The TEKNOFEST Blue Homeland event is providing college students with a platform to transform their engineering knowledge into defence projects, developing autonomous underwater vehicles and honing their skills ahead of their future careers.
Türkiye’s premier naval defence event, TEKNOFEST Blue Homeland, kicked off on Thursday to showcase the country’s diverse naval capabilities, underwater technology, and defence industry during the four-day expo.
A wide range of products and technologies are on display, ranging from various classes of Turkish Navy platforms to unmanned systems and from aircraft to air defence and missile systems.
The students who advanced to the finals of the event’s competitions are contributing to the rise of the Turkish defence industry through their innovative projects.
Yusuf Akca, a 22-year-old electrical and electronics engineering student, led a six-person team to the competition’s final 16 with their homegrown underwater rocket vehicle, designed to transport a rocket to a designated underwater location.
“Developing the project during the competition was difficult, but my friends and I enjoyed every moment here, and we’re really happy to be here,” he said. “I’m glad to be doing the work here that benefits the country overall, it feels great to be doing something useful.”
Muhammet Efe Bagdigen, 23, headed an 11-member multidisciplinary team to develop an underwater torpedo, currently in the assembly phase, as his team awaits final certification to launch their vehicle and complete their autonomous missions.
“Turning a project we came up with into a product this way is actually really important as we’re essentially gaining experience in a real-world work environment,” he said, adding that TEKNOFEST’s opportunities provide a chance for young people to contribute to the country’s booming defence industry.
Furkan Alper, a 23-year-old aerospace engineering student, captained a seven-member team that spent a year developing an autonomous underwater rocket, programmed to travel 50 metres, make a U-turn, and launch a model rocket from a specific underwater angle.
“Here at TEKNOFEST, we’re showcasing what Turkish youth can achieve, and seeing ships, unmanned systems, and other products built by local engineers is very important,” he said.
