The 11th Türkiye Innovation Week 2024, supported by the Ministry of Trade and hosted by the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM), took place at the Haliç Congress Center under the theme "Out of the Box: Human, Culture, Model."
The Innovation Champions Awards Ceremony featured notable attendees including Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek, and other key government officials.
In his speech, Minister Ömer Bolat emphasized that such organizations showcase Türkiye 's entrepreneurial spirit and innovative capacity, contributing to the country's technological and intellectual development in line with the Türkiye Century vision.
Bolat highlighted that the world is undergoing an unprecedented innovative era, with companies experiencing transformations through technologies like AI, quantum, and biotechnology. He reiterated Türkiye 's commitment to enhancing its innovation ecosystem.
He stated, "Our goal is to make Türkiye a hub for startups and innovative firms that produce advanced technologies, both regionally and globally."
Bolat pointed out that Türkiye has increased its goods and services exports by 7.5 times over the past 22 years, with annualized goods exports reaching $261.6 billion and services exports hitting $111.1 billion as of September.
He noted that the current account deficit has reduced to $9.7 billion, with a surplus of $4.3 billion reported in August, marking three consecutive months of surpluses.
On the subject of high and medium technology exports, Bolat stated that Türkiye is approaching $100 billion, and the share of such products in total exports was around 40% last year, with a goal to increase it to 50% by 2028.
Minister Bolat remarked that Türkiye is now a significant player in the technology sector, manufacturing a variety of high-value products, including its own warships and drones.
He highlighted the defense industry's growth, reaching $12 billion in annual production capacity and $5.5 billion in exports, with a target of $11 billion by 2028.
Bolat also noted that, according to the 2024 Global Innovation Index by WIPO, Türkiye ranks 37th among 133 countries, placing it among the top 50 most innovative countries.
He stressed the importance of addressing the current economic vulnerabilities, improving the investment environment, and enhancing technological transformation for export price increases.
Finally, Bolat recognized the successful policies implemented under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's leadership, which have fostered stable governance and contributed to Türkiye 's success story.
