The International Electric Vehicle Races and Hyperloop Development Competition, organized as part of TEKNOFEST 2026, are continuing at the TÜBİTAK Gebze Campus in Kocaeli.
Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır, who watched the competitions and spoke with participants, said TEKNOFEST transforms young people's dreams into research projects and those projects into technology startups.
Kacır said thousands of technology startups that emerged from TEKNOFEST are producing products, services and added value in their respective fields. He said the electric vehicle competitions are aligned with Türkiye's goals in mobility technologies.
Energy transformation in the automotive industry
Kacır said the transformation in the mobility and automotive sectors is accelerating through innovative energy applications, adding that battery-powered, electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles will shape the automotive industry of the future.
Kacır said Türkiye is active in this field through domestic projects such as TOGG, adding that TEKNOFEST competitions give young people the opportunity to learn about these technologies and form teams in the field. He said teams that gain experience in the competitions later take on important roles in industry and contribute to Türkiye's National Technology Initiative.
Participation record at TEKNOFEST
Congratulating the young people taking part in the competitions, Kacır announced that more than 1.6 million young people participated in TEKNOFEST competitions this year. Kacır said the event breaks its own participation record every year.
Kacır said more than 150 contests were held across 61 different competitions and subcategories as part of TEKNOFEST, adding that the finals were held in different provinces across Türkiye.
Kacır said that, in addition to the competitions in Kocaeli, events were held in southeastern provinces, including a rocket competition in Aksaray and an unmanned aerial vehicle competition in Malatya. He said the events are continuing in different regions of Türkiye. Kacır added that TEKNOFEST is organized with the contributions of the Türkiye Technology Team Foundation, Selçuk Bayraktar and more than 100 partners.
After the competitions, Kacır spoke with the participating students, posed for a commemorative photograph and signed some of the vehicles. Kocaeli Governor İlhami Aktaş, TÜBİTAK President Prof. Dr. Orhan Aydın, Informatics Valley General Manager Erkam Tüzgen and Marmara Technopolis General Manager Mehmet Ali Okur also attended the program.
