May 23, 2024 GTU Office of Press and Public Relations
Gebze Technical University (GTU) has hosted the Entrepreneurship Summit as part of its activities to support the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Türkiye and to develop a global vision of entrepreneurship. The summit, held for the seventh time this year, aimed to bring together thought leaders shaping global entrepreneurship, regional industrialists, and students to support entrepreneurship, spread success stories, and lay the groundwork for collaborations to create the ideal entrepreneurial ecosystem.
The theme of this year’s "Gebze Technical University Entrepreneurship Summit," which took place on May 22, 2024, at GTU Congress and Cultural Center, was "Artificial Intelligence and Entrepreneurship." The summit hosted leading companies and entrepreneurs in the AI ecosystem in two sessions, with stakeholders in the field participating. The organizing committee was chaired by Prof. Dr. Hüseyin İnce, Dean of GTU’s Faculty of Business Administration.
Artificial Intelligence and Entrepreneurship: A Major Gathering at GTU
The summit saw participation from GTU Rector Prof. Dr. Hacı Ali Mantar, Vice-Rectors Prof. Dr. Elif Damla Arısan, Prof. Dr. Hasari Çelebi, Prof. Dr. Mahmut Durmuş, Secretary-General Nadir Yıldırım, Faculty of Business administration academics, students, entrepreneurs, academics, investors, and industry representatives.
In his opening speech, Rector Prof. Dr. Hacı Ali Mantar provided a comprehensive perspective on the opportunities that AI offers for entrepreneurship, highlighting its importance. He discussed the history and current significance of AI, its increasing use in various fields, and the opportunities this brings.
Rector Prof. Dr. Mantar emphasized that AI should interest people from all disciplines, not just computer engineers, and he shared information about the AI-related work being conducted at GTU. He noted that basic AI courses are taught in all departments and that the AI master’s program accepts students from various disciplines. Prof. Dr. Mantar stated that, like in all areas, AI technology has great potential in entrepreneurship. He explained the importance of AI in entrepreneurial opportunities and thanked the participants and those who contributed to organizing the event.
Dean Prof. Dr. Hüseyin İnce said that the summit aimed to support entrepreneurship, spread success stories, and prepare the ground for collaborations to create an ideal business environment by bringing together thought leaders, academics, and students contributing to the global development of entrepreneurship. He noted that the theme "Artificial Intelligence and Entrepreneurship" aimed to emphasize the importance of AI in entrepreneurship, transforming many fields such as health, automotive, finance, and education, giving entrepreneurs a competitive advantage.
Turkcell CEO Ali Taha Koç presented at the Entrepreneurship and AI event, discussing the use of AI in various sectors. He addressed the historical development leading to today’s AI technology and offered significant advice to students in the field of entrepreneurship.
Significant Contributions to the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem
After the opening speeches, the first session featured valuable representatives of pioneering institutions in Türkiye’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. They discussed the state of digital transformation and AI applications in the Innovation Age within the entrepreneurial ecosystem and the benefits and challenges of AI-based technological innovations for entrepreneurship.
The first session, titled “Science and Technology Development,” was chaired by GOSB Technopark General Manager Prof. Dr. Murat Çemberci and included speakers such as TÜBİTAK Bilgem AI Institute Director Dr. Mehmet Haklıdır, Bilişim Vadisi General Manager Ekrem Tüzgen, Technopark Istanbul General Manager Muhammet Fatih Özsoy, and GTU Technopark General Manager Yusuf Çalık.
In the second session, representatives from leading institutions successfully navigating the technological transformation process discussed the changes in business practices, employee expectations, management approaches brought about by AI applications in their sectors, and the contributions of technology-based growth.
The second session, titled “Sectoral Applications,” was chaired by GTU Economics Department Head Prof. Dr. Halit Yanıkkaya and included speakers such as İLGE AI Robotics Software General Manager Sedat Karakaş, İş Bank AI Factory AI Acceleration Program Coordinator Kadir Bulut, Synergia Chairman Dr. Ali Cihan Kurt, and Eight Information Technologies Co-Founder Emir Çubukçu.
GTU TTO and KOSGEB Award Entrepreneurs
After the sessions, the GTU Technology Transfer Office held the GTU KOSGEB Business Plan Award Ceremony, rewarding those with groundbreaking initiatives and projects in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. During the award ceremony, first place was awarded to Fatih Cerit, co-founder of Zephyron Inc., for developing a quieter and more efficient propeller system and the Maya Micro UAV system to meet the unmanned aerial vehicle needs of Türkiye and allied countries. Second place went to Dilara Üzünlü, founder of Tech2Bio, for the Smart Hive Technologies initiative, which detects bee diseases and pests causing significant damage in beekeeping at an early stage using current technologies and provides solutions for planning, tracking, and controlling care and medication operations based on symptoms. Third place was awarded to Research Assistant Tuğçe Ucun for her business plan on producing and designing solid oxide fuel cells with higher energy efficiency, fuel flexibility, and lower environmental impact compared to traditional energy production systems, using a cold sintering process to make them more economical and simpler.
