As part of the Technology Meetings organized by the E-Commerce Center and Woman in Technology Association under the umbrella of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB), our second stop in 2023 was our capital, Ankara.
More than 1,800 guests, over 21 experts and academicians, and more than 35 visionary companies and civil society organizations attended the event held at the TOBB Twin Towers on April 25th. We came together under the title “Digital Business” to discuss the emerging trends in technology, from e-commerce to e-export, digitalization, metaverse, NFT, and blockchain.
The opening speeches of the event were delivered by Zehra Öney, the Founding President of the Woman in Technology Association, and Merter Özdemir, CEO of E-Commerce Center Inc. In her speech, Zehra Öney highlighted the role of digitalization in the recent achievements of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Türkiye and the opportunities brought by e-commerce companies, such as Trendyol, which have facilitated SMEs to access global markets.
Zehra Öney also mentioned initiatives such as the “Products from Regions (Yöresinden Ürünler)” Program. The program was implemented in collaboration with Trendyol and TOBB, and the BiTIklaİhracat Program, supported by the Ministry of Trade of the Republic Türkiye, and realized in cooperation with Amazon Türkiye, TOBB University of Economics and Technology, PwC Türkiye, and Boğaziçi University Lifelong Education Center (BÜYEM). The program offers free participation for SMEs, entrepreneurs, and anyone who wants to improve themselves in e-commerce.
In her opening speech, Zehra Öney talked about the uncertainties arising from the powerful and transformative force of technology and the difficult times Türkiye is going through due to the Kahramanmaraş earthquake, which occurred on February 6th. Öney said, “In the wake of such a heartbreaking disaster, we need to be stronger, more constructive, more knowledgeable, more resilient, and more resistant to uncertainties than ever before as a nation to heal our wounds. Instead of giving in to the troubles we suddenly face, we should seek ways to turn our troubles into advantages, to support the youth and institutions with an entrepreneurial, productive, and constructive DNA who take ownership of their surroundings and our country.”
During her speech, Öney also talked about the Technology and Talent Academy project that the Woman in Technology Association will establish in Hatay and Kahramanmaraş in person to create a competent, expert, intelligent, productive, and creative technology society in Türkiye. “We are launching our campus project on the Antakya-İskenderun Road in Hatay, which will provide permanent solutions to the region by focusing on education – our main focus in the coming period. We continue our efforts to create a technological living and interaction space for talented youth, women, and children in the region; and to cultivate strong individuals who will pioneer new ideas in R&D and innovation using technology. We are open to collaborations to increase our strength,” she said.
During the “Circular Economy from Sustainability to Technology” Panel held at the Technology Meetings, our Founding President, Zehra Öney, and our Board Member, co-President of the Sustainability Committee, and the General Manager of EnerjiSA Electricity Retail Sales Companies, Ersin Esentürk, talked about the importance of circular economy and sustainability for both our country and the world, and the work being done in this field.
Throughout the day, we met with participants at our booth to provide detailed information about the Woman in Technology Association and to discuss our new projects and training programs in this period.
We would like to thank all our participants who showed great interest, the institutions, which made the Technology Meetings possible, and especially the Founder of Eticaret Merkezi, dear Merter Özdemir.
Don’t forget to follow us on our social media accounts and the Wtech Platform to get detailed information about the next Technology Meetings and our training programs!
See you at the next Technology Meetings!
