The tenth edition of TEKNOFEST, Turkey’s pioneering aerospace and technology festival, took place at Şakirpaşa Airport in Adana between October 2 and 6, 2024. Organized by the Turkish Technology Team Foundation (T3 Foundation) and the Ministry of Industry and Technology, TEKNOFEST has been an annual highlight since its inception in 2018. Over the years, it has become an influential platform aimed at advancing Turkey’s technological development, raising public interest in technology, and showcasing Turkey’s technological capabilities on the world stage.
A Growing Platform for Technology and Innovation
TEKNOFEST is Turkey’s first and only large-scale technology and aerospace festival that aims to establish the country as a leading technology-producing nation. Supported by key Turkish institutions and companies invested in technology, TEKNOFEST offers a wide range of competitions, air shows, concerts, talks, and hands-on activities. The event aims to increase public engagement with technology, encourage innovation, and inspire a skilled workforce in Turkey’s technology sectors.
Record Participation and Expanding Global Reach
In 2018, TEKNOFEST attracted 20,000 competitors across 4,333 teams. Since then, the festival has grown dramatically. By 2024, it engaged 1.1 million visitors, with 790,000 teams and over 1.6 million participants competing in a wide variety of fields, including biotechnology, smart transportation, rocket design, nuclear energy, chip design, jet engine design, model satellites, blockchain, AI in health, HackMasters competition, and drone championship, to name just a few. The winners received prizes worth a total of 31 million Turkish liras (ca. €850,000) and 55 million Turkish liras (ca. €1.51 million) in material support. TEKNOFEST 2024 not only attracted local talent but also welcomed participants from over 100 countries, underlining Turkey’s reputation as a technological innovator.
The growing influence of TEKNOFEST is reflected in the fact that sometimes multiple editions of the festival take place in a single year. In 2023, the centenary of the Republic of Turkey, TEKNOFEST, was held in Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir. In addition, the festival’s reach is expanding beyond Turkey’s borders: after the first international TEKNOFEST was held in Azerbaijan in 2022, there are plans to bring the festival to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in 2025. Senegal has also expressed its interest in hosting a future edition of TEKNOFEST in Dakar on behalf of Africa, which highlights the festival’s growing global momentum.
Groundbreaking Technology Showcases
TEKNOFEST 2024 provided a platform for cutting-edge innovations. Highlights included the highly anticipated public debut of the Bayraktar TB3 UCAV, a drone developed by Baykar, which completed a formation flight with the Bayraktar Akıncı UCAV. Anka III, a stealth unmanned combat drone developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries, made its first public flight accompanied by Hürkuş and Hürjet aircraft. The Barkan 2 autonomous unmanned ground vehicle developed by HAVELSAN was also exhibited in Adana. Another major attraction was Turkey’s first domestically produced electric sedan, the Togg T10F, which was showcased to the public for the first time.
Presidential Address: “Worlds Apart from the Past”
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan addressed TEKNOFEST 2024, emphasizing the importance of Turkey’s role as a technology producer. “We are taking firm steps towards our goal of a country that not only uses technology but also designs, develops, produces, and exports it,” he said. Referring to the transformation Turkey has undergone in the last two decades, President Erdoğan described the country as “worlds apart from the past.”
He cited several examples to underline this development. In the defense sector, Turkey has reduced its dependence on foreign countries from 80% to only 20%. Turkey now ranks among the top three countries globally in unmanned aerial vehicles. In addition, the establishment of more than 1,300 R&D centers and 104 technology parks—a significant leap from just two technoparks 22 years ago—demonstrates Turkey’s commitment to fostering a strong environment for research, development, and sustained innovation.
Erdoğan celebrated TEKNOFEST as a testament to the potential of Turkey’s youth, calling it “a youth epic, a technological revolution, and the strong voice of idealistic youth sprouting in fertile Anatolian soil.” Encouraging young people to hold on to their dreams, he added, “You are Türkiye’s future, its hope. My only request is that you never give up on your dreams, no matter the obstacles you face.”
Empowering the Next Generation of Innovators
One of TEKNOFEST’s core missions is to nurture future talent. However, TEKNOFEST is by no means the only program in Turkey designed with this aim. There is constant collaboration between industry players, high schools, and universities. The country invests heavily in scholarships, internships, and training programs that support young people pursuing careers in science, technology, and engineering.
Domestic and Foreign Policy Dimensions of the Turkish Techno-Nationalism
High-profile showcases such as TEKNOFEST not only promote pride in technology but also boost the popularity of the Turkish government. These events help to restore a sense of national pride and revive the belief in Turkey’s greatness that was lost with the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. It is, therefore, not surprising that the government has emphasized these technological achievements as one of the central themes in its recent election campaign.
Turkey’s striving for technological independence is also evident in its foreign policy. For example, one of Turkey’s main arguments for procuring the Russian-made S-400 Triumf air defense system was the United States’ refusal to allow technology transfer or joint production in the case of the Patriot system. In the defense industry, a clear pattern has emerged: after collaborating with foreign partners on a project, Turkey is often eager to produce subsequent or more advanced versions domestically and independently.
The Turkish government and Turkish companies are open to international collaboration in technology sectors, which also creates valuable opportunities for foreign partners, including companies in Central Europe. However, certain international partnerships — such as China’s involvement in the development of Turkey’s 5G network or the purchase of the S-400 system —might create tensions with its Western allies.
Image source: Teknofest official webpage, https://www.teknofest.org/en/
