The final event of the Nuclear Energy Technologies Design Competition, organized for the 3rd time this year by the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources within the scope of TEKNOFEST Aviation, Space and Technology Festival, was held at TENMAK's campus in Küçükçekmece, Istanbul.
Selçuk Bayraktar met with the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar and the contestants and answered their questions.
Stating that they have been working on small modular reactors with TMRS Energy for 1.5-2 years, Selçuk Bayraktar said, "We said: Let's at least reach the nearest mountain we can reach. This is the closest area to us. We thought that let's start from here, you will reach there over time. I am so ambitious that I believe we can build small modular reactors in a few years. I believe this will happen in a few years." he said.
Explaining that there was a snowball effect in the team carrying out this study and that it was growing, Bayraktar also reminded that a program for studies in this field was announced.
Stating that studies on nuclear energy are carried out under state control all over the world, Bayraktar said, "This is especially the case with nuclear fuels. We believe that, in a sense, one of the important building blocks of our independence in energy will be small modular reactors. It would be very difficult for us to build large reactors. This is actually a point like a breakthrough in aviation. The world is moving towards this and we are relatively at the beginning of this transformation." he said.
Bayraktar emphasized that the most important issue in this field is human resources and said:
"Friends, you must also have underground wealth. This is very valuable, but unless you have the manpower to take and process that underground wealth and create a value chain, you cannot do anything. I was too far away from the subject. I am an electronics engineer, a robotics expert. I did not understand the N of nuclear. With you, at the age of 47, I have returned to my 20s and I am learning a completely different field from scratch. What does the poet say? 'I know that living is in the clear sky, children. 'It's about fighting for your sake.' "We work in this field with such a feeling."
"SMRs are a historic opportunity"
Reminding that they encountered various criticisms during the development process of tiny UAVs, Bayraktar made the following evaluations:
"Baykar is the world's largest unmanned aerial vehicle company in this field in its 20th year. Turkey has both defeated terrorism and demonstrated a great technological success to the world with these UAVs, and continues to innovate constantly. This is such an area. When you look at it this way, it is an area that can grow with you. Because 600 million people currently have no access to energy, and on the other hand, if you ask '(What is the biggest breakthrough in technology today?) If we were to look at history, what the printing house did? What is it that will do the thing? Artificial intelligence.' Where are the basic processing parameters of artificial intelligence based on today? To energy. If you don't have energy, you don't have information processing. When you cannot do computing, it means you will not be able to do any of the technologies you will develop. Therefore, energy is located at a very important point, in an important place. The work you do is very important both for humanity and for meeting the increasing energy demand. Electricity consumption in the world is increasing geometrically. Therefore, I think that this project, this technology, is very important and gives us a historical opportunity."
"TEKNOFEST is a great self-confidence revolution"
Emphasizing that he felt proud while visiting the tents and listening to their presentations, Bayraktar said, "As an engineer's son and an engineer's brother, I would like to express this: The greatest work we can leave behind will be to remove the obstacles to the generations that will carry out the work that will pave the way for our country and civilization. It will be to leave a state of mind that knows no obstacles on their horizons and in their imagination." he said.
Stating that TEKNOFEST was a great revolution in self-confidence, Bayraktar said, "When I was at university, there would be such a competition and we would think that we could do these things. Frankly, it was not possible. But now, a generation has arrived that can raise its claim to the world in every field and make the voice of our civilization louder." he said.
Bayraktar pointed out that TEKNOFEST is in its 9th year and that they have held the 15th TEKNOFEST, including the one held abroad, and said:
"This year, we are waiting for everyone in Şanlıurfa. The TEKNOFEST torch will rise from the birthplace of civilization in the Southeast. 1.6 million young people applied to 54 different competitions. My Minister has just stated that our competition with the biggest prize, the last competition to participate, is our nuclear energy competition. There is a total of 23 million lira in awards and 15 million lira in academic incentive awards. You can see where this field is in the ranking of importance here. Of course, if our Minister increases it, "If it will raise the bar even higher, we don't know. This is, in a sense, our point as Baykar. Of course, we hope it will be even better. We see a geometric increase."
Pointing out that nuclear energy has an energy density that is 2 million times greater than other energies when considered per kilogram, Bayraktar said, "This is a power that our country and civilization needs in every aspect. In a sense, you will unlock the keys of this energy for the sake of our independence, the independence of our nation and civilization, and for the 600 million people in the world who cannot access energy, thanks to the developments in SMRs along with the paradigm transformation." made his assessment.
"TEKNOFEST provides 1.5-2 years of experience"
Selçuk Bayraktar said the following about the development of young people participating in TEKNOFEST:
"1.5 years provides a clear gain for us. We have discussed this recently. A beginner engineer can gain the experience that can be gained in approximately 1.5-2 years at TEKNOFEST. The student learns what it means to build something with his own hands, by playing as a team, creating his own budget, working until the morning, paying for it and exhibiting it in front of the whole society. If he were to work on another project, he has gone through all that he would have learned in TEKNOFEST, which would have taken maybe 2 years."
Stating that the gains made at TEKNOFEST are very valuable in this period when the competition in the field of technology is intense, Bayraktar said, "Because think about it, in the technological race between two brands, one of them can have a difference of at most 2 years over the other. Think about the race on phones. Information spreads very quickly and all commercial results can emerge through 2 years of technological superiority. The difference in technological competition can be very small. We consider that we see great benefits from this." he said.
Bayraktar invited everyone to TEKNOFEST 2026, which will be held in Şanlıurfa between 30 September and 4 October.
