The environment of global competition that characterizes our age requires high value-added products rooted in advanced technology and innovation. There is now an entirely new ecosystem around the automotive industry induced by mobility, an indispensable byproduct of the ever-growing process of digitalization. Things we are capable of doing on the move started to change and various alternative vehicles are emerging in line with that.
In this context, the agenda of the world’s automotive industry is now being dominated by electrical, connected, autonomous and shared vehicles. The new system brings about changes such as a reduction in accidents and congestion, as well as in energy and transportation costs, and the obliteration of parking spaces thanks to multi-modal transportation. Half of the overheads of this system, where big data is imperative, is expected to arise from software and electronics by 2030.
As players in the Turkish automotive industry, we believe we must play a leading role in this system. We believe that the Turkish automotive sector, which has been the export champion for 17 years in a row with an average of 30,2 billion dollars in exports for the last three years, must take its deserved place at the top of this global arena. We expect the young people to be at the center of these developments in the world, even leading them, rather than following from behind.
In line with its vision to crown Turkey’s manufacturing success by turning the country into an R&D Innovation and Design Hub, OİB organizes breakthrough events as the sole coordinating union of the Turkish automotive industry exporters.
Turkish Automotive Sector R&D Project Market and Component Design Competition, which we, as OIB, held consistently since 2012 through the support of the Ministry of Trade and under the coordination of Turkish Exporter's Assembly has become an event that brings creative ideas to the industry in order to become even stronger in global competition as an indicator of this understanding. Since 2019, our event, which continues under the name of "Future of Automotive Design Competition" with a new approach by carrying itself to a different lane, will be held physically on October 23, 2024 as "Future of Automotive Design Competition" this year.
“The Future of Automotive Design Competition” where innovative ideas, designs and projects will be on display, holds a major significance as it presents an opportunity to showcase the most creative ideas of a wide range of participants from sector professionals and researchers to academicians, students and automotive lovers above the age of 18.
The competition focuses on mobility solutions within the scope of projects which will make a difference at country-region level in general design, software design and automotive sector, in line with the tranformation in automotive industry. The term 'general design' covers matters ranging from holistic, visual vehicle design to the design of systems consisting of vehicles and devices which can communicate with each other, from the design of automotive industry components (parts and equipment) to the technical design of infrastructures such as batteries. The term 'software design' signifies the software design generating innovative solutions for mobility issues such as vehicle sharing; connected, autonomous, electric and other alternative fuel vehicles, location-based applications, smart parking applications and so forth. Moreover, various projects such as connection of vehicles and smart devices with other vehicle and devices, remote update of vehicle softwares, cyber security measures and wearable technology, as well as original, innovative and sustainable projects involving renewable energy and environmentally-friendly approaches, ergonomics, security, and energy are within the scope of the competition.
In the competition, which encourages automotive lovers to translate their dreams into reality, we expect participants to present to us original, innovative and commercializable projects that will contribute to building value-added capabilities of the sector. Following an assessment by the leading sector professionals, designers and academicians, award-winning projects and projects selected for display will be exhibited for visitors during the course of the event.
The competition seeking to foster a culture of R&D and design integrated with technology in our country, boost the value added in manufacturing and exports through the use of new technologies, raise new designers, encourage commercializable projects, and strengthen university-industry cooperation in line with Turkey’s 2023 Export Strategy, will be open to applications until August 1, 2024.
This year’s participants of The Future of Automotive Design Competition will receive an award totaling TRY 3.000.000 The first, second, third, fourth and fifth ranks will receive 900 thousand TRY, 600 thousand TRY, 550 thousand TRY, 500 thousand TRY, 450 thousand TRY respectively. We call on everyone to share in the synergy among the automotive companies, technology companies, startups, angel investors, technocities, universities and the end users who share the same vision: making Turkey a leading country shaping the future of automotive.
What We Achieved So Far
We awarded cash prizes totaling TRY 3.899.000 to project owners over the course of eleven successful years of this event. While over 5.000 projects competed during the last eleven years, the number of participants also climbed up to 15.000.
As a result of the competitions organized as of 2012, 11 project owners won scholarships abroad in line with the Design communique No. 2 of 2008, and with the support of the Ministry of Trade. These 11 winners seized the opportunity to study abroad on design scholarships at Instituto Europeo di Design (Florence/Italy), Domus Academy (Milan/Italy), Politecnico di Milano (Milan/Italy), IED Istituto Europeo di Design S.p.a (Turin/Italy) and Swinburne University of Technology (Sydney/Australia), Scuola Politecnica Di Design Spd (Milan/Italy) and Rhode Island School of Design (Rhode Island/USA).
In addition to cash prizes, OİB has been working in cooperation with ITU ARI Teknokent for the past seven years with a view to translate projects and ideas into industrial products thereby contributing to industry. We support the highest ranking projects to be developed in ITU Çekirdek Early-Stage Incubation Center within this scope. Through this cooperation, we have significantly progressed in terms of the development of projects and their translation into industry, and we will continue to do so.
At the ITU Çekirdek Incubation Program, award-winners receive an extensive entrepreneurship training, meet with mentors who are experts in various fields, can use offices, conduct sales meetings and access to a vast network besides developing their projects. At the same time, the entrepreneurs gain the privilege of tapping into the experience of automotive industry and its vast network thanks to OİB.
In the Big Bang Startup Challenge event, which brings entrepreneurs and investors together and where the best of ventures accepted in ITU Çekirdek compete, rewards are granted to entrepreneurs changing the face of the Turkish automotive sector. Enterprises built by groups of entrepreneurs following their achievement at the Big Bang event continue to hone their entrepreneurial talents and opportunities for a year. As OİB, we awarded a total of TRY 1 million to automotive entrepreneurs at the Big Bang event in December 2022. In conclusion, through our cooperation with ITU Çekirdek we are enabling successful startups, supporting entrepreneurs on their journey from an idea and project to industrial application, makes it possible for young entrepreneurs to emerge in Turkey.