Istanbul, Türkiye, October 2, 2025 — The UNDP Istanbul International Center for Private Sector in Development (ICPSD) hosted a high-level delegation from Ethiopia’s Ministry of Innovation and Technology (MinT).The four-day programme included Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) training sessions for government officials and site visits to Türkiye’s leading technology and innovation hubs.

The visit began with an official meeting between Dr. Gülçin Salıngan, ICPSD Deputy Director, and MinT representatives — Mr. Selamyhun Adefris, Innovation Development CEO; Mr. Tadesse Anbessie, Startup Unit Head; and Mr. Tamrat Teklemarkos, Innobiz-K Manager. ICPSD presented its programmes and initiatives, highlighting the successful implementation of the Frontier Tech Leaders Programme in Ethiopia under the Digital Transformation and Skills portfolio. Mr. Selamyhun Adefris shared the ministry’s ongoing initiatives and strategic priorities, further emphasizing the potential for future collaboration.

The delegation then participated in intensive training sessions designed to enhance their understanding of AI and its governance applications. Mr. Gökhan Dikmener, ICPSD Chief Technical Advisor for AI, Digital Transformation, and Skills, delivered a one-day GenAI for Government Leaders training. The session covered GenAI fundamentals, applications in public administration, global best practices, societal impacts, and ethical considerations. Participants also engaged in hands-on exercises to apply GenAI tools in government workflows and strengthen their prompt engineering skills.

A complementary one-day workshop, Knowledge Work in the Age of AI, explored how the nature of knowledge work is evolving. It highlighted the shift from managing and recalling information to directing intelligent systems that can generate, adapt, and apply it within government contexts and beyond.

Another key objective of the visit was to promote South–South cooperation between Ethiopia and Türkiye in digital innovation and entrepreneurship. Türkiye has one of the most dynamic innovation ecosystems, supported by strong public–private collaboration, startup incubation programmes, and policy-driven incentives. To witness these in action, the delegation visited Bilişim Vadisi and İTÜ ARI Teknokent, two flagship examples of Türkiye’s leadership in digital transformation.

At Bilişim Vadisi, Türkiye’s largest technology development zone, the delegation learned how scientific research is transformed into high-value products in sectors such as mobility, communication, cybersecurity, design, smart cities, and gaming. The delegates also toured student facilities and interacted with hospitality robots developed by one of the startups hosted in the park. They met with Mr. Erkam Tüzgen, CEO of Bilişim Vadisi, to exchange experiences and explore opportunities for collaboration.