The second phase of the Yıldız Explorers Program, which was opened to other universities this year, was officially launched. Our Rector, Prof. Dr. Eyüp Debik, announced that a total of 20 million lira in funding would be provided to 119 student teams developing innovative projects. YTÜ Yıldız Technopark General Manager Assoc. Prof. Dr. Muhammet Garip İse stated, “The Yıldız Explorers project is a quest to find that one person who is dedicated, unwavering, hardworking, committed, and willing to embrace solitude if necessary.”

The second-phase launch of the Yıldız Explorers Program, which YTÜ and Yıldız Technopark are conducting to spread a culture of technology production to the grassroots, brought together the technology and entrepreneurship ecosystem.

The event kicked off with the 100 StartUPBootcamp-Hackathon, organized by YTU Startup House with Türksat as the main partner. Over the course of an intense 48-hour marathon, university students developed projects focused on artificial intelligence, digital transformation, and data technologies. At the end of the process, SolarVise Sirius, which offers AI analysis for solar power plants, took first place; Hallederiz, a location guidance platform, took second; and Damga, which converts sign language into real-time speech, took third. The students received their awards from YTÜ Rector Prof. Dr. Eyüp Debik and YTÜ Yıldız Technopark General Manager Assoc. Prof. Dr. Muhammet Garip.

During the launch ceremony following the hackathon, it was announced that a total of 20 million lira in investment support would be provided to 119 teams—out of the 167 teams that applied for the 2026 cycle—who successfully passed the jury evaluation. Teams developing projects across a wide range of fields, from the defense industry to health technologies, will have the opportunity to turn their ideas into tangible technologies with this funding.

"We need to come up with plenty of inventions"

Prof. Dr. Eyüp Debik, Rector of Yıldız Technical University, expressed confidence in the potential of young people and noted that the prejudices against innovation that once existed in society have now been broken. Referring to how young people’s enthusiasm was once dampened by being told, “Don’t come up with inventions that’ll cause trouble,” Debik said, “We need to come up with plenty of inventions.”

Emphasizing that Turkey’s current position in the technology sector marks a critical threshold for national security, Debik addressed the students, saying, “We must work day and night and put our bodies on the line for our country.”

Highlighting that the university has mobilized all its resources to keep the students’ energy at the highest level, Debik stated, “We need your energy to be strong, and we are committed to providing every possible support to keep that energy consistently high.”

Emphasizing that these support mechanisms gain meaning thanks to the students’ intense interest and dedication, Debik said, “You come up with innovations, and we’ll support you as much as we can, and hopefully our country will rise to number one," reiterating the goal of elevating Yıldız Technical University into the world’s top 100 universities by 2031.

"We’re looking for that one person"

YTÜ Yıldız Technopark General Manager Assoc. Prof. Dr. Muhammet Garip explained that major revolutions in world history have always begun with the conviction of a determined individual.

Inspiring young people with historical examples ranging from Edison to Ali Kuşçu, Garip stated, “The Yıldız Explorers project is a quest to find that one man—dedicated, unwavering, hardworking, committed, and willing to embrace solitude if necessary.”

Noting that the 'Yıldız Explorers' project has opened a new chapter in the field of entrepreneurship in Turkey, Garip mentioned that the project has been adopted as a model by other universities, adding, "In the second phase, we have expanded this project nationwide with the aim of making Yıldız Technical University the center of entrepreneurship in Turkey."

Investment in strategic areas is increasing

According to data shared during the launch, of the 119 teams to be supported this year, 53 focus on entrepreneurship, while 66 concentrate on project and club activities. When examining the technology verticals of the selected teams, unmanned aerial vehicles lead with 21 teams, followed by health technologies and software platforms with 14 teams each. Additionally, 41 projects targeting the defense industry are among the strategically funded verticals. In line with the university’s goal of integrating academic output with entrepreneurship, the supported teams also include seven undergraduate thesis projects and eight master’s degree teams.

Past champions shared their experiences

At the ceremony, the first-generation pioneers who represented Turkey on the international stage by benefiting from the program last year also took the stage.

Representatives of the YTU Racing team, which secured the overall first place at the competition in the Czech Republic, noted that the transportation support provided by the program resolved logistical issues, allowing them to dedicate more time to developing their vehicle.

Members of the YTÜ AESK team, which won first place in the autonomous category at the Shell Eco-Marathon in Poland, highlighted the key role the support played in their motivation, thanking the university representatives with the words, “Knowing that our university is always by our side gave us great strength.”

The program concluded with a networking session where the Yıldız Explorers teams presented their projects.