not just production but the entire life cycle.

Our UseSafe system responds exactly to this need. Using IoT, artificial intelligence, blockchain and similar technologies, it provides a complete "Digital Product Certification and Traceability System." It works integrated with the European Union ESPR (Ecodesign Sustainable Products Regulation) with the Digital Product Passport (DPP) infrastructure. Every product gains a digital identity. From raw materials to end users and from there to waste management, all stages of the product are recorded with blockchain. From e-commerce to retail sales, it ensures that all products under the EU GPSR regulation (General Product Safety Regulation) are marketed in compliance. Furthermore, by transferring this traceability from the product raw material through the ecosystem that transforms and markets the product to the final consumer, it circularizes it with a living structure. The consumer can monitor the product's instant life cycle risk analysis and return to circular economy through a data carrier (QR code, NFC, RFID, etc.) from their mobile phone. They can track this with a simple sustainability score. They shop with assurance that the product is safe and compliant with relevant regulations. They are subsequently informed regularly about the product.

Our forecast for 2030 and beyond is this: Products without sustainability scores will not find space in major markets. Artificial intelligence systems will classify products. Blockchain infrastructures will verify product journeys. Consumers will demand "transparent" products. We are already prepared for this future. We are even among the pioneering structures that are building this future. Together with our partners in the European Union and on a global scale, we are shaping the future.

Finally, as a Turkish company, what are your goals in the global market? And what are you doing to achieve this?
When I founded Doruksistem, I had only Turkey in mind. I wholeheartedly believe in Turkish engineering, Turkish problem-solving power and Turkish intelligence. That is why we founded DorukWell GmbH in Germany. We manage all REACH processes in Europe through this company of ours. With DorukWell LLC, which we founded in the USA, we provide consultancy for MoCRA compliance, FDA registrations and market adaptation in America. The management of all of these consists of Turkish engineers and experts.

Next on the agenda are Canada and Latin America. We are trying to integrate the regulatory structure there with our UseSafe system. What we want to do is this: to carry the vision, transparency and innovative perspective of a Turkish company to global markets. We are doing this not only through consultancy but through technology, artificial intelligence-enabled systems and digital certification infrastructure.

Most importantly, this is it: We believe in ourselves. We trust the youth of this country, its producers, its visionary leaders. Because we know that if we do not do it, no one will do it for us. Our path is long, but our belief is even longer. And as we walk down this path, we are not alone; we are ready to grow with everyone who wants to walk with us.

Thank you very much, Selçuk, for this beautiful conversation and deep insights.
I thank you. I hope this interview will generate new ideas, create shared visions and lead to new collaborations. I call out to everyone interested: it is possible to produce together, grow together and build the future together. On this occasion, I would like to say that our doors are always open to those interested in this visionary future and those who want to be travel companions. It is time for growth through cooperation. Anyone who wants to develop on these issues can contact me directly. I send my love and respect to Putech&Composites and our valued readers.