T3 Podcast | Philologist at the Game Camp - A. Serdar İbrahimcioğlu

In this episode of the T3 Podcast, we welcome A. Serdar İbrahimcioğlu. As the General Director of Information Valley, İbrahimcioğlu details the mission, focus areas, and contributions of Information Valley to the National Technology Initiative.

Established in 2011 with the vision of becoming "Türkiye's Information Valley," the institution aims to create a technology development zone similar to Silicon Valley. İbrahimcioğlu emphasizes that Information Valley has adopted as its mission the advancement of technology in the civilian sector rather than military applications, and is working toward establishing a "Mega Technological Corridor" for Türkiye.

Under the umbrella of civilian technology, Information Valley focuses on four key areas:

• Mobility: It aims to transform Türkiye's automotive industry during the transition from internal combustion engines to electric vehicles. All R&D activities for TOGG, Türkiye's native and national electric vehicle, are carried out here. Additionally, a project for an Intelligent City is being developed, where the first drone deliveries will take place.
• Game Technologies: Information Valley hosts Türkiye's largest gaming ecosystem and supports startup companies in formalizing their operations by organizing national game camps. It highlights that game development requires an interdisciplinary approach, involving experts from diverse fields such as philologists.
• Software and Digitalization: To meet the demand for qualified software developers essential to digitalization, it runs initiatives such as the Türkiye Open Source Platform and Software Schools, which operate without traditional teachers and are supported by artificial intelligence.
• Cybersecurity: It underscores that cybersecurity in the digital age is not only a military necessity but also vital for protecting individuals and commerce. It argues that cybersecurity software must be viewed as a commercial tool.

Information Valley provides entrepreneurs with office space, legal and financial advisory services, as well as patent research support. Furthermore, it established a first-of-its-kind Venture Capital Investment Fund among Türkiye's technology development zones to facilitate entrepreneurs' access to funding.

İbrahimcioğlu describes Information Valley as a "aquarium where everything coexists," illustrating its goal of creating a self-sustaining ecosystem. In line with its internationalization goals, it opened the Türkiye Technology Pavilion in Singapore in 2019 and is actively working to enhance technology trade between Türkiye and Germany.

Information Valley views the National Technology Initiative as a "springboard" for Türkiye. It emphasizes that native and national platforms such as TOGG play a critical role in developing new technologies, and that domestically developed software prevents technology from becoming a tool of exploitation controlled by a narrow minority.