İzmir: Emerging Tech Hub of Turkey event was held on May 18, 2022 at Kolektif House Levent Istanbul. The event, which aims to introduce the startup investments and innovation ecosystem in Izmir, started with opening speeches and project introductions. Project Team Leader David Tee gave general information about the project and emphasized the importance of the project in his opening and welcoming speech. In the opening part of the programme, Teknopark İzmir Director Prof. Dr. Metin Tanoğlu made a presentation for the participants. While informing the participants about the activities of Teknopark İzmir, one of the project partners, Tanoğlu emphasized the potential and importance of İzmir in the investor and entrepreneur ecosystem. İzmir Development Agency Investment Support Office Coordinator H.İ.Murat Çelik informed the participants about İzmir’s investment ecosystem and the role of İzmir Development Agency in investment processes in his presentation titled İzmir’s Startup and Investment Ecosystem. The event continued with Project Team Leader David Tee’s informative presentation about the project and Project Commercialization Specialist Gökhan Çelebi’s 2-minute investor summaries of 15 ventures included in the project and ready to invest. In his presentation, Gökhan Çelebi shared the information about the startup ideas with the participants, evaluated the current status of the companies, and gave information about their potential and investment opportunity.
In the second part of the event held in the afternoon, İzmir: Emerging Startup Hub panel was held. İzmir Development Agency, Investment Support Office Coordinator H.İ.Murat Çelik, EGİAD Angels Executive Board Member Özgür Kılınçlar, Vinci Venture Capital CTO and İnci Holding & Vinci VC Technology Advisor Mehmet Tunçkanat, Diffusion Capital Partners Investment Professional Burak Özyazgan and İzmir NIC Coordinator Miray Şanlı Taşkın and moderated by Gökhan Çelebi, the participants discussed ideas and suggestions that will contribute to İzmir’s reaching its investment potential. After the conversation about developing the entrepreneurship ecosystem of Izmir and taking actions that can turn the city into a Startup center, the day ended with the Networking event in which the participants were included. Izmir NIC events will continue with the Networking Event for Corporate and Startups, which will take place on Friday, June 3, at Izmir Technopark.
İzmir NIC – İzmir Network and Innovation Centre Project
İzmir NIC, which is carried out by Teknopark İzmir within the scope of Competitive Sectors Program implemented by the Ministry of Industry and Technology, financed by the European Union and the Republic of Turkey, aims to increase the commercialization and internationalization of innovative products by developing strategic networks and partnerships among relevant stakeholders. Focusing on the Information and Communication Technologies and Renewable Energy sectors, which are among the pioneers of economic development, the aim of the project is to increase the capacity of the innovation ecosystem actors (SME, Start-Up, TTO, TGB, R&D Centers, etc.) in İzmir through trainings, acceleration and mentoring support and networking activities aims to develop. The project, implemented with the participation of İzmir Institute of Technology (İYTE) and Software Industrialists Association (YASAD), is planned to be completed in 3 years.
