Minister Kacır: We made history with TEKNOFEST this year

Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır attended the opening ceremony for the National Technology Workshop and Arif Ağaoğlu Advanced Technology and Engineering Laboratories at Bursa Uludağ University. In addition to Minister Kacır, the opening was attended by Bursa Governor Erol Ayyıldız, AK Party Bursa Deputies Ahmet Kılıç, Mustafa Yavuz, Refik Özen, and Osman Mesten, AK Party Bursa Provincial Chairman Davut Gürkan, Bursa Uludağ University Rector Prof. Dr. Ferudun Yılmaz, Arif Ağaoğlu's family, academics, and students.

Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Kacır stated that Turkey has made significant strides in science and technology over the past 23 years, saying, "Under the leadership of our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, we have built a research and innovation infrastructure that forms the foundation of a great and powerful Türkiye in every field. During this period, we have increased the number of scientific publications originating in Turkey annually from 9,000 to 52,000. We have risen from 22nd to 14th among the countries that produce the most scientific publications in the world. We are extremely pleased with the progress made in our country's capacity to produce scientific knowledge thanks to the support we provide to our researchers and scientists."

Kacır, stating that training the qualified human resources Türkiye needs in science and technology in the 'Turkish Century' is a priority, said: "Of course, what is at least as important as these achievements in our science and technology-based development journey is the transformation of our research competence into economic value, and the development of a dynamic structure that feeds our research and innovation ecosystem in many ways with the capacity and capabilities of our universities, working shoulder to shoulder with our industrialists and entrepreneurs. In the 'Turkish Century,' our priority is to train the qualified human resources Türkiye needs, leading in science and technology, at our universities. In recent years, we have taken important steps to strengthen the synergy between our universities and our industry. We have increased the number of our technoparks, which mobilize the knowledge and research potential of our universities for our R&D and innovation-focused development, from 2 to 113 in 23 years. While only 56 companies were operating in technoparks in Turkey 23 years ago, today there are 11,500 technology enterprises working with a focus on research, development, and innovation. Additive manufacturing, domestic We are accelerating the commercialization of R&D activities with the 20 high-tech platforms we have established in strategic areas such as pharmaceuticals and vaccines, sustainable agriculture, electric vehicles, renewable energy, circular economy, and quantum. Twelve national research infrastructures, for which we have provided 7.2 billion lira in resources under Law No. 6550, are deepening our industry's R&D and innovation capacity with studies conducted in critical areas such as health technologies, chips, nanomaterials, optics, renewable energy, and rail system technologies.

Minister Kacır underlined that the 'Sector on Campus' program provides university students with the opportunity to take enriched courses prepared by industry professionals with up-to-date and field-based content. He said, "Bursa, the city of industry, production, added value, employment, and labor, is among our exemplary cities in university-industry cooperation. In Bursa, three universities, especially Uludağ University, contribute to our country's scientific and research journey with their high research competence. Bursa, with its large-scale investments that prove the progress our country has made in value-added production and thousands of SMEs that act within a clustering approach with these investments, is leading the way in our automotive, ready-to-wear, textile, and furniture industries. With 138 R&D and 31 design centers, as well as 2 technoparks, our city is among the showcase cities of our technology-focused development journey. As the Ministry of Industry and Technology, we have taken many concrete steps to bring universities and industry closer together in Bursa. We aim to ensure that SMEs operating in the technical textile and composite material sectors can achieve global "We launched the BUTEXCOMP Center of Excellence, which strengthens our competitiveness in the markets. We launched the ULUTEK Prototyping Center, which provides fast and low-cost prototyping services to startups, industrialists, academics, and students, with the support of our development agencies. We provided 8 billion lira in resources through TÜBİTAK for the R&D-focused projects of our private sector," he said.

Kacır, announcing the opening of the Arif Ağaoğlu Advanced Technology and Engineering Center at Bursa Uludağ University, said, "This center, built on a 4,500-square-meter site, plays a significant role in the training of qualified human resources and the development of innovative technologies through the opportunities it offers to our researchers, young people, and industrialists. One of the laboratories at our center is the Battery Technologies Research and Development Platform for Electric Vehicles (BATEG) Center of Excellence. The global automotive industry is undergoing a major transformation in light of digitalization, autonomous driving, climate change, and innovative materials. With shifting consumer preferences, emission standards, and government incentives, the trend toward electric vehicles is gaining momentum worldwide."

Minister Kacır stated that Türkiye is ready to lead the transformation of the mobility ecosystem with its advanced R&D and innovation infrastructure, strong and well-established production ecosystem, and all these capabilities. He said, "Our electric and smart automobile, TOGG, which we introduced to our nation with the insistence, assertiveness, and strong leadership of our President, is not only the symbol of our next-generation mobility vision, but also a concrete proof of our will to transform in this area. With TOGG, the self-confidence of the Turkish nation, which was tried to be lost, has been revived, and the dreams, which were tried to be forgotten, have become reality. To date, over 70,000 TOGGs produced in Bursa have met with their owners and hit the roads. In the coming period, TOGG will continue on its path by accelerating its R&D and innovation steps. Our researchers at the Center of Excellence will continue to undertake the qualified research needed by our mobility ecosystem, in close cooperation with both TOGG and the automotive industry companies in Bursa, with the support of TÜBİTAK. Our first domestic battery pack is being developed here in cooperation with TOGG and project stakeholders. Using advanced materials and new technologies in battery packs, we are developing vehicle "The results of studies aimed at reducing weight and increasing range will provide a significant competitive advantage to our mobility ecosystem," he said.

