Business World to Reach Future Goals Through 'Technological Development'
In the Technology Awards, now in its 12th edition and carried out in cooperation with TÜBİTAK, the Turkish Technology Development Foundation (TTGV) and TÜSİAD, the 36 finalist projects have been announced.
TÜBİTAK, Türkiye Teknoloji Geliştirme Vakfı (TTGV) and TÜSİAD announced 36 finalists in the 12th Technology Awards, conducted in cooperation with these three organizations. The Technology Awards set a record with 170 applications evaluated from 216 preliminary submissions. Among the finalist companies, 20% are small-scale, 20% are medium-scale, 14% are micro-scale, and 46% are large-scale enterprises. Furthermore, 75% of the companies are participating in the Technology Awards for the first time. C. Müjdat Altay, Chairman of the 12th Technology Awards Executive Board, stated: "This is the highest number of applications we have evaluated to date. The fact that it represents one quarter of all applications received since the beginning is concrete proof of the business world's interest in and confidence in this initiative."
The countdown has begun for the "Technology Awards," among Turkey's most prestigious accolades. The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK), Türkiye Teknoloji Geliştirme Vakfı (TTGV), and the Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TÜSİAD) announced the 36 finalist applications for the 12th Technology Awards, which they are holding to ensure that Turkey ranks among technology-developing nations and to encourage the development of innovative products.
The Technology Awards, which were first launched in 1997 with 30 applications, have reached a record with 170 applications evaluated in this round, according to C. Müjdat Altay, Chairman of the 12th Technology Awards Executive Board. Altay stated: "The intense competitive environment in the technology development field has been reflected in the number of applications. The importance attached to the Technology Awards is actually an indicator of the path taken by companies investing in this field. This is the highest number of applications evaluated to date. The fact that it represents one quarter of all applications received since the beginning is concrete proof of the business world's interest in and confidence in this initiative."
SMES MOVING FAST IN THE INNOVATION RACE
Emphasizing that R&D is a long-term investment and that priority should be given to products with R&D conducted in Turkey in public and private procurement, Müjdat Altay said: "R&D reminds me of the famous bagpipe of the Black Sea. As you know, the bagpipe is first inflated, and then the music is heard. I sincerely believe that Turkey's R&D bagpipe is inflated, and now it is time for us to hear the music." Noting that SMEs account for 60% of the applications in this competition, Altay continued: "With the fourth industrial revolution, the real world is becoming a massive information system. It appears that even more radical developments are at our doorstep. To exist in this new world and remain competitive, it is essential that the spirit of R&D and innovation permeate every layer of society. We thank all participants for their work, which we believe will make a significant contribution to Turkey's quest for R&D and innovation and help us gain a competitive advantage over developed countries."
75% OF COMPANIES PARTICIPATED FOR THE FIRST TIME
At the meeting held to introduce the finalist projects, Altay noted that they received significant feedback from SMEs to large-scale companies in the 12th round and said: "Turkey has made notable progress in R&D and innovation. In 2003, R&D expenditure as a percentage of GDP was 0.04%, while in 2015 this ratio exceeded 1%. This is a very important development because 1% is a threshold. Our goal with this program is to unlock Turkey's potential and emphasize the ability to make a difference in sectors through innovation. The work we are doing to ensure the production of original technology in our country has shown with recent applications that R&D is bearing fruit. Our goal is to use this momentum to position our country higher in the Global Innovation Index in the coming years."
"WE WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THOSE WHO SET NO LIMITS TO THEIR DREAMS"
Noting that applications for the 12th Technology Awards were submitted in many fields ranging from machinery manufacturing to information technology, electrical-electronics to metallurgy, materials, chemicals, biotechnology, agriculture, food and environment, Altay said: "We will continue to share with the public the important companies in our country that are investing in our nation's future, bring their success stories to the agenda, and support those who set no limits to their dreams, as we did yesterday and do today." The meeting noted that 34% of total applications were in information technology, 29% in machinery manufacturing, 17% in electrical-electronics, 11% in materials-chemicals-environment, and 9% in biotechnology-life sciences sectors.
Altay stated: "Thirty of the applications that advanced to the finals this year consist of product-oriented R&D and innovation work, while 6 consist of process-oriented work." He noted that it was gratifying that 60% of this round's applications were from SMEs and 40% were from large-scale companies.
23 PROVINCES PARTICIPATED NATIONWIDE
While 19 provinces participated nationwide in the previous round, the number of provinces from which applications were received increased to 23 this year. Altay stated that Istanbul led with the most applications (39%), followed by Ankara (25%), Kocaeli (7%), İzmir (6%) and Bursa (5%). The other provinces were listed as Adana, Balıkesir, Bilecik, Çanakkale, Çorlu, Denizli, Düzce, Erzurum, Eskişehir, Gaziantep, Karabük, Kayseri, Konya, Kütahya, Manisa, Osmaniye, Sakarya and Tarsus.
The Technology Congress, where the winners of the 12th Technology Awards will be announced, will be held under the theme technology@humanity on 30 May 2016 at the Wyndham Grand İstanbul Levent Hotel.
