Applications open for Teknofest's biotechnology innovation contest

By Gokhan Ergocun

ISTANBUL (AA) – A competition on biotechnology innovation, which is organized as part of Türkiye's largest aviation and technology event Teknofest and conducted by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye, have started to receive applications.

According to a statement from Teknofest on Saturday, the competition, of which the deadline is Nov. 20 for applications, aims to bring scientists and students together.

Innovative ideas in different fields of biotechnology will be produced with the participation of high school, undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students from Türkiye and abroad.

Teknofest, aiming to develop an innovation system in the field of biotechnology that needs comprehensive resources, especially highly qualified expert human resources, offers important opportunities for the successful implementation of innovative ideas, the statement said.

The competition is held in two separate categories, idea and project.

In the idea category, teams are expected to make original studies in the field of biotechnology and present them on theory, while in the project category, teams are expected to transform their work into any prototype product.

There will be high school and university levels for idea category, with a reward worth 200,000 Turkish liras ($10,750) totally.

Students who are successful and ranked in the project category, for which undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students can apply, will be rewarded with a total amount of 240,000 Turkish liras ($12,900).

Teknofest will be held in the Aegean province Izmir, the capital Ankara and Istanbul on the 100th anniversary of Türkiye in 2023.

Its technology contests, of which the number has been increasing year by year, will be held in 41 main competitions and 102 sub-categories in 2023.