Izmir Ataturk Organized Industrial Zone (IAOIZ) is one of the largest and most modern organized industrial zones in Turkey. It started operating in 1990. The Zone is located to the northwest of Izmir, in Cigli district. It is 25 km from the city center, 35 km from Adnan Menderes Airport and 20 km from Alsancak Harbor.

The Zone’s total area is 7.500.000m². There are 485 factories where 30.000 people are employed. Two hundred companies are exporters and there are 15 companies of direct foreign investment. In 2 years' time, the number of companies in the Zone will reach about 600 and the number of employees about 50.000.

The companies in the Zone are mainly active in machinery, textile, ready-made garments, food, plastics, chemicals, metal, automotive-related industry, electrical and electronics sectors. The annual turnover of the Zone is approximately 4 billion, the export is 2 billion and the import is around 1 million (figures in U.S. Dollars).

Companies started using natural gas in November 2004. ATAER power plant was founded in 1996 in order to meet the continuous and high quality energy needs of the companies in the Zone. The capacity of the plant is 60 megawatts. The electricity consumption is increasing related to the development in the Zone. Having been operated with naphtha until August 2003, the power plant is now producing electricity with natural gas.