The second Defense Industry Talent Management Summit, organized by the Defense Industry Academy under the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB), will be held in Ankara on January 14–15 as part of the National Competency Initiative. The summit aims to make a strategic contribution to strengthening Türkiye’s sustainable and qualified human resource capacity in the defense industry.

The National Competency Initiative was launched following decisions taken at the Defense Industry Executive Committee meeting held on August 6, 2024, under the chairmanship of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Within this framework, numerous projects and programs are being implemented for a broad target audience ranging from high school students and university youth to young professionals and senior executives in the defense sector. These initiatives are shaped by principles such as knowledge sharing, collective wisdom, consultation, and inter-institutional cooperation.

The first summit, held in September 2024 with the participation of Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, Council of Higher Education President Erol Özvar, and SSB President Haluk Görgün, hosted more than 1,100 participants. Under the theme “Talent and Competency,” the event addressed the current state of human resources in the defense industry ecosystem, structural challenges, future talent needs, and leadership approaches through panels, keynote speeches, and focused discussions.

The second edition of the summit will be organized under the theme of “Leadership” and will take place at the Sheraton Hotel in Ankara. In addition to human resources and academy professionals from defense industry companies, leaders managing technical teams are also expected to actively participate. Topics such as next-generation competencies, the impact of digital transformation on human capital, evolving organizational structures, and future leadership profiles will be comprehensively discussed.

With an expanded scope compared to the first event, the summit is expected to host more than 37 speakers and over 1,500 participants. Defense Industry Talent Management Summit II is envisioned to strengthen leadership culture across the sector, enhance knowledge and experience sharing among institutions, and provide a solid foundation for human resource policies in line with the objectives of the National Competency Initiative.