Türkiye plans to reorganize research and development incentives and direct more support toward space, quantum technologies and a wide range of strategic technology fields, Anadolu Agency reported, citing the medium-term economic program covering 2027 to 2029. The plan links these investments to reducing dependence on foreign sources and strengthening the country’s international competitiveness.
Announced measures are not limited to funding individual projects; they aim to build an integrated technology ecosystem encompassing research and development and design centers, technology development zones and startup incubators. Forms of support will be determined according to sectoral needs, while the specialization model will continue to be applied, encouraging large private-sector research and development centers and technology park companies to focus on new technology fields and produce advanced outputs.
Multiple Strategic Fields
The list of priority fields includes cybersecurity, autonomous systems and vehicles, quantum technologies, hypersonic systems, new materials, and space and satellite technologies. It also includes nanotechnology, biotechnology, sensors, chips, batteries, nuclear and renewable energy, blockchain and robotics.
The plan calls for continued strategic cooperation among research institutions, universities and private companies in these fields. It also aims to register national initiatives in critical and strategic technologies through a pre-competitive cooperation approach, alongside building the infrastructure necessary for their development.
Special Focus on Space and Transport
Under the National Space Program, research and development aimed at increasing Türkiye’s capacity to produce domestic space technologies will be supported. The stated goal is to develop and commercialize critical, high-value-added space technologies, while strengthening domestic production capacity.
Priorities also include developing next-generation railway technologies and establishing research and development infrastructure for environmentally friendly propulsion and mobility systems, within the objective of achieving net-zero emissions in the transport sector.
What Is Changing in Practice?
The plan gives greater priority to linking research funding with turning results into products and production capabilities, rather than limiting support to academic activity. Accordingly, the measures include strengthening mechanisms for evaluating patents, trademarks and designs, and facilitating access to financing and the commercialization of intellectual assets.
Research platforms, shared infrastructure, idea-to-product conversion platforms and advanced research and development laboratories will also be supported under the university-industry cooperation model. This includes expanding cooperation networks, improving researchers’ skills, increasing qualified human resources and strengthening international partnerships in research and innovation.
certi.news analysis: The plan reveals a shift in Türkiye’s technology policy from general support for research and development toward a more focused orientation to sectors linked to technological sovereignty and industrial capacity. However, the source does not specify the size of the budgets, the implementing bodies or outcome measurement indicators, so the actual significance of implementation will depend on the details of the programs and the mechanisms for distributing support, which were not announced in the article.