Business ideas and projects from student communities were assessed within the scope of a competition under the aegis of the "These Young People Have the Potential!" Project, designed to develop entrepreneurialism and reduce youth unemployment and realized as part of TÜSİAD’s 40th Anniversary activities. Directly aimed at university students, the project presented the winning groups and good business ideas at an awards ceremony held on 24th May at the Ankara Hilton Hotel.
TÜSİAD President Ümit Boyner delivered the opening speech at the awards ceremony. In her address, she stated that the most crucial issue facing the Turkish economy was developing employment and reducing unemployment; in this context, serious efforts were required with respect to youth unemployment and Turkey would remain a long way from achieving its objective of joining the ranks of the developed countries as long as these problems were not overcome. Pointing out that when they looked to the future today’s young people envisioned themselves not just as employees in good companies, but as the successful business people of the future, Boyner stated that young people would become the leading actors in creating new business areas firstly through establishing their own businesses based on their business ideas, as small and medium-sized industries (SMI’s). Stressing that in the future they would further strengthen the rapidly growing economy, the President of TÜSİAD went on to say “In this way, we believe that young people will achieve a state of affairs in which the economy progresses towards a dynamic structure that is more productive, creates employment and yields tax revenues to the state”. Ümit Boyner stated that with its "These Young People Have the Potential!" project, TÜSİAD aimed to reduce youth unemployment by developing entrepreneurialism and increasing the direct participation of young people in the economy. Boyner stressed that the project aimed to contribute to the raising of awareness on this issue amongst university students who would in their turn be the leaders, politicians, investors and managers of the future.
The TÜSİAD "These Young People Have the Potential!" first prize was won byMiddle East Technical University students Serol Türkyılmaz and Levent Beker for their project on energy production through nanotechnology applications. Second prize went to Mustafa Kemal İşen and İrem Özcan from Bilkent University for their high-insulation eco-friendly insulation product development project. The Honorable Mention award was given to Bilkent students Berkay Türkben and Hesamoddin Nabavi for their project aimed at boosting recycled asphalt production. The winning projects were awarded with prizes designed to support business development such as virtual office services, legal consultancy services, finance and accounting support, advertisement design services, vision visits to private sector organizations, and of course the awards themselves.
102 project groups entered the competition, arranged with the involvement of university student communities. The 15 short-listed projects won the right to go forward to the next stage of the competition, while each of the short-listed project groups’ business plans continued to be developed under the mentorship of a TÜSİAD Member prior to final evaluation. Young people deemed successful in the competition gain the benefit of internship possibilities, vision visits, and mentoring services by TÜSİAD Members. Initially, participation in the “This Youth is in BUSINESS” Project, launched in 2011, was from ODTÜ (METU -Middle East Technical University) and Bilkent University student communities. In future years, the project will expand to other universities and cities.
