TEKNOFEST 2025 TRNC Hosted ITU’s Productivity Strength and Students’ Vision!

The intriguing projects of ITU student teams working in various fields received great acclaim from technology enthusiasts, especially the youth, during TEKNOFEST 2025 TRNC from May 1–4, 2025.Our students from the ZeroWing, CyperBee, and Sağlıklı Tarlam teams won awards and top rankings with their innovative projects.

Istanbul Technical University (ITU) took part in TEKNOFEST 2025 TRNC, held from May 1–4, 2025 at the Former Ercan Airport in the TRNC, where young minds from primary school to university level showcased and competed with their projects. At this first stop of TEKNOFEST—the world’s largest aviation, space, and technology festival—in 2025, visitors who filled the venue had the opportunity to closely witness the creativity and vision of our students at the ITU booth. Technologies developed domestically and nationally were exhibited in various fields, from agricultural technologies and artificial intelligence to autonomous systems and unmanned aerial vehicles. The projects, reflecting the productivity and innovative spirit of ITU students, served as a source of inspiration for visitors of all ages.

Expressing his excitement about coming together with science and technology enthusiasts in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus under the vision of the National Technology Initiative, ITU Rector Prof. Dr. Mandal emphasized that ITU brought not only its projects to TEKNOFEST, but also its culture of collaborative creation, its solution-oriented approach grounded in qualified knowledge, and its commitment to standing shoulder to shoulder with young people.

At TEKNOFEST 2025 TRNC, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and TRNC President Ersin Tatar delivered their messages together.

Our Rector, Prof. Dr. Mandal, received information about the projects developed within the scope of the National Technology Initiative, which demonstrated the strong contributions our young people can make to the future of our country and humanity. He congratulated students at all levels who took part in the field with their entrepreneurial spirit and scientific enthusiasm, referring to them as the technology stars of the future.

ITU’s finalist teams competed not only in the contests but also with projects that contribute to Turkey’s science- and technology-driven development goals. Among the finalists at TEKNOFEST 2025 TRNC were CyperBee with its smart platform BagajGo, which enhances efficiency in travel processes; Ninova with StampQuest, a project that supports the digitalization of cultural heritage through gamification; Sağlıklı Tarlam with an AI system that diagnoses plant diseases in agriculture and reduces environmental impact; ZeroWing and Refref with algorithms developed for autonomous flight systems contributing to future mobility solutions; and Nazım Tüzün (NZMFPV) with his drone project.

The ZeroWing team was awarded third place in the Flying Car Simulation Competition. The CyperBee team won the Commercialization Potential Prestige Award in the Tourism Technologies Competition. The Sağlıklı Tarlam team received the Best Commercialization Potential Award.

Among the notable names hosted at the ITU booth were Selçuk Bayraktar, Chairman of the TEKNOFEST Board and the T3 Foundation Board of Trustees; Mustafa Varank, Chairman of the Parliamentary Industry and Technology Committee; Nazım Çavuşoğlu, Minister of National Education of the TRNC; the heads of the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB), TÜBİTAK, TSE, Turkish Patent and Trademark Office, Turkish Maarif Foundation, and the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB); Tuva Cihangir Atasever, Turkey's second astronaut; members of parliament, university rectors, and general managers of technology companies.

Our Rector, Prof. Dr. Mandal, expressed that the intense interest shown in the projects exhibited at the ITU booth is a concrete indication of the trust in our students' engineering success, entrepreneurial spirit, and ITU's scientific expertise.

The Prime Minister of the TRNC, Ünal Üstel, the Minister of Tourism, Fikri Ataoğlu, and the Minister of National Education, Nazım Çavuşoğlu, closely examined our students' projects in the fields of tourism technologies and social innovation at TEKNOFEST 2025 TRNC.

Our Rector, Prof. Dr. Mandal, visited the Turkish Resistance Organization (TMT) National Struggle Exhibition Area created as part of TEKNOFEST 2025 TRNC. During his visit, Prof. Dr. Mandal listened firsthand to the struggle of the TMT members, spanning from the events of 1963 to the 1974 Cyprus Peace Operation.

Prof. Dr. Mandal pointed out that the defense systems developed with limited resources in the struggle of the Turkish Cypriot fighters, full of sacrifices, not only represent a historical resistance but also an engineering achievement. He emphasized that TEKNOFEST instills a sense of history and values in our youth. He added that he finds this approach, which is crucial for building the future more consciously, to be very valuable.

TEKNOFEST 2025 TRNC, which hosted numerous events including flight demonstrations alongside technology competitions, was visited by 225,000 people. The excitement of TEKNOFEST will continue in Istanbul in September.