Organized at Samsun-Çarşamba Airport, TEKNOFEST KARADENIZ 2022, of which TÜBİTAK is a stakeholder, ended with a magnificent closing ceremony. At the ceremony, the second and third place winners received their awards in the competitions to which more than 600 thousand competitors applied. Deputy Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır, TEKNOFEST Chairman Selçuk Bayraktar, Samsun Governor Assoc. Dr. Zülkif Dağlı and TÜBİTAK President Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal presented the awards to the winners of the TÜBİTAK competitions.

During the award presentation, each team was photographed separately and colorful moments took place on the stage. TÜBİTAK President Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal congratulated each team separately and chatted with the young people.

"TEKNOFEST climate is a climate that gives hope for both our present and our future"

Delivering the closing speech, Selçuk Bayraktar said, "We have come to the end of a TEKNOFEST that changed the climate from the moment it started, charging us all like a high-speed charging station. The TEKNOFEST season is an exciting and enthusiastic season where the winds of national technology blow strongly. The TEKNOFEST climate is a climate that gives hope both for today and for our future."

Bayraktar told the youth: "Young people, you are the future of a fully independent and prosperous Turkey. You are the authors of the hopeful stories of our future. You are our bannermen who will carry the national technology move into the future."

Reminding that TEKNOFEST 2023 will be held in Istanbul, Bayraktar said, "The National Technology Move will reach its goal and reach the range not only with the efforts of young people, but also if our nation embraces it with a mobilization spirit."

"We are proud of our youth"

Giving an interview at the closing ceremony of TEKNOFEST, Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal, President of TÜBİTAK, shared his satisfaction with the intensity at the stand and being together with children and young people: "We are proud of them. We try to offer them whatever we can, whatever opportunities we have. I am glad they exist."

Pointing out that young people are taking action to solve the problems of the future, Mandal said, "If there are problems, there will be problems... For our country, for humanity, they are not saying 'let's use whatever is available', but 'we will solve these problems and be beneficial to our future, ourselves and humanity'. I sincerely congratulate them all for this."

Describing the excitement of the young people, Mandal said, "For 5 days, there was an extreme heat and there was an extreme density of visitors in our tents. Despite this, they never got tired of telling and sharing their excitement with each of our guests." Mandal said that young people never say "I did it" and "I will do better" and added, "This is the key word. If you say I did it from one stage onwards, if you say you can succeed, it means you are finished. You should always be a candidate to do better. These children and young people are doing this."

 "Summer is TEKNOFEST month for us"

Pointing out that although TEKNOFEST is known as the Black Sea, TÜBİTAK competitions take place in many provinces of Anatolia and that July and August are full months, he said, "Summer months are the rest months of the year, but for us, summer is TEKNOFEST month."

"We need to appreciate these children. They prepare for a minimum of 6 months, starting in January. For 6 months they set a goal for themselves. They try to reach this goal with their passion. When they fail, they are patient." Emphasizing this, the President of TÜBİTAK said, "Yesterday, our President was here, and he said something important: "Any work in technology can result in success, but in order to achieve success, you need to work and try." This is what our children are doing. They say, "Yes, I am working, maybe I will not succeed, but I need to work and try to succeed.""

Emphasis on learning from young people

Emphasizing that "Whatever we are doing today, our children are showing here that they aspire to and can do much more," Mandal said, "At the end of the day, there is a competition here and there are first, second and third place winners. But what I see in the time I spend with young people is that they say 'I learned'. Whether they come first or tenth, they say 'I have learned'. 'And I will learn and do better'. Their purpose in coming here is not only to come first here and get a degree, but to learn more, to aspire to more difficult things and to say that I am here for this."

"When they come here, I ask them 'what did you do?' and they say 'we learned'. The purpose of coming here is not to come first in those technology competitions, but to learn. They improve as they learn. They see others and themselves. They know themselves correctly. They know their friends correctly. This is the most important gain. That is why they need to learn more in order to succeed in the coming years. I and we are learning together with them."

"TEKNOFEST is where the excitement reaches its peak"

Reminding that TÜBİTAK organized four competitions for the first time this year, Mandal said, "The Vertical Landing Rocket Competition, which we held for the first time in the world, was organized by TÜBİTAK SAGE. Again, the Hyperloop Development Competition was organized for the first time in Turkey by TÜBİTAK RUTE. In addition to this, a Chip Design Competition was also held. At the high school level, the Climate Change Research Projects Competition, one of the biggest problems of the future, was held. Although it was held for the first time, there was an excellent interest in these competitions."

Comparing his own youth with the young people participating in TEKNOFEST, Mandal said, "It is so difficult for us to empathize with them. We say when we were your age, but this is not a correct expression. Because they can dream much more than all of us. They strive to realize that dream. Therefore, whatever we offer them, they say they are ready for more. We trust these children and young people. Therefore, we need to understand them more, set more accurate goals in front of them and encourage them to reach those goals. But most importantly, they want to take responsibility. And to be responsible, they need excitement. TEKNOFEST is where the excitement reaches its peak."

TÜBİTAK booth was one of the most crowded spots during TEKNOFEST

TÜBİTAK stand hosted tens of thousands of people for 6 days. The stand, which was flooded by science and technology enthusiasts of all ages with different activities, also witnessed colorful images.

Within the scope of 2204-C High School Students' Polar Research Projects Competition, 47 students with 21 projects, 69 students with 32 projects within the scope of 2204-D High School Students' Climate Change Research Projects Competition, 52 students with 27 projects within the scope of 2242 University Students' Research Project Competitions; 168 students with a total of 80 projects were in Samsun. In addition to high school students, 53 teachers also participated in the activities.

