Uber announced the opening of a new technology hub in Istanbul to accelerate innovation in mobility and delivery solutions. The initiative marks one of Uber's largest investments outside North America and positions Türkiye as a strategic center for global technology development.
The announcement ceremony was attended by Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır, Investment and Finance Office President A. Burak Dağlıoğlu, Uber Global CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, and Uber Chief Technology Officer Praveen Neppalli Naga. The company revealed plans to invest USD 200 million in Türkiye over the next five years and to more than double its local technology workforce.
The event also witnessed signing of two MoUs between Uber and Investment and Finance Office and the Ministry of Industry and Technology for strategic cooperation to facilitate a productive exchange of information and expertise to the benefit of the Turkish mobility and delivery industries.
Following Uber's recent acquisition of Trendyol Go, a team of 180 engineers, product managers, designers, and data scientists joined Uber to form the core of the Istanbul-based tech hub. The center will bring together Türkiye's top technology talent to develop innovative products for millions of Uber users, businesses, drivers, and couriers around the world.
During his speech at the ceremony, Minister Kacır highlighted Türkiye's strategic location, saying: “With access to a market of over one billion people through customs unions and trade agreements, its central position in global value chains, and its skilled human capital, Türkiye will continue to be a hub of attraction for investors."
The Minister also emphasized Türkiye's strong R&D infrastructure: “Over 700 international companies continue their activities in Türkiye's technoparks and R&D centers. Many global tech companies have located their advanced R&D operations in Türkiye, benefiting from both our qualified talent pool and our attractive incentive programs."
Meanwhile, during his address, Investment and Finance Office President A. Burak Dağlıoğlu described Uber's decision as a major milestone for Türkiye: “Uber's move to establish a global technology hub in Istanbul is a strong indicator of confidence in Türkiye's world-class engineering talent and innovation capacity."
Dağlıoğlu also spotlighted Türkiye's unique role as the nexus of talent, saying: “With its young and dynamic population, Türkiye offers one of the largest talent pools in its region and serves as the nexus of R&D and innovation. We welcome Uber's long-term investment, which further strengthens Türkiye's position as a global center for technology and research."
Uber's Global Head of Technology, Praveen Neppalli Naga, echoed this sentiment, praising Türkiye's engineering excellence: “This investment reflects Uber's long-term commitment to Türkiye and the strength of its exceptional engineering talent. We have seen first-hand the creativity and technical capabilities of Turkish engineers."
The new engineering team in Türkiye will play a leading role in Uber's global product and platform development, driving innovations in machine learning, large language model integration, real-time data processing, distributed systems, and mobile technologies./en/News/News-from-Turkey/PublishingImages/uber-turkiye-technology.png