ESKİŞEHİR: TÜRKİYE’S NEW TECHNOLOGY VALLEY TOWARDS 2030

Eskişehir 2030: Türkiye’s Technology Valley

For many years, the center of technology production in Türkiye was considered to be Istanbul.
However, defense industry investments, strategic mineral discoveries, and high-technology production projects that have emerged in recent years indicate that Türkiye’s production and technology map is beginning to change.

At the center of this transformation is a city that is attracting increasing attention:

Eskişehir.

Today, many people know Eskişehir as a university city.
However, as we move toward 2030, Eskişehir has the potential to evolve beyond being merely a student city and become one of Türkiye’s new technology production centers.

Aviation Engines and the Defense Industry Ecosystem

Eskişehir is currently one of Türkiye’s most important aviation and defense industry production centers.

TUSAŞ Engine Industries (TEI), operating in the city, is considered one of Türkiye’s most critical defense industry and aviation engine technology companies.

The advanced engine systems developed here include:

• UAV and UCAV engines
• Jet engine components
• Engine systems for national fighter aircraft projects
• Aviation engine technologies

This production network not only expands the defense sector but also contributes to the formation of a highly qualified engineering ecosystem within the city.

Today, Eskişehir has become one of Türkiye’s most important centers in the fields of aviation engineering and engine technologies.

Beylikova Rare Earth Elements: The Raw Material of the Global Technology Race

The second reason Eskişehir is attracting global attention is the Beylikova Rare Earth Elements field.

It has been announced that approximately 694 million tons of rare earth element reserves have been discovered in this area.

Rare earth elements are used in some of today’s most critical technologies:

• Electric vehicle batteries
• Wind turbines
• Microchip production
• Defense technologies
• Space and satellite systems

For this reason, Eskişehir is not only an industrial production center but also has the potential to become a raw material hub for the energy systems and high-technology production of the future.

Today, rare earth elements are considered among the most strategic resources for technology production worldwide.

Universities and Human Capital: The Foundation of the Technology Ecosystem

A technology ecosystem is not built solely with factories.

Real technology cities grow through knowledge production, research, and human capital.

In this respect, Eskişehir has a rare advantage in Türkiye.

The three major universities located in the city:

• Anadolu University
• Eskişehir Technical University
• Eskişehir Osmangazi University

conduct strong research particularly in the following areas:

• Aviation engineering
  • Rail systems technologies
  • Materials science
  • Mechanical engineering
  • Defense technologies

This situation creates a continuously renewing ecosystem of engineers, researchers, and technology developers within the city.

Eskişehir: Türkiye’s New Production and Logistics Corridor

One of Eskişehir’s greatest strategic advantages is its geographical location.

The city is located right at the center of Türkiye’s largest production centers such as:

• Istanbul
  • Ankara
  • Bursa

In addition, Eskişehir being one of the central nodes of the High-Speed Train (YHT) network makes the city even more strategic for production, technology, and logistics investments.

This location turns Eskişehir into a strong center in the following areas:

• Industrial production
  • Technology investments
  • Logistics and supply chain management
  • Engineering and R&D investments

Technology Cities and Real Estate Value Growth

When we look at global examples, we see that technology cities also transform real estate values.

For example:

• Shenzhen – China’s technology production center
  • Austin – The new technology and start-up center of the United States
  • Eindhoven – Europe’s high-technology production hub

In these cities, technology investments led to significant value increases in:

• Housing markets
  • Office investments
  • Industrial land
  • R&D centers
  • Technology campuses

The question of which cities in Türkiye will experience a similar transformation is increasingly being asked in the investment world.

One of the answers to this question could be Eskişehir.

Türkiye’s production, defense, and technology map is changing rapidly.

When defense industry investments, rare earth element reserves, strong universities, and strategic location come together, a new question emerges for Eskişehir:

As we move toward 2030, will Eskişehir remain just another Anatolian city,

or will it become one of Türkiye’s new technology valleys?

In the investment world, there is a well-known reality:

Major transformations do not begin when everyone starts talking about them, but when they are first being quietly recognized.

Mustafa Yılmaz
CEO – Anadolu Properties
Avrupa – Türkiye Yatırım Köprüsü