Turken Talks

Turken Talks aim to foster a deeper understanding of global issues, providing a platform for intellectual growth and discussion.

Going Beyond Defence: The Transfer of Strategic Know-How and Technologies into Civilian Sectors in Türkiye

The recent growth of Türkiye’s defense industry has benefited not only its defense capabilities but also various civilian sectors. Many technologies, products, and areas of expertise developed within the defense industry have been transferred to civilian domains. For example, HAVELSAN shares its imaging capabilities with Turkish Petroleum.

In this seminar, we will examine the impact of the Turkish defense industry on civilian sectors and review prominent success stories. We will discuss how defense technologies have created added value for national economies, both in the past and today. In addition, we will explore which sectors benefit from these developments, how they benefit, and what strategies can be developed to enhance this synergy.

About the speaker:

Prof. Dr. Seyithan Ahmet ATEŞ

Dr. Ateş received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Vienna University of Economics and Business, and earned his PhD in Social and Economic Sciences from Vienna University of Technology. He has worked as a researcher and consultant on projects for the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), conducting research in environmental economics, sustainable environmental management, and global warming.

In addition, he was selected as a United Nations Youth Representative in 2009 and represented Türkiye at the UN General Assembly. During the 2016–2017 academic year, Dr. Ateş was a postdoctoral researcher at Harvard University.

An action-oriented researcher, Dr. Ateş focuses on areas such as social innovation and entrepreneurship, design thinking, sustainability, impact-driven blockchain applications, impact-oriented gamification, and new paradigms in humanitarian and social development. In this context, he conducts research and implements projects that highlight the importance of social innovation and entrepreneurship in development.

In 2015, with the aim of generating, nurturing, and scaling innovative ideas that can create social impact, Dr. Ateş founded the BOSTAN Social Innovation Institute as a social enterprise and has led numerous projects under this initiative.

About the Organiser

Turken Foundation UK

Established in 2015, TURKEN Foundation UK is a broad and diverse body that aims to serve students in further and higher education across the UK. It is a non-governmental, non-profit organisation that aims to help newcomer students adapt to British culture, lifestyle, the city itself and the institutions. It prepares a conducive environment for students to thrive and makes their studies more effective. It improves students' lives in an ever-changing, complex global society and fulfils their needs for housing, transportation, communication and all other requirements related to their education. In September 2019, Turken Foundation UK moved a new office, which will be a central meeting point for newcomers and current university students in London.