"The Teknofest Community of KTO Karatay University was established to support Türkiye’s National Technology Initiative and to encourage university students to actively participate in scientific, technical, and innovative production processes. The primary objective of the community is to cultivate project development culture within the university, facilitate informed participation in Teknofest competitions, and strengthen students’ competencies in technology-oriented fields.
The community’s activities span various technical disciplines including aviation and space technologies, information systems, artificial intelligence, energy, biotechnology, robotics, and educational technologies. Within these fields, students gain experience in design, analysis, production, documentation, testing, and project management processes. These experiences also contribute to the development of teamwork, problem-solving, communication, entrepreneurship, innovation, and technical documentation skills.
The community’s vision is to become a leading platform in sustainable and innovative technology studies at KTO Karatay University, to achieve success in national and international competitions—particularly Teknofest—and to contribute to Türkiye’s technological development capacity. In the long term, it aims to expand university–industry collaborations, integrate with the entrepreneurship ecosystem, and transform developed projects into applicable technological solutions.
To date, the community has carried out a variety of projects and activities addressing different age groups both inside and outside the university. These activities include:
1) Educational Activities and Workshops
Adım Adım Teknofest (“Step by Step Teknofest”) Event: An informative event designed to introduce Teknofest competition categories, application procedures, reporting standards, and project preparation phases to university students.
Minik Hayaller Büyük Fikirler — Ünides Project (“Little Dreams, Big Ideas”): A social awareness project targeting children and youth, aiming to increase early-age interest in science and technology and promote technological literacy in society.
3D Creativity Workshop: A hands-on workshop in which participants learned three-dimensional design principles and produced their own models.
LightLab: Illuminated Badge Design Workshop: A practice-based workshop introducing fundamental electronic circuit concepts, where participants designed and produced illuminated electronic badges.
Mini Aircraft Design Workshop: An introductory workshop in aviation and aerodynamics in which participants designed and tested small aircraft models.
All workshop activities listed above were conducted exclusively for students of KTO Karatay University.
2) Outreach, Awareness and Academic Activities
High School Presentations: The community delivered presentations in high schools to raise awareness regarding Teknofest, technology competitions, and university-level project culture. These presentations contributed to increasing students’ interest and motivation in technology-oriented fields.
Technical Visits: Technical excursions to industrial organizations, technology companies, and R&D centers were organized in order to strengthen university–industry collaboration. These visits allowed participants to observe real industrial processes and gain insight into sector dynamics, contributing to informed career planning.
In addition to these activities, the community has formed project teams for Teknofest competitions, prepared required design and technical documentation, and provided mentorship to new members to ensure rapid adaptation to project workflows.
The Teknofest Community of KTO Karatay University continues to offer a qualified platform for students interested in technology, with the aim of reaching more students each year, leading more projects, and successfully representing the university in the field of science and technology."
