CES 2023, the world’s largest consumer electronics tech event, hosted innovative products of Turkish enterprises with wide participation. 52 technology-based initiatives and Togg, which participated in the fair held in Las Vegas, USA, under the coordination of the Istanbul Development Agency (ISTKA), General Directorate of Development Agencies of the Ministry of Industry and Technology, attracted great interest from participants from all over the world.
Minister of Industry and Technology Mustafa Varank, who is in the USA to attend CES 2023, made examinations at the Istanbul Pavilion, where Turkish technology entrepreneurs participated in the fair. At the fair, the products and Togg Digital Mobility Garden, where ideas in many fields from smart agricultural applications to electronic waste management systems turned into innovative initiatives, were examined.
Varank, who received information about the technologies developed by Turkish entrepreneurs, was accompanied by Hasan Murat Mercan, Ambassador of Turkey to Washington, Sinan Kuzum, Consul General of Turkey in Los Angeles, Ahmet Şimşek, Deputy Director General of Development Agencies, Erkam Tüzgen, Secretary General of İSTKA, Cahit Çelik, Secretary General of Ankara Development Agency, M. Zeki Durak, Secretary General of Bursa Eskişehir Bilecik Development Agency (BEBKA) and Burhan Akyılmaz, Secretary General of İpekyolu Development Agency.
SUPPORT FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP
In addition to financial support, Varank stated that they have agendas such as sustaining the ecosystem in Turkey, trying to create funds, implementing the legislation that entrepreneurs need and providing mentorship, and that they are working on them. Varank said, ‘One of them is actually CES, which we have recently put on our agenda. How can we bring our initiatives to this global technology show, how can we turn this place into a showcase, we have been working on this in the last 2 years. We see that these are gaining more and more momentum. In previous years, we were here with much fewer participants, this year nearly 50 of our initiatives from Turkey came here.’
SCOPE OF THE USA VISIT
The delegation headed by Minister Varank met with Gary Shapiro, CEO of CES, and Saeed Amidi, founder of Plug & Play, the world’s leading early-stage venture capital fund. The delegation also met with representatives of the International Union of Democrats (UID), members of the Association of Anatolian Lions Businessmen (ASKON) and members of the Turkish American Steering Committee (TASC) in various programmes.
Afterwards, the delegation visited the Stanford University Canary Early Cancer Diagnosis Centre and met with the members of the Independent Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (MÜSİAD) USA Branch, ETAC and the Silicon Valley Branch of the Diyanet Foundation. A meeting was held with venture capital representatives at the startup ecosystem BootUp World.
