Türkiye is emerging as an important destination for artificial intelligence companies seeking to develop and expand their businesses globally, with strong engineering talent, government support and a growing network of technology parks drawing attention from international technology firms and investors. Officials from GITEX highlighted the country’s technology ecosystem following a two day technology event in Istanbul that brought together startups, businesses, investors and representatives from more than 70 countries. The event was hosted by Türkiye’s Investment and Finance Office alongside the Industry and Technology Ministry on September 9 and 10.
Bilal Alrais, vice president of GITEX, said Türkiye’s market size, engineering capabilities and growing understanding of artificial intelligence applications make it an attractive environment for companies developing AI based products and services. He also pointed to government support for startups and small and medium sized enterprises as an important factor in helping technology businesses expand. According to Alrais, the combination of technical talent, public sector support and market opportunities provides companies with an environment where they can develop artificial intelligence applications and use Türkiye as a base for expansion into international markets. Attendance at the event also reflected growing interest from domestic industries, with banks and manufacturing companies among those participating.
The event also provided international visitors with an opportunity to meet Turkish startups and technology developers. Around 120 startups participated, while innovators from 10 or 11 technology parks were represented at the exhibition. Alrais said international visitors showed particular interest in startups and technology companies from Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir, three cities that have developed significant technology and research ecosystems. Türkiye has established a large network of technoparks and research and development centres, providing technology companies with access to engineers, researchers and business infrastructure. A separate GITEX AI Türkiye summit also brought major international technology companies including Google Cloud, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Nvidia, Dell Technologies and Huawei into discussions around artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure and investment.
Artificial intelligence is also increasing demand for data centre infrastructure, as companies require substantial computing capacity to develop and operate AI applications. Alrais said the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence following the COVID-19 pandemic and the launch of ChatGPT has shifted greater attention towards data centres, while also creating new requirements for energy management. Data centre capacity, electricity availability and efficient energy use are becoming increasingly important considerations for countries seeking to attract artificial intelligence investment. GITEX is also expanding its international presence, with an Abu Dhabi edition planned for October and new events announced for Latin America, Italy and Serbia. For Türkiye, the growing attention around its startups, technology parks and research centres provides an opportunity to attract international investment and connect local technology companies with global markets.
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