Kacır: We Are Launching a Digital Academy Independent of Time and Space
Foreks - The Minister of Industry and Technology, Mehmet Fatih Kacır, stated that they have taken a new and significant step to expand the pool of qualified human resources in the field of intellectual property. He said, “We are launching a digital academy through TÜRKPATENT AKADEMİ that will remove geographical barriers, reaching participants from every corner of our country, independent of time and space. We are providing a wide range of knowledge, from patents to trademarks, from designs to geographical indications, for the service of our citizens. In the digital age, where learning is not limited to physical classrooms, we will certify the competencies of our participants who successfully complete their training within TÜRKPATENT AKADEMİ with a digital badge.”
Kacır expressed that they have strengthened the institution's software infrastructure with artificial intelligence technologies, stating, “We will transform TÜRKPATENT into a pioneer for the development of intellectual capital in our country, beyond merely being its protector.”
Minister Kacır attended the “TÜRKPATENT Academy Launch and Artificial Intelligence Supported Digital Transformation Project Signing Ceremony.” He wished for the new initiatives to be implemented by TÜRKPATENT, which supports and protects Turkey's intellectual productivity and innovation, to be beneficial. Kacır emphasized that raising Turkey's ability to offer unique, innovative, and competitive products and services in every field is the key to the success of the National Technology Move, and said:
RANKED SECOND IN THE WORLD: The rise of our intellectual property capacity is a source of hope for us. Over 22 years, we have increased our valid registered industrial property portfolio from 93,000 to over 2 million. We rank 12th globally in local patent applications, 6th in trademark applications, and 2nd in design applications.
TURKEY'S SIGNATURE: In 2024, we broke a new record in the number of local patent applications. The number of local patent applications rose to 10,186 in 2024. We see this success as a signature of Turkey's rising presence on the global stage. We consider the strong institutional structure established for the protection of our country's intellectual capital as a solid ground that will enable new achievements.
INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM: We have transformed TÜRKPATENT into an institution that not only registers intellectual property but also contributes to the development of our intellectual property portfolio and innovation ecosystem. Our institution is making significant efforts to create awareness of industrial property across all segments of society, in line with the National Technology Move.
DIGITAL ACADEMY: We are taking a new and important step to expand our pool of qualified human resources in the field of intellectual property. With TÜRKPATENT AKADEMİ, we are launching a digital academy that will eliminate geographical barriers and reach participants from every corner of our country. We are making a wide array of knowledge available for our citizens, ranging from patents to trademarks, from designs to geographical indications.
DIGITAL BADGE: The academy currently includes 56 training modules with over 1200 minutes of content, and we will enrich it with digital books and publications in the upcoming period to offer a more comprehensive learning experience. In this digital age where learning is not limited to physical classrooms, we will certify the competencies of our participants who successfully complete their training within TÜRKPATENT AKADEMİ with a digital badge.
EPATS: We are conducting all processes of more than 250,000 applications made to TÜRKPATENT within a year through the EPATS Electronic Application System integrated into our E-Government platform digitally. With the robust data infrastructure we have created, our institution's staff has the opportunity to scan comprehensive databases at national and international levels, allowing for faster and more effective evaluation of intellectual property applications.
SIMPLIFIED WORKFLOWS: Through the Artificial Intelligence Supported Digital Transformation Project to be signed between TÜRKPATENT and TÜBİTAK, we are strengthening TÜRKPATENT's software infrastructure with artificial intelligence technologies. The project, which will take place over a 24-month period, will simplify workflows by strengthening integration between the current business processes within our institution carried out by different software. Now, applications conducted within our institution will be faster analyzed through AI-supported systems, making uniqueness research much more effective, and processes will be automated, reducing evaluation times to a minimum.
PIONEER OF DEVELOPMENT: This new infrastructure will save time for applicants and increase the accuracy of applications, enabling a service that meets international standards. We are determined to continue accelerating industrial property, contributing to the transformation of ideas into commercial value, just as we have until now. We will transform our Turkish Patent and Trademark Institution into a pioneer in the development of intellectual capital in our country.
GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION REGISTRATION: We continue to protect both our producers and consumers by certifying our country's cultural heritage and richness with geographical indications. With 1,680 domestic geographical indication registrations, we have risen to the second position after China. Our number of EU Geographical Indication registrations, an important step in commercialization and international branding, reached 29 from 18 in one year.
CRITICAL ROLE: We will carry out events in 2025 that will promote our rich cultural values, historical heritage, the bounty of this land, and the stories of our products to wide audiences. Another critical role we envision for our institution in the Turkish Century is to eliminate the obstacles preventing the commercialization of patents resulting from our country's strong R&D and innovation system and turning them into economic value. In this direction, we will continue to develop effective mechanisms for their integration into innovative industries and for offering them to entrepreneurs and investors.