The SDN Summit, held by Turkish technology platform shiftdelete.net, convened Türkiye's foremost technology innovators and entrepreneurs in Istanbul on April 27-28 to explore the current landscape of technology and the opportunities that lie ahead.
During the summit, Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır and Investment Office President A. Burak Dağlıoğlu took the stage, along with sector leaders and pioneering entrepreneurs from Türkiye, sharing their invaluable experiences with the attendees.
Minister Kacır elaborated on Türkiye's robust support in the domains of technology and R&D. Highlighting Türkiye's impressive strides in these fields, he underscored the country's network of 102 technoparks and over 10,000 R&D companies. Minister Kacır also disclosed that TÜBİTAK has allocated TRY 14 billion to 3,800 projects, significantly bolstering Türkiye's scientific and technological advancements.
Emphasizing the pivotal role of nurturing young talent in technology and entrepreneurship, Minister Kacır unveiled initiatives offering financial support of up to TRY 900,000 to empower local ventures to compete on a global scale.
Touching upon the burgeoning developments in electric vehicles and renewable energy, Minister Kacır cited Türkiye's ambitious goals, exemplified by TOGG, the country's indigenous electric car manufacturer. The minister mentioned that TOGG aims to elevate the market share of electric and rechargeable hybrid vehicles to 35 percent by 2030.
For his part, Investment Office President A. Burak Dağlıoğlu hailed Türkiye's capacity to domestically produce technology amidst the influx of international tech companies. Dağlıoğlu accentuated Türkiye's digitalization thrust, spotlighting the thriving gaming sector and fintech startups. He lauded Türkiye's burgeoning startup ecosystem, exemplified by the competitive edge of Turcorns in global markets.
Offering insights into FDI in Türkiye, Dağlıoğlu revealed that Türkiye has attracted over USD 260 billion in investments since 2003, with significant contributions from Europe, the USA, Gulf countries, and Asia.