Izmir, Afyon Students Win Top Awards at TEKNOFEST 2026 Finals

Students from Izmir and Afyonkarahisar earned top honors at the TEKNOFEST 2026 finals held in Diyarbakir from September 16-18. The festival, described as the world's largest aviation, space and technology event, hosted finalist teams from across Turkey.

Izmir Science High School placed second nationally in the Climate Change and Disaster Management category with a project using deep reinforcement learning to optimize forest fire response and resource management. The same school also reached the finals in the Technologies for Humanity category with a dynamic risk assessment model for disaster data.

“This achievement is a concrete example of determination, production, team spirit and quality education.”

Cigli Aydogan Yagci Science and Art Center (BILSEM) demonstrated strong research capacity by qualifying with seven separate projects. Izmir Girls High School developed a haptic wristband enabling visually impaired students to participate independently in chemistry education, while Gaziemir Nevvar Salih Isgoren Anatolian High School earned recognition for a biology project.

Vocational schools from Izmir also performed strongly. Kemalpasa KOSBI Zulfu Mevlut Celik Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School reached the top 15 among over 100 teams in the Electrical Control Panel Design category, with notable female student participation. Karşıyaka Zeki Sairoglu Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School also advanced to the finals in the same category.

Afyonkarahisar Gazi Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School's Genctek Team, competing as SAYAR-TECH, won first place in the Smart Technologies and System Design category under Technologies for Humanity. Their "Post-Disaster Communication Network Project" aims to maintain communications during emergencies. Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacir and TEKNOFEST Board Chairman Selcuk Bayraktar visited the team's stand to examine the project.

Izmir Provincial Director of National Education Dr. Omer Yahsi expressed pride in the students' achievements, calling them examples of production, research and national technological advancement.