“Yesterday, I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today, I am wise, so I am changing myself.”
Those words are as true today as when they were written. That was during the 13th Century, in the city of Konya, by the Sufi mystic and poet, Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi. Today, this city and provincial capital of more than 2.2 million people is changing itself through technology, strategy and programs that prepare its economy for success in the digital century.
That economy has many strengths. Konya farms produce wheat, barley, sugar beets and other crops for domestic and export markets. The city is home to food, defense, carpet and machinery companies featured among Turkey’s Top 500 companies. More than one million domestic and foreign tourists visit the city annually. It is also a center for higher education with five universities serving more than 130,000 students.
Building a Digital Foundation
But there is no shortage of obstacles to overcome. Turkey’s incumbent telecom operator maintains a 95% market share and actively blocks competitors from accessing its network. Like many other cities, Konya has found a legal workaround: partnering with a private-sector company to build a +400 km fiber network serving public agencies, universities, hospitals and a traffic management platform. The network also provides the backbone for a free Wi-Fi network with more than 140 hotspots in public areas, all mapped on a digital app. A separate digital radio network provides reliable communication for public agencies and emergency responders. The city is also deploying satellite internet to rural neighborhoods and remote areas to help bridge the digital divide.
On that foundation, Konya’s government has launched multiple programs to raise the skill levels of young and adult learners, both online and in-person. For high school students, Konya has developed an online platform hosting content from publishers including over 450,000 Q&A videos, all aiming to help students succeed in national qualifying exams for higher education. Technology and entrepreneurship education has also become a high priority, with courses and competitions for high school and university students in software, AI, digital arts, cybersecurity and smart-city solutions. A STEM-focused fellowship program for university students helps them develop competencies in analytic thinking, leadership, career planning, communication, teamwork and effective use of technology.
Konya ensures that education reaches beyond the classroom as well. The city operates more than 70 education centers for young and adult learners that provide vocational training in handicrafts, food production, customer service, digital marketing, computer programming and graphic design. Trainees earn income from products they create while gaining experience that can kickstart a career or small business startup. Supplementing education are sports centers, children’s playrooms and family art centers.
The Development and Technology Academy offers students STEM learning opportunities, while a Robokaratay program brings coding workshops and competitions to more than 100 schools. A Social Innovation Agency focuses on encouraging social entrepreneurship for women, individuals with disabilities and other disadvantaged people to help them find a place in the workforce.
Homes for Technology Innovation
The same intense focus applies to the digital transformation of Konya’s business community. The city’s development agency has supported the establishment and growth of more than a dozen industrial zones – some specializing in the startup economy. Konya Technopark provides entrepreneurs with multi-stakeholder financing, project consultancy, tech transfer services, prototyping and management of intellectual property. Investor meetings and mentorship accelerate the commercialization of startups, of which more than 200 are operating in the fully-occupied property.
A second facility, the InnoPark Tech Development Zone, focuses on guiding students and recent graduates into entrepreneurship with training projects, project support, internships and job opportunities. The InnoPark has enabled more than 1,000 students to move into internships and permanent jobs since its launch in 2016, while successfully commercializing more than 30 university projects.
The Konya Chambers of Industry and Commerce are active in providing vocational programs and employee training to improve the skills of the workforce. A technology and innovation campus built by the Chamber develops digital agricultural applications in collaboration with farmers and industry. It has also produced a Model Factory equipped with machines and production lines to train employers and employees in lean manufacturing, digital transformation and continuous improvement. Yet another program, the Organized Industrial Zone, provides industry with digital infrastructure and training for SMEs and large enterprises to accelerate adoption.
Konya is equally committed to innovation in the public sector. A locally-developed Smart City Strategy approved in 2022 is upgrading public transportation with new bicycle routes, train lines and intelligent traffic management systems. It also gives priority to improving the accessibility of transport, places of worship, public buildings and public spaces for the benefit of residents and tourists.
Sustaining Quality of Life
For a city driven by agriculture and industry, Konya has made significant investments in sustainability. Turkey has low rates of recycling, with most municipal waste winding up in landfills despite a national Zero Waste policy. Konya, however, takes the challenge seriously. It has equipped 3,500 waste containers across the city with sensors that track fill levels, so that waste collectors target only those in need of emptying. The resulting fuel savings has eliminated more than 3,000 tons of carbon emissions while increasing the amount of waste collected.
To motivate residents and recycling companies, Konya developed a Zero Waste Information System that records the type and quantity of recyclable waste entering the recycling system for each neighborhood and district. A user-friendly web interface lets residents view their local waste data, while introducing new levels of transparency for recycling companies. The quantity of recyclable waste and overall recycling rates have been increased as a result, which has created new jobs and business fields in waste collection, sorting, recycling and logistics. Boosting the rates further is a Recycle and Win competition among neighborhoods to win awards for the highest recycling volume, which earns them investment in local parks and beautification.
The city is also leading by example in renewable energy. Solar, wind, hydro and waste-to-energy projects are producing enough power to meet the energy needs of 150,000 households and public facilities including bus stops, wells and meteorological stations.
Eight centuries ago, Rumi offered this advice on change: “When you let go of who you are, you become who you might be.” From education and business to the welfare of its people, Konya has let go of old models for city success. As its innovation economy accelerates, students, employees, business leaders and residents are eager to see who they might become.
Population: 2,330,024
Website: www.konya.bel.tr
Smart21 2025