Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Dr. Ömer Fatih Sayan and Chairman of the Information Technologies and Communication Authority Ömer Abdullah KARAGÖZOĞLU attended the conference titled “Digital Blue Collar: Robotic Process Automation Systems (RPA)” organized by ICT Media Group.
Speaking at the conference, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Dr. Ömer Fatih Sayan stated, “We are witnessing a major transformation in both the manufacturing and service sectors through smart systems, robots, and digital applications. At the core of this change and transformation lies the opportunity provided by technology to perform tasks faster, more effectively, and efficiently. At the same time, the increasing recording, rapid processing, and transmission of more and more data instantly through technological capabilities makes digital transformation inevitable in decision-making processes. With increasing digitalization, countries can provide more comprehensive and extensive services to their citizens in electronic environments. We are rapidly moving toward an era where everything is 'smart,' where not only people but increasingly machines and objects are connected to each other. It is projected that by 2025, there will be 100 billion different connections worldwide, with only 10% of these being between people. This means that the world will evolve toward smart solutions in many areas.”
Deputy Minister Sayan: Everyone who is part of the technology ecosystem is affected.
Sayan continued, “We are also prioritizing technologies such as cloud computing, the Internet of Things, and artificial intelligence at the top of our agenda, developing our policies and roadmaps in this direction. While conducting studies to further develop technological infrastructures and increase alternatives on one hand, on the other hand, we aim to ensure that services increasingly transferred to electronic environments are provided at a certain quality and standard, and that information security is ensured at the highest level. In this technology age where every device, system, and individual becomes interconnected, the connections formed in cyberspace are increasing more than ever, creating a hyper-connected network. It is estimated that the number of internet-connected devices will reach hundreds of billions by 2030. The connectivity of such a large number of devices and objects, the transfer, sharing, access, and interactions of information from the physical world to the digital environment, is causing the amount of data generated in the virtual environment to increase day by day. Robots, which we saw only in science fiction movies until recently, have begun to be used in many areas from automotive to aviation, from medicine to defense. The robotics technology sector is of great importance not only commercially but also strategically.”
Deputy Minister Sayan: Our state supports and will continue to support all efforts toward domestic technology production with domestic human resources.
Expressing artificial intelligence as one of the biggest carriers of the country's development goals, Sayan said, “In line with our President's “Digital Turkey” vision and “National Technology Initiative,” we consider artificial intelligence as one of the biggest carriers of our development goals. Just as in every field of technology, in the context of the vision of being a country that leads technology rather than following it in artificial intelligence; as you know, the 2021-2025 National Artificial Intelligence Strategy was published. With this strategy, our national artificial intelligence roadmap has been determined, from gross domestic product to employment, from the use of domestic and national products in the public sector to international cooperation targets. I would like to state that our R&D supports continue for the development and production of these resources that meet the needs of the sector, beyond commercial concerns, using domestic and national hardware and software. Just as in every field of technology, in the context of the vision of being a country that leads technology rather than following it in artificial intelligence; as you know, the 2021-2025 National Artificial Intelligence Strategy was published.”
Sayan stated, “According to TÜİK's 'Information Technologies Usage Survey in Enterprises' conducted in 2021, 4.8% of businesses with at least 10 employees used industrial robots or service robots in 2021. It is seen that 23.7% of businesses with 250 or more employees use robot technology. Robotic technologies stand out as a factor that increases efficiency and competitiveness in production. This is the main motivation behind developing countries turning to robotic technologies to enhance their competitive power.”
Deputy Minister Sayan: Where there is information, there is power; where there is information, there is innovation.
Drawing attention once again to the importance of domestic and national production, Sayan said, “Within the scope of our 2023 targets on the path to digitalization, the development of digital-based applications such as robots and autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, cloud computing applications largely through domestic and national means is prioritized. In this regard, I believe that qualified human resources will become even more important in the future and will play a great role in sectoral development. Our goal in the 11th Development Plan and all our policy documents related to technology is a Turkey that has achieved digital transformation in all sectors, increased institutional quality in both the public and private sectors. Insha'Allah, we will achieve this goal together.”
Pointing out the importance of knowledge and responsibility, Sayan concluded his speech by saying, “As a country, we currently have very serious engineering knowledge. For this purpose, great responsibilities fall on all of us, both public, private sector, and NGOs. Our state is determined to fulfill its responsibilities through regulations and incentives in line with these goals.”
Taking the floor at the conference, Chairman of the Information Technologies and Communication Authority Ömer Abdullah KARAGÖZOĞLU said, “Strong infrastructures are indispensable for providing services in line with technological developments. As the Ministry and BTK, we are carrying out important activities and making regulations to ensure a sustainable and effective competitive environment in the information and communication sector, to protect consumers' rights and interests, and to increase trust in these services. With our fixed, mobile, and satellite infrastructures, we are preparing our country more strongly for the future.”
Karagözoğlu concluded his speech by saying, “As BTK, we are working together with our stakeholders to establish strong information and communication technology infrastructures and to develop them in line with new technologies. 5G is on our agenda. Our work continues with our stakeholders with our strong determination to transition to 5G with domestic and national capabilities. With the reality that human resources are the main source in providing technological innovations and achieving our goals, we attach great importance to education activities by leveraging the advantage of our country's dynamic young population. Through BTK Academy, we equip our youth with technological capabilities through trainings such as robotics coding, big data, artificial intelligence, and various events we organize in cooperation with sector stakeholders, contributing to their development.”