ASELSAN, TUSAŞ, ROKETSAN, HAVELSAN, STM, TEI, SSTEK, Alp Aviation, HEAŞ, Teknopark Istanbul, TR Flight Certification and TEITECH representatives participated in the Technology and Competency Meetings held in Munich under the coordination of the Defense Industry Academy. Prof. Dr. Hakan Karataş, Deputy Chairman of the Presidency's Defense Industry Agency, delivered presentations on the National Competency Initiative and shared data on the recent development of the Turkish defense sector and its strategic position in the global market.

The sector's localization rate, which stood at 20 percent in 2002, has reached 83 percent today. Over 4,000 companies directly serve the defense industry in Turkey, generating annual revenues of 25 billion dollars. Research and development expenditures amount to 3.8 billion dollars. Including subcontractors, a total of 16,000 companies operate in defense and civilian sectors, with over 20 billion dollars in business volume provided to this ecosystem in the past three years.

Turkish defense industry's export performance demonstrates significant success. Last year, 56 percent of exports were directed to NATO and European Union countries. In the unmanned aerial vehicle and armed unmanned aerial vehicle sector, Turkey controls 65 percent of the global market. This achievement reflects the sector's technological competence and market demand.

Karataş emphasized that defense concepts are changing rapidly and global military spending is increasing, outlining five key trends in the sector: transition to systems of systems, artificial intelligence and autonomy, invisible frontiers, cost-effective production, and industrial resilience. He noted that technology must be integrated with sustainability, economics, and soft power elements. Karataş underscored that the decisive factor is the "cognitive frontier" based on human resources, stating that a nation's ability to maximize the cognitive capacity of its people is the key to achieving a leading position in the sector.

The National Competency Initiative targets not only current employees but also Turkish citizens studying or working abroad. Since 2024, visits to different countries have been conducted twice annually. Meetings with young professionals and experts have taken place in Cologne, Munich, Düsseldorf, Berlin, and Hamburg in Germany; Eindhoven and Rotterdam in the Netherlands; and London in the United Kingdom. The event included career panels and experience-sharing sessions, with approximately 400-500 participants holding one-on-one meetings with company representatives. The second phase of the program will be held in Stuttgart.