Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır opened Çankırı Teknokent. Stating that they have built a huge R&D and innovation infrastructure starting from scratch in the last 22 years, Kacır said the following:
“We increased the number of our technoparks, where innovative ideas are transformed into products and services, from 2 to 105, and the number of our innovation-focused startups in our technoparks from 56 to over 11. The number of our Technology Development Centers, which respond to the needs of startups in the incubation phase during the process of opening up to the market and scaling, has reached 500. With our R&D and design centers exceeding 31, we also contribute to our companies’ ability to internalize R&D and innovation and offer value-added products and services. With the funds we have put into effect and co-financing models, we have directed a total of 600 billion liras of public resources to our startups. With the multiplier effect created by the financing we have provided, we have mobilized 4,1 billion liras of investment for our startups.”
Minister Kacır, reminding that the legislative regulations that require R&D and design centers and technopark companies that benefit from R&D incentives at the highest level to direct a portion of the incentives they benefit from to startups have been put into effect, said, “As a result of this step; we have brought 7,2 billion liras of financing to the startup ecosystem with the current value to date. We have pioneered the establishment of 2 technology startups with the TÜBİTAK Bigg program, which supports the transformation of technology and innovation-focused business ideas into startups. We have included millions of young people in our country's technology production and development adventure with the TEKNOFESTs we have organized since 490.”
Minister of Industry and Technology Kacır, stated that Çankırı has gained a very important place on Türkiye's industrial map with its production power and OIZs, which have increased in number from 22 to 1 in 6 years and currently host nearly 80 companies, and said, “At the same time, its geographical proximity to our capital Ankara, one of our brand cities in high-tech production and entrepreneurship, offers entrepreneurs who want to cultivate their innovative business ideas in Çankırı an important advantage in terms of access to the market and financing. We established Çankırı Teknokent in order to activate the significant potential our city has in technology entrepreneurship. Today, we are officially opening Çankırı Teknokent, which is an important step in our value-added and technology-focused development. At the same time, we are putting the service building of our technopark into operation. For the service building, which includes office areas as well as an incubation center and prototype workshops; we, as the Ministry, provided 222 million liras of support at current prices.”
