The world's leading platform, Uber, has announced the establishment of a global technology and software development center in Türkiye.
The investment volume is $200 million, the location is Istanbul, and the workforce will comprise approximately 500 engineers and analysts who will develop solutions for the company's global operations.
🔍A New Context: Türkiye Becomes an R&D Hub
Uber's decision is not an isolated episode, but part of a profound transformation.
Over the past 10 years, Türkiye has built a formidable innovation infrastructure:
• 113 technoparks,
• 12,000 technology companies,
• 311,000 R&D employees.
This ecosystem has already given rise to players such as Togg, Trendyol, and Getir — and now international corporations are joining them.
⚙️ Togg as a Model of Technological Partnership
Today, Togg collaborates with more than 30 Turkish technology startups, creating not merely a vehicle, but an entire "smart mobility" platform.
Uber is effectively continuing this trajectory: it is building an R&D center not for local services, but for global products related to mobility, logistics, and data.
📈 For Türkiye, This Means:
• a transition from an "application market" to a "developer nation",
• strengthening its standing in the global innovation value chain,
• shaping a new engineering identity for the country.
💬 Why This Is Strategically Important
For government regulators, this serves as evidence of "confidence in Türkiye's stability, competence, and young human capital."
And that is indeed the case: against the backdrop of an economic slowdown in the EU and tightening regulations in Asia, Türkiye is emerging as an engineering alternative to Eastern Europe and Israel.
🧭For Businesses and Investors
1️⃣ Investment Signals
→ R&D centers of multinational corporations (Uber, Bosch, Huawei, Siemens) are becoming the primary beneficiaries of incentives and grants.
2️⃣ Growing Demand for Engineers
→ Turkish IT companies gain an opportunity to integrate into the global technology supply chains of Uber and Togg.
3️⃣ Strengthening of the Startup Ecosystem
→ The emergence of major R&D platforms drives demand for innovations in AI, mobility, and fintech.
4️⃣ Infrastructure Multiplier Effect
→ New centers increase demand for office space, logistics, cloud solutions, and consulting services.
💡RelocationTR Commentary
Uber's investment is more than just a new office location.
Through the example of Uber, the local regulator has made it clear: major corporations will not be able to operate in the country solely to extract profits. If a company wishes to do business here, substantial investments are required, and an innovation center serves as an excellent model of cooperation.
Following Togg, Uber is becoming the hallmark of a new era:
📍A New Rule: Global corporations do not simply come to sell; they come to develop.
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