Cooperation Ceremony for Artificial Intelligence and Geographically Indicated Products

Artificial Intelligence and Geographical Indication Products Cooperation Ceremony A cooperation ceremony on Artificial Intelligence and Geographical Indication Products was held at the Information Valley in Gebze district of Kocaeli, with the participation of Industry and Technology Minister Mustafa Varank. At the ceremony, an artificial intelligence protocol was signed between Hepsiburada and TÜBİTAK, while a protocol on geographical indication products was signed between Hepsiburada and the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office. The collaborations aim to further develop the e-commerce sector, resolve issues in the e-commerce sector with the help of artificial intelligence, and raise awareness by highlighting geographical indication products on the e-commerce platform. Industry and Technology Minister Mustafa Varank, saying they came together for two important collaborations, stated: "One of these is the Hepsiburada - TÜBİTAK collaboration. Through this partnership, we will develop solutions using artificial intelligence to the problems faced by the rapidly growing e-commerce sector. Artificial intelligence is indispensable to today's technology world. It has the capacity to take every sector to a completely different dimension. Let's look at the automotive industry. Today, automobiles are transforming into living spaces where people can spend time. When we look at the gaming sector, we can hardly distinguish between what is real and what is virtual anymore. Shopping has become entertainment through virtual try-on applications. From healthcare to agriculture, from automotive to defense, from education to security, the way things operate in every field is being rewritten from scratch. We are working to become one of the leading actors in artificial intelligence as Turkey. Our National Artificial Intelligence Strategy is our compass in this regard. The Artificial Intelligence Institute is just one of the seeds we have sown in this field," he said.

"Turkey will benefit from this collaboration"

Minister Varank, noting that private and public sectors will work together at the Artificial Intelligence Institute, said: "The fundamental technologies and algorithms developed here will be made available to all sectors in a short time. The E-Commerce Competence Center established within the Artificial Intelligence Institute will also pioneer artificial intelligence solutions in e-commerce. In the Hepsiburada - TÜBİTAK collaboration, artificial intelligence applications such as personalization, more effective sales, intelligent search, and virtual assistants will be advanced further. The parties will mutually share information, experience, infrastructure and expertise. Ultimately, through this collaboration, our institutions, the e-commerce sector, other sectors, and Turkey will all benefit," he said.

"We protect our products from any misuse and counterfeiting"

Referring also to the protocol signed between the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office and Hepsiburada, Minister Varank said: "Through this collaboration, new work on geographical indications is being launched. Geographical indication products will be highlighted on Hepsiburada to increase awareness of geographical indications. Geographical indications represent the unique values of each country. They protect knowledge and experience passed down through hard work and generations. In this context, as the Ministry of Industry and Technology, we are working to defend these values more strongly than ever. We protect Mersin's celeriac, Van's herbed cheese, Gaziantep's baklava, and Erzurum's Oltu stone from any misuse and counterfeiting," he said.

"We have 7 geographical indications registered with the European Union"

Pointing out that the number of registered geographical indications was around 50 in 2002, Minister Varank said: "Now, in 2021 alone we registered 352 geographical indications. Of course our goal is higher. When we take our true geographical indications to the international arena, we will have multiplied our success. If we are disturbed when we see Berlin döner signs, if we are upset when Greece claims baklava, we know what we must do in response. For example, Gaziantep took a step in this direction and Gaziantep baklava was registered as a geographical indication in the European Union. We currently have 7 geographical indications registered with the European Union. Next month, hopefully this number will rise to 8. However, we must say that for a country like Turkey, at the intersection of civilizations and where cultures blend, these numbers are not befitting. Colleagues told me this number would reach 100 in the coming period. But I sincerely believe we can go beyond that," he said. "No business that fails to innovate will find a place for itself in the market"

Emphasizing that businesses that fail to innovate and refuse to collaborate will not find a place for themselves in the market in the future, Varank said: "You don't have the chance to say 'I founded my company, produced a product and let's continue with that.' Because today trends are determined not by supply but by demand. They take shape according to customer demands. Customers constantly demand better and newer products. The way to meet these needs is through innovation and collaboration. You will see that in the very near future, no business that fails to innovate and refuses to collaborate will find a place for itself in the market. In a market undergoing constant transformation, doing business will only become harder," he said. "We took a proactive approach on high-speed charging stations" Stating that electric vehicles are one of the most important agenda items of this period, Minister Varank said: "We, as the government, are providing leadership to the private sector here as well. We took a proactive approach on high-speed charging stations. Two weeks ago, our President announced the high-speed charging station support program to the public. We are opening applications starting Saturday, that is from tomorrow, for the support program with a budget of 300 million lira for the establishment of over 1,500 high-speed charging stations. From now on, the ball is in your court. For success, the public's efforts must be followed by private sector entrepreneurship. In this sense, great responsibilities fall on our businesses. Your ability to keep up with transformation and improve your position is the guarantee of this country's future," he said.

"We attach importance to promoting our national assets"

Hepsiburada Board Chair Hanzade Doğan said: "Through our collaboration with the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office, we are bringing hundreds of geographical indication products that have remained within regional borders first to every corner of Turkey, and then to global markets. Thus, we are strengthening our Hepsi Türkiye'den program with geographical indication products, which will accelerate regional development. We attach importance to promoting our national assets, supporting our local producers, and raising consumer awareness. We believe our collaboration will make a significant contribution to sustainable agriculture, local economies, and reducing regional development disparities," she said.