The Women in Innovation Program, which was launched by the Women and Democracy Foundation (KADEM) in 2015 to support women entrepreneurs to develop their innovative ideas and access investment opportunities, continues.
Within the scope of the program carried out with the support of Istanbul Development Agency (ISTKA), KADEM Women's Information Center in Innovation was opened in Üsküdar Bulgurlu.
In his speech at the opening, Minister Kacır said that this Center, which will contribute to women entrepreneurs transforming their innovative ideas into successful technology ventures, will have a valuable place in Türkiye's entrepreneurship ecosystem.
Kacır said, "I hope that the Women's Information Center in Innovation, which will provide a wide range of services from training to mentoring, from business development to investor meetings, will be beneficial and auspicious for our country, our nation and of course our women entrepreneurs." he said.
Stating that global competition is shaped on the axis of innovation and technology, that developments in technology direct all areas of life and offer new opportunities for innovative ideas to turn into economic value, Kacır stated that they see "technology entrepreneurship" as the subject of new success stories that they will write in the Turkish Century.
Kacır said that with this understanding, they have built an entrepreneurial support model with a holistic approach that will enable the transformation of innovative ideas into technology and technology initiatives into globally competitive companies.
"The development and lasting prosperity of societies is possible with the determination, effort and courage of women."
Minister Kacır stated that they have activated venture capital and co-financing mechanisms to provide the financing that entrepreneurs need in their journey of success, and that they have enabled the establishment of more than 2,700 technology enterprises with the TÜBİTAK BiGG Program, which paves the way for the transformation of innovative projects at the idea stage into commercial business models, and that they have brought thousands of enterprises to the country with TEKNOFEST.
Kacır said, "Thanks to the applications that pave the way for every citizen who says 'I am in the future of this country' and claims to develop technology, our entrepreneurs are achieving countless success stories in many fields, from artificial intelligence to space and aviation, from biotechnology to financial technologies." he said.
Noting that there was not a single technology startup in Türkiye that reached a billion-dollar valuation in 2019, Kacır continued his words as follows:
"Today, we have 8 unicorns, or 8 Turcorns as we call them. The level we have reached in a short time in technology entrepreneurship is a concrete indicator of what this country can achieve when you bring out the jewel in its people. This nation has the knowledge, talent and courage to compete with the world. Our duty is to pave the way for innovative ideas and to bring our entrepreneurs together with the opportunities, technology infrastructure and investment resources they need. We know that the development, progress and permanent prosperity of societies can only be achieved through the determination and effort of women." And it is possible with courage."
"Our goal is to create the ground that will activate the true potential of Turkish women."
Minister of Industry and Technology Kacır emphasized that women are the foundation, carrier and protector of a civilization with the responsibilities they carry in all areas of life, the solutions they produce and innovative ideas, and made the following evaluation:
"Women's strong involvement in science, technology, innovation, entrepreneurship and production is the guarantee of the overall development of our country. In the Turkish Century, it is our common goal to create the ground that will activate the real potential of Turkish women for a Turkey that has a say in the world in science, technology, R&D, innovation and high technology production, and has strengthened our economic and technological independence. Under the leadership of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, with the AK Party governments, women have gained the rights they deserve in every field of society." "Women have gained the opportunity to use their rights and freedoms to the fullest extent during this period."
"5 of our 8 Turcorns were founded by women entrepreneurs"
Kacır stated that Turkish women's extensive knowledge, talents and determination to produce in science and technology add strength to the National Technology Move and said, "Of the 8 technology startups that emerged from our entrepreneurship ecosystem and exceeded a billion dollar valuation, 5 of our Turcorns were founded by women entrepreneurs. We have 36 thousand female employees in more than 13 thousand companies operating in our 115 technoparks and 28 thousand female employees in our R&D and design centers. Worldwide successes in every field of technology." "Behind our successful projects lies the determination, effort and effort of women." he said.
Minister Kacır stated that they have taken steps together with their stakeholders to expand the opportunities for women to demonstrate their talents and productivity and stated the following:
"Within the scope of TÜBİTAK's support programs for scientists, we have provided 32 billion liras of support to 233 thousand women researchers in the last 23 years. Today, we can proudly say that we are the world's first in the rate of female inventors in international patent applications. Within the scope of KOSGEB Entrepreneurship supports, we have contributed 23.5 billion liras to more than 85 thousand women entrepreneurs in the same period. We have provided training to 947 thousand women entrepreneurs since 2010 with applied entrepreneurship trainings "We provided 2.5 billion liras to 568 projects for women entrepreneurship through our development agencies."
"(This center) will strengthen the presence of women in the national and international entrepreneurship ecosystem"
Minister of Industry and Technology Kacır stated that they are together today on the occasion of KADEM's Women in Innovation Program, which strengthens the presence of women in society on the basis of justice and equality of opportunity, and said that with the program carried out with the support of İSTKA, 20 female entrepreneurs who develop unique solutions in different fields from artificial intelligence to biotechnology, from agriculture to game technologies, were entitled to bring their projects together with the leading stakeholders of the enterprise ecosystem.
Emphasizing that KADEM Women's Information Center in Innovation will strengthen the presence of women in the national and international entrepreneurship ecosystem, Kacır concluded his words as follows:
"With the Center, our female entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to bring their ideas together with investors. Female entrepreneurs will further strengthen their education and experience sharing through the Center we have opened. It will bring new horizons to the future with the signatures they put under new ideas and initiatives. I wish this distinguished Center to be beneficial, which will open the door to the realization of women's dreams, the development of their ideas, and allow their efforts and efforts to materialize."
Following the speeches, Minister Kacır, Istanbul Governor Davut Gül, İSTKA Board Member and Secretary General Ziya Taşkent, KADEM Board of Trustees Chairman Sümeyye Erdoğan Bayraktar, KADEM Board Chairman Canan Sarı and her entourage cut the opening ribbon of the Center. Protocol members inspected the Center.
