The 7th Productivity and Technology Fair, held at ATO Congresium in Ankara between 24-27 April 2025, opened its doors. Organized by Ankara Bilim University and Turkish Productivity Foundation, the fair brings together many participants from different sectors.

The opening ceremony was attended by Prof. Dr. Numan Kurtulmuş, Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey; Mehmet Fatih Kacır, Minister of Industry and Technology; Prof. Dr. Haluk Görgün, President of Defence Industries; Dr. Cemalettin Kömürcü, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Ankara Bilim University; Prof. Dr. Yavuz Demir, Rector; Prof. Dr. Orhan Aydın, President of TÜBİTAK; and many academics, bureaucrats and sector representatives.

"We have to lead in technology"

Speaking at the opening program, Numan Kurtulmuş, the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, said that Turkey has done and will continue to do the highest level of work in the field of technology. Speaking about the effects of artificial intelligence on human life, Kurtulmuş stated that technology and artificial intelligence should be developed to facilitate human life. Pointing out that technology is developing day by day and new technologies are entering human life, Kurtulmuş said, "Artificial intelligence is one of the most current issues we face today. I believe that if this meeting is held 10 years from now, artificial intelligence will not be the subject of that meeting. Because then the technology will not be in front of us, not even in 10 years, but in 5 years. Technology will put a new reality in front of us, it will put forward a new field of competition and humanity will discuss what can really be done in these processes."

Speaking about the importance of Turkey's continuous self-renewal in the field of technology, Kurtulmuş said: "We have to take, adapt, develop and pioneer today's technologies at the highest level without any discrimination. But in the same way, especially artificial intelligence, just as information technologies are a historical break, artificial technologies are a new historical break. We have to follow what these artificial technologies bring to humanity not with a dazzled admiration, but with a wisdom that seeks the truth."

"We will implement practices that will pave the way for the development of domestic and original artificial intelligence models"

In his speech, Mehmet Fatih Kacır, Minister of Industry and Technology, stated that they will launch Turkey's first basic artificial intelligence big language model enriched with Turkish data in the coming period and said, "We will implement practices that will pave the way for the development of domestic and original artificial intelligence models."

Referring to the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy and the Artificial Intelligence Institute within TÜBİTAK, Kacır stated that within the scope of TÜBİTAK scholarship and support programs, they have supported 4,800 projects and 6,275 people in the field of artificial intelligence for more than 25 billion liras in the last 22 years. Minister Kacır said that with the "TÜBİTAK Artificial Intelligence Ecosystem Calls", they support the projects of companies and public institutions that need artificial intelligence solutions, domestic technology supplier SMEs and research centers that develop technology in this field. Explaining that more than 2,900 companies in technoparks have signed innovative projects in the field of artificial intelligence, Kacır used the following expressions:

"Our 218 R&D centers carry out artificial intelligence projects. With initiatives such as TEKNOFEST, the world's largest technology festival, Deneyap Technology Workshops and Sektör Kampüste, we are raising our youth as individuals who shape the technologies of the future. We are aware that a strong and advanced data processing infrastructure is critical for the effective development and implementation of artificial intelligence technologies. To support big data analysis and artificial intelligence research, we put ARF, our supercomputer with the power of 35,000 laptops, into service. As a member of the EuroHPC Joint Venture, we have direct access to MareNostrum 5, one of the world's most powerful supercomputers. In the upcoming period, we will launch Turkey's first basic artificial intelligence big language model enriched with Turkish data. We will implement practices that will pave the way for the development of domestic and original artificial intelligence models. We will expand the use of artificial intelligence technologies in production processes through artificial intelligence transformation programs. We will continue our efforts to make Turkey one of the countries leading the artificial intelligence revolution."

TÜBİTAK is Intertwined with All Stakeholders of the Artificial Intelligence Ecosystem

Prof. Dr. Orhan Aydın, President of TUBITAK, made a presentation titled "TUBITAK in the National Artificial Intelligence Ecosystem" as part of the V.talks organized as part of the 7th Productivity and Technology Fair. President Aydın comprehensively evaluated Turkey's capabilities in the field of artificial intelligence, TÜBİTAK's work in this field and the roadmap for the future.

Prof. Dr. Aydın stated that they contribute to the artificial intelligence ecosystem in a wide range from projects carried out in research institutes to entrepreneurship support, scholarship programs and international collaborations. "Artificial intelligence-supported decision-making mechanisms, digital transformation and data-driven process management are becoming mandatory in all sectors. TÜBİTAK is one of the institutions that form the scientific and technological infrastructure of this transformation."

Emphasizing human resources in his presentation, President Aydın explained that young people are directed to the field of artificial intelligence with scholarships and project supports carried out in a wide range from secondary education level to graduate level. He stated that TÜBİTAK continues to increase the qualified workforce in this field with many scholarship programs, especially the Industrial Doctorate Program and International Researcher Exchange Programs.

Stating that thanks to TÜBİTAK's entrepreneurship supports, young entrepreneurs with artificial intelligence-based business ideas are supported, Aydın said, "The number of patent applications and Turkish institutions taking part in international projects related to artificial intelligence is increasing day by day. As TÜBİTAK, we also actively support our companies and universities to benefit from international funds, especially from the European Union."

TÜBİTAK's Events and Presentations

TÜBİTAK is participating in the fair with its BİLGEM, MAM, UME and UZAY institutes.

Among the products exhibited at TÜBİTAK's booth A27-A28 in the Troy Hall;

• BİLGEM: IoT, Derbent, DLP, Cyber Lab solutions, PARDUS operating system and EHPOD model,
• UME: Rubidium Atomic Clock, Fluxgate Magnetometer, Magnetic Torque Bar, Pitot Tube and Pressure Gauge prototypes,
• MAM: TUGAN Power Quality Analyzer, Photovoltaic Microinverter, PEM Electrolyzer Module,
• SPACE İMECE and TÜRKSAT 6A satellite models.

TÜBİTAK experts will make presentations on various topics during the fair. Some of the presentation topics are as follows:

• PARDUS and Open Source Software Transformation in Public Sector
• Metrology and Artificial Intelligence
• Using Artificial Intelligence in Ballistic Investigation
• Hydrogen Strategies for Heavy Freight Transportation
• Hydrogen-Driven Power Systems for Disasters
• Digital Transformation and DDX Model
• Electrolyzer Technologies for Green Transformation

In addition, Dr. İbrahim Hökelek from TÜBİTAK BİLGEM took part as a speaker in the panel "6G and Next Generation Network Technologies in Turkey".