Speaking on the second day of Türkiye Innovation Week 2026, Trade Minister Omer Bolat announced that the average export value per kilogram rose from $1.53 last year to $1.73 at the end of the first 9 months of the year.
The event, organized by the Turkish Exporters Assembly with the support of the Ministry of Trade at the Halic Congress Center, is being held this year under the theme "Humanity 6.0 - The New Phase of Humanity." Held for the 13th time this year, the event addresses new technologies, products and business models, as well as Türkiye's position in a changing world.
Export target exceeded
Bolat said Türkiye has maintained its economic development despite adverse conditions in global trade, regional conflicts, the protectionist trend in trade and rising commodity prices. Noting that economic growth has continued uninterrupted for 16 years, Bolat said national income has reached $1.7 trillion and per capita income $18,300.
Bolat said a monthly export record was broken in 5 of the year's 9 months and an increase was recorded in 6 months, adding that as of September, annualized exports rose 5.2 percent to $283.7 billion. It was noted that this figure is $1.7 billion above the year-end target of $282 billion.
Bolat said the year-end target for goods and services exports is $410 billion, adding that the annualized total reached $409 billion as of September.
Share of high-tech products increased
Bolat said the share of medium-high and high-tech products in total goods exports was 30.4 percent in 2002, and that exports in this area rose to $112 billion at the end of last year. He announced that in the first 9 months of this year, these exports reached $86.5 billion and their share of the total reached 43.7 percent.
Saying Türkiye aims to increase exports of products with added value, brand, innovation and high technology while maintaining its competitiveness in traditional and labor-intensive products, Bolat said R&D, innovation, branding and design are important in this transformation.
Value per kilogram by sector
Bolat said that when export items with high tonnage but lower unit value, such as cement and marble, are excluded from the calculation, the export value per kilogram rises to $2.11, also drawing attention to the differences between sectors.
According to information provided by Bolat, the export value per kilogram is $61.5 in the defense industry, $25 in pharmaceuticals, $14 in the ship and yacht sector and $9 in automotive. In ready-to-wear clothing, the value per kilogram was said to reach up to $80 to $100.
$30 billion in resources for technology investments
Bolat said tax incentives, grants and low-cost financing support are provided under the Investment Commitment Advance Loan Program and the HIT-30 High Technology Investment Program. He announced that $30 billion in resources has been allocated through these programs to investments aimed at developing Türkiye's technology and value-added production.
Bolat said 1.8 trillion liras in loans and support had been provided to exporters over the past 20 months through export rediscount loans and export insurance support, adding that these practices created a total of 480 billion liras in relief.
Emphasis on artificial intelligence
Saying artificial intelligence has begun to change human life, Bolat said their aim is not for technology to replace people, but for people to use technology to build a more productive life and economic system. Bolat also shared the assessment that artificial intelligence could increase global trade by 40 percent by 2040.
After the speeches, the InovaLIG Award Ceremony and the Strategic Partners Plaque Presentation Ceremony were held.
InovaLIG awards
Speaking at the award ceremony, Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM) Chairman Mustafa Gultepe announced that 2,641 companies from 70 provinces applied this year to InovaLIG, which started in 2014 with 460 companies. Noting that medium-high and high-tech products account for 40 percent of Türkiye's industrial exports in value terms, Gultepe said research and development and innovation should be incorporated into business processes to a greater extent.
In the awards presented by Bolat and Gultepe, in the large-scale enterprises category, Kipaş Tekstil won first place in Innovation Strategy, ROKETSAN in Innovation Organization and Culture, Borçelik in Innovation Cycle, Termo Isı Sistemleri in Innovation Resources and Gemak Gemi in Innovation Results. In the same categories at SME scale, Asis Otomasyon, Solimpeks Enerji, Chef Seasons, VSY Biyoteknoloji and Semikal Teknoloji took first place, respectively.
