UNIVERSITIES' CONTRIBUTION TO THE NATIONAL TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE

Abstract

The National Technology Initiative has been put forward in the last fifteen years as a step towards the technology and innovation competitiveness needed by our country, which has been defined in order to ensure Turkiye's economic and technological independence. The building blocks of the National Technology Initiative consist of five basic components and are carried out together with our higher education institutions to revive the competitiveness needed according to the principles of High Technology and Innovation, Digital Transformation and Industry Initiative, Entrepreneurship, Human Capital and Infrastructure. Within the scope of an effective and efficient program, a structure that leads the private sector and works in coordination with on-site R&D, subject-oriented development and productization studies and the production of new technologies has been established. The National Technology Initiative is defined as a national struggle, and a comprehensive study is carried out, especially in research universities, in order to make our country a global actor in the field of technology and industry. Developing critical technologies locally and nationally, providing competitive research, development, products and services in high-tech fields, increasing our share in global value chains with original and innovative production are among the main objectives of the National Technology Initiative. It is the beginning of a long-term mobilization process in order to increase the use of trained manpower and infrastructure, expand the entrepreneurial ecosystem, and make the existence of interdisciplinary participatory stakeholders in this ecosystem independent of technology and welfare. The fact that Turkiye can be a pioneer in the international arena, R&D infrastructure, trained manpower, innovative business models, products and services depends on having a strong higher education and entrepreneurship ecosystem. In this manner, thanks to our researchers and entrepreneurs, who can read the global economy well and will enable Turkiye to open up to international markets. Turkiye will achieve a stronger structure in the future through its strong universities, with the initiative of national technology.