Erdogan announces 2030 Industry and Technology Strategy, highlights $9B investment

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan introduced the 2030 Industry and Technology Strategy on Wednesday, unveiling ambitious plans to boost the country’s technological and industrial sectors.

During a presentation at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, Erdogan highlighted the importance of self-sufficiency in technology and defense, with a specific focus on increasing Türkiye’s role in global technological leadership.

The strategy includes major investments, with 19 projects set to contribute $9 billion to Türkiye’s economy, generating over 20,000 jobs and contributing $12 billion to the current account balance once completed.

Erdogan stressed the importance of maintaining domestic production and independence in strategic sectors.

“Our nation will not allow any local and national brand that produces and creates employment in this country to be sacrificed to the fascist politics of a few opportunists,” Erdogan said.

Key strategic goals for technological independence

Erdogan emphasized that Türkiye’s vision for the future aims at enhancing the country’s independence in high-tech sectors.

He stated that Türkiye’s strategy is designed to increase its capabilities in critical areas such as defense, energy, space, and advanced manufacturing.

“We aim to elevate technological independence to the highest level and to position Türkiye as one of the leading countries in both technology production and the production and export of high-tech products,” Erdogan stated.

In the field of defense, Erdogan pointed to significant achievements such as the indigenous production of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and the development of Türkiye’s fifth-generation fighter jet, KAAN, which he said would soon enter serial production.

“Our national fighter jet KAAN will go into serial production. We will integrate our air defense systems into a single network with Steel Dome,” Erdogan said.

The country’s first electric and smart car, Togg, was also mentioned as a key milestone in the automotive sector.

Expanding Türkiye’s global influence in space, technology

Erdogan also highlighted Türkiye’s increasing presence in the global space industry, including the successful launch of Türkiye’s first domestic communication satellite, Turksat 6A.

“We will establish a national satellite system that will bring together our satellite manufacturing capabilities, increase coordination, and enhance international competitiveness,” Erdogan said.

He reaffirmed Türkiye’s goal of becoming one of the 11 countries capable of producing communication satellites.

“We are establishing a strong space ecosystem, with a focus on manufacturing and launching satellites,” Erdogan stated. He also emphasized the country’s progress in Arctic and Antarctic research, citing scientific expeditions to both poles to solidify Türkiye’s presence in these regions.

Future investments in critical technologies

Looking ahead, Erdogan unveiled plans to strengthen Türkiye’s position in several high-tech sectors, including quantum technology, nuclear energy, and semiconductor production.

“We will establish a National Quantum Institute that will strengthen our country’s human resources and research infrastructure in quantum technologies,” Erdogan said.

He stressed the importance of digital transformation across all sectors and introduced plans for the establishment of a National Quantum Institute and a nuclear technology park to accelerate advancements in these fields.

“We will establish a national satellite system, integrate our air defense systems under a unified network, and expand the manufacturing of critical technologies such as semiconductors, biotechnology, and nuclear reactors,” Erdogan outlined.

“We will establish a nuclear technopark that will make a significant leap in the field of nuclear energy and develop a domestic modular nuclear reactor,” Erdogan said.

Emphasizing green economy, technological resilience

The strategy also aims at a green and circular economy, with Erdogan emphasizing the importance of transitioning to sustainable energy systems.

He announced plans to boost domestic production capacities for solar and wind energy technologies, as well as to develop a green hydrogen ecosystem to support energy storage and carbon capture technologies.

In line with Türkiye’s commitment to the European Green Deal, Erdogan outlined measures to reduce carbon emissions in industrial processes and strengthen the country’s position in renewable energy technologies.

Enhancing human capital, supporting innovation

Erdogan also touched on the human resource development aspect of the strategy, which includes the establishment of new vocational schools and technology colleges to train the skilled workforce needed for advanced manufacturing and technological innovation.

“We will create more model factories to guide the transformation of industry, provide support for SMEs to scale up, and encourage the return of highly skilled scientists and professionals from abroad,” Erdogan said.

Investment in mega industrial parks, new initiatives

The strategy also includes the construction of mega industrial parks with robust infrastructure, designed to support strategic investments in high-tech and environmentally sustainable industries.

“We will increase the number of model factories that will guide the efficiency-oriented transformation of our industry and support SME-scale-up investments,” Erdogan said.

“We will triple our high-tech product exports and raise them to $30 billion,” he added.

“We will increase the total area of organized industrial zones and industrial parks from 149,000 hectares to 350,000 hectares,” he said.

“By 2030, we will attract $20 billion in venture capital investments, reach 100,000 technological startups, and achieve a $100 billion Turcorn valuation,” he added.

Erdogan emphasized that these parks would be equipped with the necessary technological, social, and environmental infrastructure to attract significant investment.

“With these investments, we will help our country achieve significant growth in manufacturing exports, aiming for $400 billion in industrial exports by 2030,” Erdogan concluded.