Kocaeli: TEKNOFEST Blue Homeland, held as part of Trkiye's premier tech event TEKNOFEST 2026, will take place from Aug. 20-23 at the Golcuk Naval Shipyard Command in Kocaeli, bringing together technology enthusiasts focused on maritime and underwater technologies.

According to Anadolu Agency, the event, organized for the first time last year in Istanbul, drew strong visitor interest. Held under TEKNOFEST, the world's largest aviation, space, and technology festival, TEKNOFEST Blue Homeland stands out with its varied program and competitions covering domestically and nationally developed naval platforms and underwater technologies.

This year's event will be held under the coordination of the Industry and Technology Ministry, the National Defense Ministry, and the Turkish Technology Team Foundation, known as the T3 Foundation, and hosted by the Golcuk Naval Shipyard Command. The event aims to bring Trkiye's maritime strength and advanced technology capabilities together with younger generations while building a strong future vision around domestic and national technologies.

Young innovators will turn their ideas into technology through competitions including the Unmanned Underwater Systems Competition, Underwater Rocket Competition, and Unmanned Surface Vehicle Competition. Young engineering candidates and entrepreneurs will also present projects expected to help shape Trkiye's future at sea.

Throughout the event, TEKNOFEST stakeholder institutions will participate in exhibition areas to introduce their activities and interact with visitors. TEKNOFEST Blue Homeland will also feature exhibitions where visitors can tour key naval vessels, virtual reality areas, maritime-themed competitions, special photo areas, demonstrations by personnel from Trkiye's Underwater Offense and Underwater Defense commands, experience areas reflecting naval history, as well as various conferences and exhibitions.