Addressing the "Women Who Build Summit 2026" convened by KEDV, Süheyla Çebi Karahan, Board Chairwoman of DORÇE Prefabricated Building and Construction, detailed the company’s evolution into a global construction technology (ConTech) manufacturer alongside the imperative for gender parity in heavy industry.
Founded in Kahramankazan, Ankara, on June 13, 1989, with a 2,000-square-meter footprint and 250 tons of annual steel capacity, DORÇE currently operates one of Europe’s largest advanced modular steel fabrication complexes. Completing turnkey projects across five continents, the company remains the sole enterprise listed on the ENR Top 250 International Contractors rankings under the "Prefabricated Modular Steel Structures" delivery model for 14 consecutive years.
Executive Trajectory and Gender Parity in ConTech
Reviewing her 35-year tenure in industrial construction, Çebi Karahan detailed her progression from graduating as an architect from Karadeniz Technical University in 1989 to joining DORÇE as Bidding Manager in 1992, becoming an equity partner in 1998, and ultimately assuming the role of Chairwoman in 2016.
Addressing gender dynamics within the traditionally male-dominated engineering and contracting sector, Çebi Karahan stated:
“Equal opportunity removes structural barriers; those who leverage digitalization and artificial intelligence will lead the transformation. Active participation of female executives in strategic governance provides immense value to construction. Women bring trust, diligence, systemic accountability, and decisive problem-solving to corporate execution. At DORÇE, we recruit and empower female professionals across every tier—from manufacturing lines and active construction jobsites to boardroom executive committees.”
Decarbonization, CBAM, and Strategic AI Integration
Examining geopolitical trade shifts and the EU Green Deal framework, Çebi Karahan urged exporters to align capital allocation with zero-carbon mandates:
CBAM & Regulatory Compliance: Noted that failure to demonstrate low-carbon or net-zero footprints will trigger heavy border carbon adjustments on European Union exports, requiring urgent supply chain decarbonization.
Data-Centric AI Transition: Underscored that AI deployment depends fundamentally on systematic data integrity, advocating reverse mentorship programs with younger talent cohorts to accelerate corporate modernization.
Long-Term Societal Impact: Reaffirmed UN Sustainable Development Goal 5 (Gender Equality) as an economic necessity, projecting that climate-conscious girls educated in the Society 5.0 era will define the next generation of industrial entrepreneurs.
