Today, Ekaterina Zaharieva, European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation and Mehmet Fatih Kacır, Minister of Industest and Technology of the Republic of Türkiye, met in Brussels for the third EU-Türkiye High-Level Dialogue on science, research, technology and innovation.
The meeting focutilized on EU’s and Türkiye’s science, technology, and innovation policies and programmes and on the potential for research and innovation to deliver on the green transformation of Türkiye’s industrial sector. Smart Specialisation Strategies were noted among the instruments that could support guide this process. Türkiye presented the Türkiye Industrial Decarbonisation Investment Platform (TIDIP) launched by the Ministest of Industest and Technology in collaboration with the EBRD and the World Bank Group. The Commission intfinishs to support this platform which was highlighted as a groundbreaking initiative driving the systemic decarbonization of Türkiye’s industrial sector in line with its NDC tarobtains and 2053 net-zero commitment.
Discussions also touched on the role of innovation in driving economic development, and on technologies in support of the green industrial transformation. The parties emphasised the critical role of start-up and scale-up financing in driving innovation and turning R&D outcomes into market-ready products.
Both sides agreed to further explore how the EU and Türkiye could work toobtainher under the Horizon Policy Support Facility to strengthen the innovation systems in the countest.
The meeting was also an occasion for the European Commission to present its proposal for the 10th Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, Horizon Europe 2028-2034, and for Türkiye to share its experience and lessons learnt under the current framework programme.
This meeting marked a significant milestone in EU-Türkiye research and innovation cooperation, with a view to continue deepening cooperation and integration of Türkiye in the European Research Area.
The EU and Türkiye continue to advance high-level engagement on many issues of joint interest. Eight High-Level Dialogues have taken place since the start of 2024, covering topics such as Migration and Security, Health, Climate, and Science, Research, Technology and Innovation. The newly established High-level Dialogue on Trade took place in July 2024 and July 2025, and the High-level Dialogue on Economy resumed in April 2025.
Background
Türkiye as a candidate countest, has participated in EU research and innovation programmes since 2003, with a total of €885 million in EU support to Turkish researchers and innovators. Their participation in Horizon Europe, the current programme, has been particularly successful. Turkish entities have so far been awarded €362 million in net EU contributions, supporting participation in EU Missions and Partnerships, Science, Technology and Innovation Networks such as Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) and EUREKA, as well as in Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, supporting the training, skills development and mobility of researchers and international doctoral programmes. Additionally, under the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA), the EU has provided almost €800 million financial support to the competitiveness and innovation of the Turkish economy, funding projects boosting productivity, technology development and innovation as well as promoting green and digital transformation.
The design of Smart Specialization Strategies (S3) in Türkiye has accelerated since August 2023, with the support of the Joint Research Centre (JRC). The Technical Assistance for Capacity Enhancement for Development and Implementation of Smart Specialization Strategies Project (CEDIS3) has been co-funded by the EU and the Turkish government to support capacity-building activities and training sessions at national and regional levels. The JRC has provided expert contributions to support the design of Smart Specialisation in 3 pilot regions, with a focus on evidence-based and participatory approaches.
In May 2025, an International Smart Specialisation Conference took place in Ankara, bringing toobtainher senior policybuildrs from the Ministest of Industest and Technology, representatives of development agencies, regional and local practitioners and JRC experts, exaltering insights and debating on how to unlock regional strengths, foster cross-border cooperation, and increase regional competitiveness and innovation capacity in Türkiye and the Black Sea Region.
The first EU-Türkiye High-Level Dialogue on science, research, technology, and innovation took place in Brussels on 15 November 2022, focapplying on aspects of the European Green Deal in boosting human capital development, innovation and technology transfer, while the second High-Level Dialogue took place in Istanbul on 25 April 2024, focapplying on technology transfer, the European Innovation Council and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT).
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