Teknofest in Turkish Cyprus kicks off with global tech and innovation display
Turkish Stars, the aerobatic demonstration team of the Turkish Air Forces perform demonstration flight during Turkiye's premier technology and aerospace event TEKNOFEST on its third day at Adana Airport in Adana, Turkiye on October 4, 2024. (AA Photo)
Teknofest TRNC, aimed at bringing science and technology closer to society, will take place from May 1 to 4 at the former Ercan Airport in Lefkosa under the auspices of the Presidency of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
The event is organized by the Ministry of Industry and Technology of Türkiye in cooperation with the Türkiye Technology Team Foundation (T3 Foundation).
This marks the first time Teknofest is held in TRNC, with a mission to promote public engagement with cutting-edge scientific and technological innovation.
Major institutions to participate
The Ministry of Industry and Technology will host a major activity area featuring the Türkiye Space Agency, KOSGEB, development agencies, the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office, and the Turkish Standards Institution. Institutions affiliated with the ministry will present projects ranging from defense and artificial intelligence to space research and domestic technologies through exhibitions, workshops, and demonstrations.
86 finalist teams to showcase projects
The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (Tubitak) will welcome visitors to its main booth, which will include two thematic tents. Participating institutes include Bilgem, Mam, Rute, Sage, Ume, Uzay, and Bito. Visitors of all ages will engage with scientific content, hands-on workshops, tech demonstrations, and knowledge competitions.
A total of 86 finalist teams from elementary, middle, and high school and university levels will present their projects during the festival. The first three days will include jury evaluations across four rooms. International participants include teams from Azerbaijan, Pakistan, the TRNC, and Afghanistan, with about 260 students expected to present their projects.
Bito’s “Beyond the Horizon” exhibition will feature interactive installations such as space mission equipment, astronaut suits, Cupola module replicas, and a game titled “Could I Be an Astronaut?” highlighting experiments conducted by Türkiye’s first astronauts, Alper Gezeravci and Tuva Cihangir Atasever.
Global participation from 22 countries
More than 47,000 competitors from 22 countries applied to Teknofest TRNC. In addition to Türkiye and TRNC, applicants came from Afghanistan, Germany, Albania, Australia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burundi, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Mali, Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tunisia, and Uzbekistan.
A total of 268 teams with 1,083 members qualified as finalists — 334 women and 749 men. The competitions will span six main and 13 subcategories, including:
- Social innovation
- Flying car simulation
- Tourism technologies
- Teknofest Robolig blue homeland
- Teknofest TRNC research projects
- Teknofest drone championship
Finalist teams from Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, the TRNC, Pakistan, and Türkiye will compete. The TRNC will be represented by 20 finalist teams and 103 participants.
The festival will also feature air shows by Soloturk, Turkish Stars, F-4 fighter jets, Atak helicopters, Hurkus, Bayraktar TB2, and Akinci UAVs.
