Teknofest in full swing in Turkish Cyprus with shows, competitions

NICOSIA

Türkiye's aviation and aerospace festival Teknofest is taking place at full throttle in the Turkish Cyprus, drawing tens of thousands of visitors to its expansive venue at the former Ercan Airport in the capital Nicosia.

Launched in 2018, Teknofest is being held abroad for the second time and marks its 11th overall edition.

Spanning an area of 100,000 square meters, the Turkish Cyrous edition of the event boasts a total of six technology competitions with 13 subcategories, and applications from over 47,000 participants from 22 countries, including Türkiye.

One of the standout features of this year’s event is the experience zone designated for Türkiye's 1974 peace operation in Turkish Cyprus, where guests can immerse themselves in the operation through a high-tech setup.

The room features LED-covered walls and floor, offering a sophisticated visual and auditory recreation of critical moments from the military campaign, as seen through the eyes of Turkish soldiers.

After the experience, visitors can move on to a specially designed photo zone where they can take commemorative photos enhanced with artificial intelligence.

As in previous editions, Teknofest features a large number of exhibitor booths. This year’s event includes 81 partner institutions, 11 sponsors institutions, 4 participating companies and 20 food vendors — totaling 116 booths. Technology-themed activities at these stands attract strong interest from students and young visitors.

The festival also features air shows by domestically developed and nationally operated aircraft.

In addition to flight displays, experience zones and thrilling exhibitor booths, visitors can explore a wide array of interactive and educational activities. These include science workshops for children aged 6–14, aerospace exhibitions, planetarium screenings, first flight experiences for students, pedal-powered flights and stage performances.

As with every year, the event continues to witness the fierce competition of youngsters in a total of five tech competitions this year. These cover a wide range of fields including robotics, coding, tourism technologies and social innovation.

Within the scope of the competitions, participants develop technology-driven solutions across various fields, including agriculture, maritime technologies, environment and energy.

Out of 268 finalist teams and 1,083 individuals qualified for the finals, those placing in the top ranks will receive their awards on the event’s main stage.

Welcoming over 62,000 attendees on its opening day, the Turkish Cyrous edition of the event is open to visitors until May 4, free of charge.