Ecosystem Developing and Technologist Integrating

Bilişim Vadisi (BV) is Türkiye's largest technology development zone, forming an expansive Mega Technology Corridor with its four locations in Kocaeli, Istanbul, Izmir, and Baku. BV fosters an ecosystem of 8000+ R&D employees, 700+ technology developer companies, and 150+ technology entrepreneurs in its incubation center, all of which continue to grow steadily.

To expand its ecosystem, BV implements various programs, including accelerators, incubation initiatives, entrepreneurial skills development, and strategic events, particularly supporting tech and deep-tech entrepreneurs. BV collaborates with stakeholders such as the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office, TSE, KOSGEB, chambers of commerce, and leading universities to identify and meet the needs of technology companies.

BV focuses on eight core areas: Mobility, Smart Cities, Cybersecurity, Fintech, Energy, IoT, Gaming, and Design Tech, supporting technology development and fostering robust ecosystems within these fields.

Türkiye’s First Mobility Cluster

BV established Türkiye’s first mobility cluster, specializing in electric, autonomous, and sustainable mobility solutions. BV has applied for governmental approval to formalize the cluster as a legal entity. This cluster connects public and private sector experts, including large corporations, SMEs, universities, government institutions, NGOs, OEMs, and research centers. The mobility cluster organizes workshops open to all stakeholders throughout the year and offers the following services:

- Support for entrepreneurs in decarbonizing mobility through acceleration programs, mentorship, and commercialization assistance.

- Development of a skilled workforce to advance the mobility sector.

- Promotion of research to improve emission reduction methods.

- Acceleration of the adoption of innovative, connected, and autonomous mobility technologies.

- Enhancement of multimodal transport systems and sustainable urban mobility solutions.

- Contribution to achieving the EU’s "Vision Zero" goal of eliminating road fatalities and serious injuries by 2050.

BV's strong ties with governmental bodies also enable the cluster to propose new national regulations based on project outcomes and contribute to shaping public policy.

Autonomous Test Track: BV provides an approximately 6 km autonomous test track for urban mobility testing. This facility supports companies working on Connected and Autonomous Vehicle (CAV) technologies by offering a controlled environment to evaluate neighborhood-level mobility solutions.

BV Incubation Center: Incubation Center supports early-stage and growing ventures through its incubation and pre-incubation programs. Entrepreneurs benefit from training, financial and legal consultancy, patent advisory, and technical mentorship. The center also assists with the commercialization of project results through BV’s extensive network of corporate partners.

Bilişim Vadisi Venture Capital Investment Fund

Established in 2021 through a partnership with Vakıf Katılım, Albaraka, and later KOSGEB, the venture capital investment fund has grown to a volume of nearly ₺600 million. Over 3000 applications have been reviewed, leading to investments in nearly 30 entrepreneurs. Investment sizes range between $100k and $1M.

Türkiye Mobility Cluster Accelerator Program

Initiated in 2019, the Türkiye Mobility Cluster Accelerator Program officially applied for legal entity status in 2023 with a five-year activity plan. This program supports entrepreneurs developing mobility technologies.

Key achievements of the accelerator program include:

- Over 2,000 applications received across three completed programs.

- 25+ technology seminars and 60+ mentor meetings conducted.

- 500+ B2B meetings and 700+ demo-day participants.

- 100+ working group meetings and engagements with national and international mobility sectors.

- A network of 100+ members, 100 mentors, and approximately 80 investment offices.

Organizing Technology-Focused Events

Bilişim Vadisi hosts technology-centered events to engage and support tech and deep-tech entrepreneurs, including hackathons, workshops, investor meetings, and demo days. Notable recent events include:

- GameOn Hackathon - 2024

- Media Technologies Hackathon - 2024

- Blockchain, NFT, Metaverse Hackathon - 2022

- Digitalization in Education Workshop - 2022

- Corporate Resilience Capacity of IT Firms - 2022

- Re-Think Digital Gaming e-Workshop - 2021

- Blockchain e-Workshop - 2020

- Türkiye's Smart Cities e-Workshop - 2020

- Turkish Natural Language Processing Hackathon - 2019

With its comprehensive approach to fostering innovation, supporting entrepreneurs, and driving technological advancement, Bilişim Vadisi continues to be a cornerstone of Türkiye’s digital and technological future. Along with all these facilities, BV also collaborates with developers in the ecosystem to contribute to projects in focus technology areas.