Abhishek G BhayaDubbed as the world’s largest aviation, space, and technology festival, TEKNOFEST Istanbul, kicked off on Wednesday for its 13th edition, once again turning the city into a vibrant hub of innovation.
Organised by the Turkish Technology Team (T3) Foundation and Türkiye’s Ministry of Industry and Technology (MoIT), the five-day event at Ataturk Airport brings together competitions, exhibitions, air shows, and workshops that reflect Türkiye’s growing technological ecosystem.
More than 1.1 million young people applied as part of 565,000 teams this year to compete in 58 main and 137 subcategories spanning new areas of critical technologies such as robotics, AI, biotechnology, autonomous systems, sustainable energy, and aerospace. Teams passing preliminary rounds will receive over 85 million Turkish lira ($2.06 million) in support, with prize winners sharing another 65 million Turkish lira ($1.57 million).
At the opening ceremony, TEKNOFEST Chair Selcuk Bayraktar described the event as far more than a festival. “TEKNOFEST is the strongest objection to centuries of imitation and learned helplessness. It is not about the competitions of today but about preparing for the competitions of tomorrow,” he said.
He stressed that the ultimate goal of the event is to inspire the youth. “Our mission is to revive the confidence of the TEKNOFEST generation,” Bayraktar said, while also underscoring a moral dimension: “True superiority is not only military, economic or technological, but also moral.”
Turkish Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır highlighted the government’s expanded investments in research and development. He announced that R&D allocation had risen from 0.5 percent to 1.4 percent of national income, translating into a leap from $1.2 billion to $16 billion annually.
Over the past two decades, Türkiye also increased its R&D workforce tenfold, from 29,000 to more than 290,000, while growing its network of technology parks from 2 to 113. “Economic independence is not possible without technological independence,” he said, tying the festival’s spirit to Türkiye’s National Technology Initiative and its long-term “Türkiye Century” goals.
Beyond the speeches and statistics, it is the young participants themselves who bring TEKNOFEST’s mission to life—demonstrating ingenuity, perseverance, and a vision for the future. Among the highlights this year is the Roboleague Competition, which brings together young innovators from Türkiye and abroad to design robots for complex tasks in robotics, electronics, and coding.
Building a drone against the odds
For Mehmet Burak Isgoren, a third-year computer engineering student from Marmara University, who is among the finalists at the Roboleague Competition, the TEKNOFEST challenge was more than just an engineering task—it was a test of determination.
Competing with support from the T3 Foundation, Mehmet led a small team to design a drone capable of lifting objects twice its own weight. Unlike the majority of teams that entered land rovers for the arena challenge, his team chose a bolder path.
“Most other teams built rovers, but we wanted to experiment with drone technology,” he told TRT World. “Türkiye has a strong drone culture, and that inspired us.”
Over three months, the team taught themselves the fundamentals of drone-building through online tutorials. The result: a 2.5 kg drone capable of carrying 5 kg payloads, designed to collect coloured balls for scoring but with potential applications far beyond the contest.
Mehmet sees real-world uses in disaster relief and defence. “In earthquakes or disasters, drones like this could deliver supplies where rescuers cannot reach. At the same time, there’s potential for military use. I want to keep improving this design to serve my country,” he said.
From Indonesia to Istanbul: A Mars rover-inspired robot
Crossing continents to take part in TEKNOFEST, a team from Bandung Institute of Technology, Indonesia, led by Sulthan Nabil, has brought a robot inspired by the NASA Mars Rover.
The project, six months in the making, faced multiple design overhauls before the team settled on its final version—equipped with a robotic arm and advanced wheel mechanisms to navigate rough terrain. “Our design can be used for planetary exploration, but also for rescue missions in tough environments,” Sulthan told TRT World, echoing a vision similar to Mehmet's.
Getting to Istanbul was itself an achievement. “The biggest challenge was financial,” Sulthan admitted. “But TEKNOFEST helps ensure that even teams without government backing have the chance to compete and be recognised.”
Though the Indonesian team has only just arrived, they are already struck by Türkiye’s hospitality and the festival’s energy. “The people are very friendly, and the food here is amazing,” said Sulthan with a wide smile.
Women innovators stepping forward
In another corner of the competition, students from Ankara Bilim University’s preparatory programme are challenging their senior peers in the university-level urban vehicle category.
Their entry features a gripping dual-arm system, an onboard camera, a ground control station, and a dumper-equipped container—controlled entirely without foreign circuit boards.
For team member Yakup Tekeli, the experience underscores the value of Türkiye’s National Technology Initiative. “This is a great blessing to be able to expand our thinking and showcase what we’ve developed,” he told TRT World.
His teammate Asli Ceren Can emphasised how events like TEKNOFEST are opening doors for more women innovators to step into the spotlight. “It’s motivating to see female participation growing every year. I believe our presence encourages younger girls to imagine themselves in science and technology fields,” she noted.
While technical performance is crucial, Yakup observed that presentations and evaluations play an equally important role. “This is a competition, but in fact it’s also a kind of rivalry—though in a friendly way,” he reflected, pointing to the larger symbolism of Türkiye’s push for self-reliance in technology.
Türkiye as a global innovation hub
Taken together, the stories of Mehmet, Sulthan, Asli and Yakup illustrate how TEKNOFEST is fostering a new generation of innovators—local and international. It’s a space where high schoolers compete with universities, where Indonesian students test their robots alongside Turkish peers, and where young engineers imagine applications ranging from disaster relief to space exploration.
For Türkiye, TEKNOFEST is both a showcase and a strategy. Its expanded R&D investments, growing tech workforce, and massive intellectual property pool—now at two million registered rights—underscore a long-term commitment to becoming a global innovation hub. The festival also functions as a stage for Türkiye’s defence and aerospace achievements, from Bayraktar drones to Hurkus aircraft, thrilling millions of visitors each year with aerial shows and interactive science exhibits.
By offering financial, logistical, and institutional support, TEKNOFEST has positioned Türkiye not just as a stage for technological competition but as a hub where global youth collaborate to shape the next wave of technology.
For the hundreds of young innovators, the festival is more than an event—it’s a launchpad for dreams that could transform industries and save lives.