TÜBİTAK BİLGEM was flooded with visitors with activities such as BİLGEM Universe, Smile with Pioneers, BİLGEM with Questions, BİL BUL and OZAN and finding treasure in the sandbox.

42 thousand questions answered

Visitors had fun and tested their knowledge of basic and social sciences at the Science Youth Popular Science Quiz Contest held at the TÜBİTAK Science and Society Directorate (BİTO) stand. Approximately 4 thousand people participated in the event where 42 thousand questions were answered and visitors returned home with different prizes. In addition, in order to share the excitement of the event with the followers who could not come to the festival, interesting videos were shared from Bilim Genç social media accounts, both introducing the activities in the field and telling success stories.

While 5 thousand people attended the interesting workshops of the Science Centers, 12 thousand people watched the science shows with colorful images and different experiments. One thousand 500 people attended the workshops organized by Deneyap Technology Workshops.

In the sales area of TÜBİTAK Popular Science Publications, 6 thousand TÜBİTAK popular science magazines (Bilim ve Teknik, Bilim Çocuk, Meraklı Minik) were distributed accompanied by Kıtır and Pıtır mascots, the heroes of Meraklı Minik magazine, and 9 thousand 631 popular science books were sold.

In the International and High School Efficiency Challenge Electric Vehicle Competitions, 29 teams and 174 competitors; in the International, High School and International Free Mission Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Competitions, 72 teams and 288 competitors exhibited their electric vehicles and UAVs at Samsun Çarşamba Airport at TEKNOFEST Black Sea. In addition, in the Robotaksi Passenger Autonomous Vehicle Competition, 19 teams in the original and ready-made vehicle category exhibited their self-developed software and original vehicles. Tens of thousands of technology enthusiasts visited the thematic areas of Space and Aviation, Intelligent Systems and Transportation and Autonomous Technologies and shared the excitement of our young people.

More than 20 thousand people participated in the events

In addition to activities such as Instant Measurement of Earth Movements with Seismometer, Experimental Activity with Fingerprint Powders, Application of Different Materials in Microscope, Detection of Microplastics, Antarctic Documentary Screening, Polar Exhibition Consisting of Photographs Taken by Turkish Scientists at the Poles, and specially sewn clothes worn by Turkish researchers at the poles were also presented to the visitors. The Albatross, Whale, Penguin and Polar Bear Mascots were especially popular with children throughout the event in order to instill the life of polar creatures in visitors and raise awareness. Games such as the Polar Creatures Matching Game and the Wastewater Filtration Game attracted the attention of young people with the aim of raising awareness among children. More than 20 thousand people attended MAM events.

TUBITAK Rail Transportation Technologies Institute (RUTE) also exhibited the Eco-Friendly Model/Model of the Original Diesel Engine and the Model of Turkey's First Domestic Mainline Locomotive E5000. In addition, a cardboard modeling activity was organized to introduce children and young people between the ages of 7-14 to the E5000 Electric Mainline Locomotive.

A thousand rocket models were made

TÜBİTAK Defense Industry Research and Development Institute (SAGE) was one of the focal points of the festival with its domestic and national ammunition systems and technology workshops. Turkey's first indigenous cruise missile SOM, the first indigenous air-to-air missiles GÖKDOĞAN and BOZDOĞAN, the guided modular ammunition family KUZGUN and the KGK-SİHA-82 developed for UCAVs, all developed by TÜBİTAK SAGE, met with defense industry enthusiasts. The Rocket Model Workshop and VR Virtual Reality Experience Workshop attracted great interest from visitors. Approximately 1000 people participated in the model rocket workshop, which was organized to introduce children and young people to rocket science and to teach the subcomponents that make up the rocket. In the VR Virtual Reality Experience Workshop, the first firing test of BOZDOĞAN, Turkey's first national air-to-air missile developed by TÜBİTAK SAGE, from an F-16 fighter jet was shown. Approximately 600 visitors had the opportunity to fly side by side with our fighter pilot and watch a successful test firing.

The TUBITAK National Observatory (TUG) used a telescope with a special filter to observe spots and explosions on the Sun. Visitors also had the opportunity to discuss their curiosities with expert astronomers.

Space Traveler unveiled

TÜBİTAK Space Technologies Research Institute (UZAY) attracted the attention of children with its TÜRKSAT 6A Satellite Model Workshop and Turkish Space Traveler Game. Approximately 600 models of TÜRKSAT 6A were made in the workshop during TEKNOFEST. 2,500 people participated in the "space traveler" game, which was brought to TEKNOFEST Black Sea for the first time. The photos taken in the game were presented to the participants. In addition, the 1/2 scale İMECE satellite model and GÖKTÜRK-2, RASAT and TÜRKSAT 6A models, which were exhibited for the first time at TEKNOFEST Black Sea, informed hundreds of visitors about the projects carried out and space technologies.

TÜBİTAK National Metrology Institute (UME) measured the body resistance and handshake forces of the participants with the Measure Yourself event. UME made a total of 17,709 measurements during the event, including 8,861 force and 8,848 resistance.

TUBITAK National Academic Network and Information Center (ULAKBIM) drew attention with Complete the Tasks, Grab the Gift, Where are the Gamers?, Quiz with KAHOOT, and Let's Draw the PARDUS Logo with ETAP events on PARDUS 21. More than a thousand people participated in the events.

In addition, thousands of young people interested in technology, science and R&D came together with TÜBİTAK Human Resources professionals at TÜBİTAK Stadium. Young people were given a realistic interview experience with an interview simulation. Young people were also informed about career opportunities.

You can access the list of the winners of TUBITAK competitions from the link below:

https://tubitak.gov.tr/sites/default/files/18842/tubitak_yarismalari_der…