Kacır, providing information about the Arif Ağaoğlu Advanced Technology and Engineering Center, said, "Another laboratory within the center has been allocated for the development and testing of composite material technologies. Here, our researchers are conducting a wide range of projects, from advanced material design to prototyping and certification testing, in collaboration with leading companies in our composites industry. The advanced technology optics and electronics systems laboratories, which will be operational within the center in the coming period, will also strengthen the research capacity and capabilities of our university and industrialists."

Minister Kacır, stating that they see the country's young population as the guarantee of technological independence in the "Turkish Century," said the following: "We have taken important steps to create an environment where our young people can pursue their dreams and transform their ideas into products. We are preparing our youth for the future with the Deneyap Technology Workshops we have established in all 81 cities. With science talks and TÜBİTAK science publications, we are laying the foundations of a society that is curious, questioning, and productive at our science centers. We are discovering talents from all over our country through Science Olympiads and Research Project Competitions, turning them into pioneers of science and technology. We are developing the project preparation culture of our associate and undergraduate students through the University Student Research Projects Support Program. We are enabling our young researchers to take an active role in the world of R&D and innovation with the TÜBİTAK Intern Researcher Scholarship Program (STAR). We are providing our young researchers with the opportunity to turn their projects into enterprises through the Entrepreneurship Support Program (BiGG).

Minister Kacır, who also stated that they provide young people with the opportunity to showcase themselves through TEKNOFEST, said, "With TEKNOFEST, the world's largest aviation, space, and technology festival, we are opening the doors of the technology development journey to Turkish youth, who cannot stand against any obstacle on the way to their dreams. When we organized the first TEKNOFEST in Istanbul in 2018, 20,000 young people participated in 14 technology competitions. Our experiences since then have shown that that beginning was the first steps of a great social mobilization. In the past years, we broke new records that increased our hopes exponentially at TEKNOFESTs in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Samsun, Gaziantep, and Baku, where we met with millions of young people. This year, we continued our journey in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. In our sister country, we organized the largest event in the history of the island. We carried our excitement to the seas with TEKNOFEST Blue Homeland. Finally, at Istanbul Atatürk Airport, the battlefield of the National Technology Initiative, We've reignited the TEKNOFEST flame with excitement and enthusiasm. This year, we made history once again with TEKNOFEST, where we welcomed 1.5 million visitors and saw 1.25 million young people compete. We know and firmly believe that this momentum will continue. We just need to continue to encourage our youth towards our 'National Technology Initiative' goals. We'll remove the obstacles, one by one, that stand in the way of our youth, who ignore those who say, 'You can't do it, you can't succeed,' and who courageously embark on their journey. With this understanding, we're establishing National Technology Workshops across our country. We're establishing a physical infrastructure that provides our young people with access to the machinery, equipment, and consumables that will enable them to realize their dreams, ideas, and projects.

Mehmet Fatih Kacır, recalling that last year they issued a call for project support for the establishment of workshops within universities and TÜBİTAK-supported science centers, said, "As part of our call, we have initiated the contracting and installation process for 50 workshops in the first phase. With the National Technology Workshop we are opening today at Bursa Uludağ University, we are providing our students with advanced technology equipment and modern infrastructure, and we are paving the way for the young inventors who will build our country's future. With the projects they will present here, our young people will add new momentum to our national technology initiative and elevate Türkiye even higher in the high-tech league. Our goal is to rapidly implement at least 100 national technology workshops in all 81 provinces with TÜBİTAK support. In the coming period, we will support the commercialization of the technologies and projects developed in our workshops with strong incentives and continue to take all necessary steps with them to ensure our students' recognition on international platforms."

Minister Kacır also stated that they launched the "National Technology Clubs Association Program" to ensure more active participation of university students in scientific and technological developments, strengthen cooperation between clubs, and support the development of joint projects. He continued: "With this program, we are bringing together technology clubs operating at universities across Turkey under one roof. While ensuring coordination between clubs, we aim to develop joint projects and establish academic and technical support mechanisms. I would especially like to announce to our young people that applications for our first call for support from the National Technology Clubs Association will continue until the end of October. I invite all our clubs and young entrepreneurship teams to meet under this roof without delay. As the Ministry of Industry and Technology, we will continue to support the transformation of the Turkish economy focused on high technology and added value with these projects we have implemented and to expand our country's qualified human resources pool. We will continue to provide all kinds of support to turn ideas, which have grown with the sweat of our hands and minds, into initiatives, and to turn these initiatives into success. I believe that Uludağ University, with its approach based on transforming the qualified human resources it produces and knowledge into economic value, will contribute to the development of Türkiye's science, technology, and "It will further increase its contribution to the entrepreneurship journey in the coming period."