Issue
Science and innovation are at the heart of government strategy for prosperity and growth. Research and knowledge is increasingly developed and transferred through international collaboration which provides opportunities to work with the best in the world, exchange students and researchers, and gain access to large scale international facilities; leading to mutual benefits for the UK and Turkey.
Actions
To promote international collaboration the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office jointly fund the UK Science and Innovation Network (SIN), based in 28 countries around the world.
SIN Turkey works to:
influence science and innovation policies of Turkish government, industry and academia to benefit the UK
improve UK policy based on international experience and emerging opportunities and challenges with Turkey
stimulate strategic science collaborations with Turkey to benefit the UK and deliver wider policy goals
harness Turkish international technology partnerships and investment to grow UK innovation capability
Science and Innovation in Turkey
Turkey’s Gross Expenditure on R&D (GERD) has more than trebled in the last decade and showed more than %40 increase as a percentage of GDP, making it one of the leading countries in its growth rate
in addition to the dedicated funding coming from the government, a %55 increase of the Business Expenditure on R&D as a percentage of GDP in the same period proves that Turkish businesses are also attaching a serious role to R&D for economic growth and competitiveness
a young and increasingly educated population contributed in realizing these investments; total researchers per thousand labour force has increased by %56 between 2000-2010
the science and innovation scene is led by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) and the newly formed Ministry of Science, Industry and Technology
Turkish Government has set ambitious targets for the centenary of the Turkish Republic in 2023 and decided to prioritise the following fields in science and technology: ICT, automotive, machine manufacturing, defense, space, energy, water, food, health
SIN Turkey Activities
Some of the activities that SIN Turkey carried out are:
leading the visit of the Turkish Minister of Science, Industry and Technology, Mr.Nihat Ergün, and the President of the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey, Prof.Yücel Altunbaşak, to the UK (June 2013)
organizing the UK-Turkey Knowledge Partnership Conference on ‘Energy and Resource Efficiency in Manufacturing’ in collaboration with the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (January 2013)
visit Azerbaijan on a scoping tour for science and innovation collaborations, together with SIN Germany and SIN Russia (November 2012)
engaging in science diplomacy through organizing the ‘Triangle of Knowledge’ event at the British Embassy in Berlin together with SIN Germany and in partnership with the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the British Council and Turkish Embassy in Berlin (March 2012)
organise the launch event of the UK-Turkey Knowledge Partnership agreement signed between the Secretary of State for Business, Dr.Vince Cable and Turkish Minister of Economy, Zafer Cağlayan (September 2011)
Opportunities
SIN Turkey does not have regular calls for project proposals. We aim to proactively seek out UK-Turkey collaborations in our priority areas of interest, and to reactively assess any potential projects that are suggested to us.
We have good contacts with high-level stakeholders in Turkey and the UK and can assist in building strategic relationships in areas of mutual interest.
Contact details
Dr.Başak Candemir
Meşrutiyet Caddesi No:34
Tepebaşı, Beyoğlu
34435 İstanbul, TURKEY
Email: basak.candemir@fco.gov.uk
Phone: +90-212-334 6450
Please note that we are not able to answer any visa or consular queries.