UK Science & Innovation Network Country Snapshot: Turkey

UK Science & Innovation Network Country Snapshot:

Turkey

C:\Users\bafsar\Desktop\Turkey-2016.docx

Science and Innovation Landscape

Turkey is world’s 19th (in nominal terms) largest economy in the world. Turkish GDP grew by 3.8% in 2015. Turkey is pursuing an ambitious programme with the aim of moving up the economic value chain. It has tripled Research & Development (R&D) spending since 2006, from 5,409 M PPP $ to 16,232 M PPP$ in 2015. Turkey’s Gross Expenditure on R&D (GERD) as a percentage of GDP increased from 0.60% in 2006 to 1.06% in 2015 approximately twice the value of 2006. Turkey has set a target to increase to share of R&D investment to 3% of GDP by 2023 in order to take part in the most developed countries in the field of STI in 2023, to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the Republic of Turkey. Turkey plans to continue increasing R&D expenditure to reach its 3% Gross Expenditure on R&D/GDP target by 2023. Turkey offers a wide range of opportunities for collaboration with the UK in science and research, education and innovation.

The business enterprise sector has been the key driver behind the STI impetus of Turkey. The business enterprise sector’s R&D expenditures reached to 8,117 M PPP $ in 2015. Business Expenditure on R&D as a percentage of GDP approximately quadrupled between 2006 and 2015, suggesting that Turkish businesses are also attaching a serious role to R&D for growth and competitiveness.

The main actors in science, technology and innovation field are the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) which is an affiliated institution of Ministry of Science, Industry and Technology. Funding for strategic sectors and chosen technologies in academia and industry, innovation and entrepreneurship support schemes, special incentive packages, technology zones with tax advantages and cluster formations are some of the main tools used for advancement for STI.

The National Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy (2011-16) (UBTYS) is the Turkish Government’s national policy document. UBTYS targets competitive sectors with strong STI potential (automotive, machinery, various manufacturing and ICT) and areas of global demand (energy, water, food, security and space).

Newton Fund in Turkey

Newton-Katip Çelebi Fund Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the UK and Turkey in order to provide a range of opportunities to widen and deepen relationship and engagement between the two countries. The investment of £4 million (per year) with Turkey (over five years and including match funding) will promote practical co-operation under three broad categories of activity: People, Programmes, Translation. Newton-Katip Celebi Fund offers many opportunities for realizing concrete projects and partnerships between the two countries on science and innovation.

With matched funding reaching to 8 Million Pounds a year, it will build strong, sustainable, systemic relationships and help materialization of excellent research partnerships both for academic and private sector. The visibility of UK partners will eventually increase and funding will ensure to have a more prominent and increased presence. It creates an important opportunity to overcome the obstacles for a formal science and innovation agreements between the two countries and build strategic research collaborations that were not possible previously due to lack of funding. This will also increase the chances of raising the profile of and promoting the UK excellence in science and innovation in the light of the collaboration from traditional competitors like the US and Germany.

SIN Turkey recent success stories/forward look

SIN Turkey boosts prosperity partnership: shifting gear with science & innovation

Led for the UK by SIN Turkey and BIS, with a strong British Council contribution, the UK-Turkey Year of Science and Innovation (YoSI) programme ended in March 2016, after more than 50 events, reaching over 1000 researchers, policy-makers and businesses, held at leading UK and Turkish universities and research centres.

Recognising the value of science and innovation (S&I) in boosting sustainable economic growth and prosperity, Turkey has increased R&D spending in the last decade. Foundations for a stronger UK-Turkey S&I relationship had already been laid down, with economic development-oriented S&I cooperation supported by the Newton-Katip Celebi Fund[1].

Building on this, SIN Turkey wanted to achieve a step-change in the breadth and depth of UK-Turkey S&I cooperation. SIN Turkey worked with partners to roll out a year-long programme of focused S&I activities aimed at creating new bilateral policy, research and commercial networks, and complementing Newton Fund activity. TUBITAK, the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey, led Turkish YoSI support and participation.

While many prosperity outcomes are longer-term, we have seen a surge in capacity and desire to work together following the YoSI. At least eight research partnerships, and several MOUs, are at different stages of agreement. Newton-Katip Celebi Fund fellowship applications and institutional research links have increased in number and quality. British Council “Science for All” talks attracted over a million viewers, showcasing UK science excellence and capability. The YoSI has been a springboard for S&I collaboration through the HMG Prosperity Fund programme now running in Turkey[2]. Building on UK-Turkey Year of Science & Innovation and Newton Fund, Prosperity Fund now aims to engage with key stakeholders to facilitate research and development capabilities in Turkey and support an innovative economy through supporting researchers and businesses to develop the research into a commercial products or services and developing capacity and partnerships to increase Turkish universities’ scientific, technological and innovation capacity, especially in cooperation with Technology Transfer Offices and Technoparks, that will help to strengthen the links between industry and academia. Three projects which complement each other have been supported for 2016-17 period.

SIN Turkey contact

Busra Afsar

Tel: +90 212 3346450 (FTN 8428 6450), E-mail:

The information in this document is believed correct at the time of distribution. However, HM Government accepts no liability forany loss or damage incurred as a result of any inaccuracies, howsoever caused

C:\Users\bafsar\Desktop\Turkey-2016.docx

[1] https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-newton-katip-celebi-fund-turkey

[2] https://www.gov.uk/government/world-location-news/turkey-prosperity-fund-call-for-project-proposals-is-now-open