Visitors began arriving early in the morning at TEKNOFEST İzmir, which is the final destination of the festival held in three major cities in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Republic. Organized by the Turkey Technology Team Foundation and the Ministry of Industry and Technology, in collaboration with 121 institutions, including ministries, presidencies, public and private sector organizations, academic institutions, and media companies, that play a critical role in our national technology ecosystem, the opening ceremony of the festival drew significant attention. The opening speeches of the festival were delivered by Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır, Chairman of the Turkey Technology Team Foundation Board of Trustees and TEKNOFEST Board Chairman Selçuk Bayraktar, and Governor of İzmir Süleyman Elban.

 

Selçuk Bayraktar, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Turkey Technology Team Foundation and Chairman of the TEKNOFEST Board, stated in his opening speech: "The winds of change, which are the spirit of the time, are coming as a massive ground swell with the TEKNOFEST generation. The TEKNOFEST generation, which is taking root, is leading an unprecedented intellectual revolution that the world has never witnessed before. Millions of our young people who participate in technology competitions will raise the flag much higher in all other civilian areas of technology, just like our renowned drones. With the National Technology Initiative, we set an example to the world and excel in many fields. Türkiye is developing, producing, and prospering in every area. Our young people are creating new fields by blending industry, technology, and artificial intelligence. We are the ones who will breathe life into these new fields, who will speak new words with the wisdom of our past. TEKNOFEST is not just a festival; it is a transformation wind where our young people put forward their hopes, dreams, and passions for the future. As TEKNOFEST stakeholders, we support every effort you make. We stand by your side at every step. I would like to thank the team at T3 Foundation, volunteers, stakeholders, young brothers and sisters who participated in the competitions, and our dear nation who did not withhold their support. With the heroic history and unifying power of İzmir, we are stronger together. Together, we are walking towards the future of a fully independent and prosperous Türkiye."
 

The Turkish Air Force's aerobatics team, our national pride, the Turkish Stars, and Solo Türk performed aerial display in the skies of İzmir. Indigenous and national aircraft such as Akıncı, Aksungur, Anka, Bayraktar TB2, Hürkuş, Jandarma Çelik Kanatlar, Paramotor, Gyrocopter, and Atak Helicopter received great applause at the festival with their demonstrations. Alongside technology and entrepreneurship competitions, the event featured workshops in Science Street aimed at children aged 6-14, an Air and Land Vehicles Exhibition, a Planetarium, Vertical Wind Tunnel, Climate Tunnel, Virtual Reality Tunnel, Sun Observation Activity, Space-themed Inflatable Game Park, Simulation Experience Areas, First Flight Activity with Students, Pedal Flight Activity, Refik Anadol's "Machine Memories: Space" Exhibition, "Stage is Yours" Activity, main stage performances, the first-ever TEKNOFEST Discovery Game, and many other activities that filled the festival with excitement.
 

As part of TEKNOFEST, this year, the TEKNOFEST Startup Competition İzmir leg began with the aim of transforming the projects of teams that applied to TEKNOFEST competitions into startups, enabling the growth of these startups, and thus, the development of Türkiye's entrepreneurship ecosystem. The TEKNOFEST Startup Competition offers more than 7 million TL in total prizes. In line with the goal of contributing to the entrepreneurship ecosystem, the Türkiye Technology Team Foundation, the Ministry of Industry and Technology of the Republic of Türkiye, and the Presidential Investment Office are organizing the pre-events of the Take Off Startup Summit, which will take place in İstanbul in December 2023. The winners of these pre-events will receive a total cash prize of 2,225,000 TL and the opportunity to attend the Take Off Startup Summit. In the TEKNOFEST Startup Competition held in Ankara, 34 startups received 3,750,000 TL in prizes, while in the pre-event of the Take Off Startup Summit, 11 startups received 1,275,000 TL in awards. In the İzmir leg, hundreds of young people are competing in the fields of Health and Well-being Technologies, Environment, Energy, Climate Technologies, Tourism Technologies, Game, and Barrier free Life Technologies with the goal of advancing Türkiye's National Technology Initiative even further.
 

The Deneyap Technology Workshop held special competitions for Deneyap Technology Workshop students at TEKNOFEST İzmir: the Deneyap Ideathon and Deneyap Makeathon competitions have kicked off with great excitement. These competitions aim to enhance students' idea development processes, strengthen their presentation skills, and provide them with hands-on experience in product development and brand building. In the Deneyap Ideathon, which received applications from 913 teams, 28 teams are competing, while in the Deneyap Makeathon, which received applications from 1005 teams, 32 finalist teams are vying for top honors.