Global Innovation Summit begins in Istanbul

By Gokhan Ergocun

ISTANBUL (AA) – A summit to address crucial aspects of the green transition, digitalization, and sustainable economic strategies, in line with global innovation trends, kicked off in the Turkish metropolitan of Istanbul on Thursday.

Eureka's Global Innovation Summit, an intergovernmental research and development organization, began in Istanbul, which is hosting the event for the first time.

Türkiye is currently holding the Eureka Presidency from 2023 to 2024, and the two-day summit is being organized in collaboration with the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (Tubitak).

The summit will feature thematic panels, presentations, country events, and discussions attended by officials and experts.

The summit, which attracts over 2,000 high-profile participants, leading companies, innovation leaders, and industrial organizations from 47 Eureka member countries, provides stakeholders from many countries with the opportunity to form project partnerships and hold bilateral meetings.

Hasan Mandal, the head of Tubitak, said at the event that the summit is important for encouraging collaboration and innovation.

Innovative approaches not only address current challenges but also reveal how to respond to future problems, Mandal said, adding that they have completed significant work on a national and international scale.

- Türkiye's startups

Turkish Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacir stated in a video message to the summit that Türkiye has a vibrant startup ecosystem with dynamic entrepreneurs.

Stressing that Türkiye's strong innovation environment has seven unicorns, he underlined that the ones that have emerged in the last four years are known as Turcorns.

Unicorns are startups with a valuation of $1 billion or higher.

He said that Türkiye has emerged as a regional leader in entrepreneurship, with plans to create 100,000 tech startups by 2030.

"We will make significant progress in 5G technologies, autonomous mobility systems, battery and chip technologies, solar panels, wind turbines, biotechnological medicines, next-generation satellites, and high-speed trains," he added.