Minister Kacır: Technology Entrepreneurship is the Driving Force of New Success Stories
Speaking at the GITEX AI Turkey summit in Istanbul, Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır announced that Turkey has reached 8 unicorns and implemented strong investments in the field of artificial intelligence.
Speaking at the GITEX AI Turkey event held at the Istanbul Expo Center, Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır emphasized that technology entrepreneurship is one of the main driving forces behind Turkey's new generation of success stories.
Global Value Chain Target
Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır stated that they aim to move Turkey much higher in the global high-tech value chain.
He expressed that they are aware the Turkish entrepreneurship ecosystem will unleash its true potential when brought together with the right talents.
Development of the Innovation Ecosystem
Stating that Turkey has built a strong innovation ecosystem over the past two decades, Minister Kacır noted that 1,700 R&D and design centers and 115 technoparks are operating in the country.
Touching upon developments in the defense industry, Kacır conveyed that they lead the world in military UAV systems and that approximately 120,000 vehicles of the national automobile Togg have hit the roads.
Unicorn Targets and Funds
Reminding that Turkey did not have a single unicorn in 2019 but has reached 8 unicorns today, Kacır stated that the target is to reach 100,000 technology startups and a valuation of 100 billion dollars.
He stated that 130 million dollars of public resources have been transferred through fund mechanisms directed at the entrepreneurship ecosystem, mobilizing a total fund volume of 2.8 billion dollars.
Artificial Intelligence and Action Plan
Explaining that the TÜBİTAK Artificial Intelligence Institute has been established and the TRUBA national computing cluster has been put into service in the field of artificial intelligence, Kacır reported that 150 million dollars in public financing has been provided to AI-focused funds.
He added that within the framework of Turkey's Artificial Intelligence Action Plan, it is aimed to mobilize at least 10 billion dollars of private sector investment for cloud technologies and digital infrastructure by 2030.