İzmir NIC Meetups Corporate-Startup Connections event was held on 03 June 2022 at Teknopark İzmir. In the event, which aims to bring corporate companies and entrepreneurial companies together, entrepreneurial companies had the opportunity to learn from companies about the opportunities offered by corporate companies and the joint activities they can carry out, and to present their expectations. The opening of the programme was started by Teknopark İzmir General Manager and İzmir NIC Senior Manager Prof. Dr. Metin Tanoğlu’s briefing on Teknopark İzmir and emphasizing İzmir’s entrepreneurship ecosystem potential. Mr. Tanoğlu emphasizing that İzmir has a highly qualified human resources and stated that the investment ecosystem of İzmir is very favourable and potential as well as the climate and natural beauties of İzmir.

Project Team Leader David Tee gave a general briefing about the project and mentioned the Accelerate İzmir process to the participants. Project Commercialization Key Expert Gökhan Çelebi informed the participants about 10-minute one-to-one meetings to be held between the participating institutions and entrepreneurial companies, and the event continued with the presentations of corporate companies. Semih Turgut – Emakina, Mert Esenli and Sacit Elmas – Koç Sistem, Ayşegül Havutçu – Migros, Tuğçe Yeltekin – Philip Morris, Efe Sezginer – TEB, Funda Çetin – Tüpraş, Emre Dalarslan – Turkish Airlines and TT Ventures – Oktay Namver met with entrepreneurial companies as representatives of corporate companies. Corporate company representatives emphasized that companies’ perspectives on issues such as investment, investor and innovation have changed positively in recent years. The representatives stated that concepts such as agility, investor ecosystem, technology investments of corporate companies, and innovation are indispensable for the institutions of the new world.

One-on-One Meetings were held in the second part of the event, which was held in the afternoon. All institutions and entrepreneurs held one-to-one meetings in 15-minute periods. At the event, entrepreneurs presented their business ideas and companies to corporate representatives, while at the same time they had the opportunity to explore their potential and develop their ideas by receiving feedback from authorities with corporate experience.

İzmir NIC will be bringing investors and investors together in Çesme with the Investors Interchange Event on June 16 & 17.

İzmir NIC – İzmir Network and Innovation Centre Project

İzmir NIC, which is carried out by Teknopark İzmir within the scope of Competitive Sectors Programme 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 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 Centres, 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.