TEKNOFEST Competition on Digital Technologies in Industry

TEKNOFEST Industrial Digital Technologies Competition is a contest organized to support Türkiye’s digital transformation of industry in line with its domestic and national technology vision, aiming to encourage technological innovation. The competition is held under the umbrella of TEKNOFEST Aviation, Space and Technology Festival, bringing together individual and teams that develop digital solutions for industrial processes to contribute to the nation’s digital industry infrastructure.

TEKNOFEST Industrial Digital Technologies Competition (Photo: T3 Foundation)

Objective and Scope

The Industrial Digital Technologies Competition aims to foster projects that support Industry 4.0 transformation and generate digital solutions across various domains from production to logistics. Within this scope, the competition seeks to enhance industrial process efficiency, reduce costs and promote sustainable production models through the use of digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data analytics, Internet of Things (IoT), digital twin technologies and automation like. The core focus of the competition is the design of guided robotic systems that can navigate predefined routes, transport specific loads from one point to another, and operate either manually controlled or autonomously, intended for use within factories or warehouses.

Competition Categories

The competition is organized into two distinct categories based on participants’ experience levels:

• Basic Category: A category open to beginner-level projects featuring less complex systems.
• Advanced Category: A category evaluating more sophisticated autonomous systems with advanced software and hardware infrastructure.

TEKNOFEST Industrial Digital Technologies Competition (Photo: T3 Foundation)

Participant Profile

The competition targets a broad range of participants from Türkiye and abroad:

• High school students (including open education),
• University students (associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral and open education included),
• Graduates,
• Entrepreneurs and companies,

who may participate in teams. Each team may consist of up to six members; mentors are not included in this count.

Evaluation Process

The competition consists of three main stages:

1. Technical Competency Form: The first step to assess whether participants’ projects meet the technical requirements of the competition.
2. Project Evaluation Report (PER): A comprehensive report detailing the project’s technical specifications, objectives, technologies used and design process.
3. Mobility and Capability Video: A video demonstration showcasing the developed robot’s ability to execute its assigned task scenarios and concretely demonstrating the project’s functionality.

Throughout this process, competitors have the opportunity not only to demonstrate their only technical skills but also to develop problem-solving, teamwork, innovation and engineering competencies.

TEKNOFEST Industrial Digital Technologies Competition (Photo: T3 Foundation)

Relationship with the National Technology Initiative

The Industrial Digital Technologies Competition is one of the initiatives carried out under Türkiye’s National Technology Initiative. It aligns with goals such as developing domestic technologies, achieving digital independence in production processes and modernizing industrial infrastructure. Through this competition, Türkiye enhances its global competitiveness in the industrial sector, opens pathways for young entrepreneurs and supports a qualified human resource base.

Outcomes and Impact

The competition promotes the domestic development of robotics and automation systems, which are critical to the digital transformation process, thereby supporting efficiency and sustainability in industry. It also enables young talents and technology startups to apply their ideas in practice, generate innovations and add value to the sector.