The OECD delegation visited Yıldız Technical University and YTÜ Yıldız Technopark, conducting a comprehensive review of university-industry collaboration and the innovation ecosystem.

The high-level international delegation from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which is in Turkey as part of the 2026 Skills Summit, visited Yıldız Technical University and YTÜ Yıldız Technopark. The delegation gathered information by listening to the projects of young entrepreneurs. 

The OECD delegation, which arrived in Turkey as part of the 6th Skills Summit hosted by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, visited YTÜ. The visit, which began with a program held at the YTÜ Historical Hamam Cultural Center, included Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Security Prof. Dr. Lutfihak Alpkan and YTÜ Rector Prof. Dr. Eyüp Debik, as well as a delegation comprising deputy ministers, state secretaries, and ambassadors from 19 different countries, including Japan, Germany, Switzerland, and Finland.

Young talents’ projects were showcased

During the program, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Muhammet Garip, General Manager of YTÜ Yıldız Technopark, delivered a comprehensive presentation outlining the technopark’s global growth strategy, entrepreneurial ecosystem, and vision for international expansion. The presentation, which emphasized Turkey’s technology-driven development model, was followed with great interest by the international delegation.

As part of the program, which blends historical heritage with technology, the delegation had the opportunity to directly experience games developed by Motion Blur, one of Turkey’s first game studios, which operates within Yıldız Technopark. The delegation then moved to the Yıldız Explorers area, where they examined projects prepared by the university’s dynamic student clubs and young entrepreneurs on-site.

The technology teams and clubs that set up booths to present their projects to the international delegation were as follows:

Industrial solutions were experienced at the ETP center

The delegation also visited the Industrial Design and Prototyping Center (ETP), which boasts Turkey’s most comprehensive production infrastructure. At the center, where Technopark companies demonstrated their autonomous and industrial solutions in practice, the delegation examined the autonomous delivery robot Robeff and the maritime technology solutions developed by LentaMarine.  

As part of the ETP visit, the delegation was introduced to manufacturing areas featuring a User Experience (UX) Laboratory, Virtual Reality (VR) zones, and workshops housing Selective Laser Melting (SLM) and Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) printers. The delegation, having gained insight into the advanced technology infrastructure, closely observed Turkey’s industrial prototyping capabilities.  

The program concluded with a photo session and the presentation of gifts following the visit to the User Experience Laboratory.