Tourist city İzmir turning into technology and innovation hub

İZMİR

İzmir, a major destination in Türkiye for local and international holidaymakers, has been transforming into a technology and innovation hub.

Türkiye’s third-largest province, in terms of gross domestic product, is home to several high-tech research facilities, such as Bilişim Vadisi İzmir, Teknopark İzmir, Dokuz Eylül University Technopark (DEPARK), Ege Technopark, İzmir Bilimpark and the Northern İzmir Technology Development Center where innovative, unique and practical technologies are being developed.

At those centers, companies from various sectors, including information technology, software, agriculture, health care and telecommunications, are engaging in many projects and products.

More than 6,000 R&D personnel are employed at these centers. Since their establishment, with the oldest dating back to 2004, 767 projects have been completed, and work continues on over a thousand projects.

Entrepreneurs are provided with support related to R&D and innovation, legal and financial guidance, mentorship and assistance in expanding globally.

Professor Yusuf Baran, member of the board of directors at Bilişim Vadisi and the rector of İzmir Institute of Technology (İYTE), told state-run Anadolu Agency that İzmir aims “to become a city of science, technology, innovation and entrepreneurship.”

Highlighting the entrepreneurial success stories achieved at Bilişim Vadisi İzmir and Technopark İzmir under İYTE, Baran said, "Technopark İzmir has transformed into a technopark with $137.5 million in high-tech exports. With its R&D and product development projects, nearly 2,000 full-time R&D personnel and around 250 companies, it adds greater success to its achievements with each passing year."

"Currently, with over 50 high-tech companies employing more than 1,000 individuals, Bilişim Vadisi İzmir is making significant contributions to our country's economic growth and development." Baran noted.

İzmir could become one of the global hubs for high technology, science, innovation and entrepreneurship, he added.

Currently, the city hosts nine universities, 20,000 academics and over 170,000 students.

"İzmir is entirely focused on the process of becoming an innovation and entrepreneurship capital, along with all its stakeholders, government and public institutions,” Baran said.

İzmir has become a technology hub, said Aytekin Demir, general manager of DEPARK, which hosts 153 R&D firms with 2,029 employees working in the fields of software, health care and information technology.

“Thanks to the technoparks, a culture of entrepreneurship has flourished in the city,” he said.

“Entrepreneurs who previously carried out their work in Istanbul or abroad have now started migrating to İzmir. Due to this reverse brain drain, İzmir has significantly transformed into an attractive center for R&D and innovation,” Demir said.