ICC Centre of Entrepreneurship – Istanbul
The ICC Centre of Entrepreneurship – İstanbul Hub is an initiative hosted by ICC, ICC Turkey, and the Union of Turkish Chambers of Commerce and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB) to support start-ups and entrepreneurs in Central Asia and the Caucasus region.
The ICC Centre of Entrepreneurship – Istanbul Hub was launched in February 2020 as the first ICC Centre of Entrepreneurship.
The Centre’s mission and purpose is to prepare and mobilise the next generation of entrepreneurs in Turkey, Central Asia and the Caucasus region. From developing the skills of young people who face uncertain employment prospects to offering networking opportunities, the ICC Centre of Entrepreneurship – Istanbul Hub provides local entrepreneurs with the tools and resources to bring their ideas to life.
Creating an ecosystem for entrepreneurs in Central Asia and the Caucasus region
The ICC Centre of Entrepreneurship – Istanbul Hub provides start-ups and entrepreneurs with the tools and resources they need to expand their businesses.
- The Centre benefits from several partnerships with businesses, chambers of commerce, and technology partners.
- Entrepreneurs and start-ups can attend training seminars and virtual meetings with other business leaders and policymakers.
- By providing resources for local economic development, the Centre of Entrepreneurship supports and contributes to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Facebook Station
The ICC Centre of Entrepreneurship (CoE) – İstanbul Hub is a partner with Facebook Station, a community centre located in Istanbul’s financial hub launched by Facebook, the Turkish Union of Chambers and Stock Exchanges (TOBB) and the Habitat Association.
In 2020, Facebook Station organised training programmes and webinars for SMEs and entrepreneurs in the region.
Facebook Station maintains 15 local offices in Adana, Ankara, Antalya, Bursa, Çanakkale, Denizli, Diyarbakır, İzmir, Kırklareli, Mersin, Samsun, Trabzon, Van, Kuşadası/Aydın and Kahramanmaraş in cooperation with local chambers of commerce. These local offices provide training and workshops for local entrepreneurs to contribute the digitalisation of SMEs and serve meeting places for local entrepreneurs and start-ups.
İstanbul Hub-Training
Throughout the Centre’s activities, ICC Turkey and TOBB University of Economics and Technology (TOBB-ETU) collaborated to organise training programs.
As the first training program, an international two-day virtual “ICC Turkey – TOBB-ETU Entrepreneurship Days” will be organised on 22 and 23 March 2022. The entrepreneurship training days designed to cover all aspects of entrepreneurship including Entrepreneurship and Its Elements, R&D and Commercialisation of R&D, Customer Validation, Lean Enterprise, Business Model, Design Thinking and New Product Development as well as biggest trends in entrepreneurship and tips & tools to future entrepreneurs. Each day, inspiring entrepreneurs also talked about their success stories during the pandemic.
In the coming months, the Centre will organise a set of training programmes related to global trade and technology. These sessions will provide local entrepreneurs with tutorials on critical elements related to global trade, including export-import, Incoterms 2020, e-commerce, blockchain, and trade finance.
Learn from the ICC Centre of Entrepreneurship – Istanbul Hub’s strategic partners:
Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey
The Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) is the highest legal entity in Turkey representing the private sector. TOBB serves Turkish private sector throughout the country through 365 local chambers and commodity exchanges and its sectoral assemblies. Over 1,5 million small, medium-sized and large companies from every sector of the economy are members of the chamber network. TOBB’s main mission is to enhance economic growth, increase the competitiveness of its members and improve country’s business and investment environment.
Facebook Istasyon
Facebook Istasyon, which aims to be a common working and knowledge sharing area for different communities, NGOs, businesses, entrepreneurs and journalists in Turkey, was launched in collaboration with Turkey Union Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB), International Chamber Of Commerce (ICC) and Habitat Association. Facebook Istasyon, which is Facebook’s first community hub in Turkey, aims to bring individuals closer together by providing the support that will enable various communities to Access the resources, knowledge and skills they need to grow in the digital World, to be mobile and to organize events. Trainings in digitalization, digital marketing, facebook and the use Facebook products, and online safety are amongst the primary pieces of training given at Facebook Istasyon, which hosts workshops, programs and various trainings focusing on the digital inclusion of society and the economy of Turkey.
TOBB University of Economics and Technology
TOBB University of Economics and Technology (TOBB ETU) is a private non-profit foundation university founded officially in 2003 by “The Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey” (TOBB). It is the first and only university to offer cooperative education in Turkey. Despite its relative youth, is now one of the Turkey’s leading universities, with acknowledged reputation for excellence in research and teaching, for innovation and for links with business and industry. Owing to its deep-rooted relationship with TOBB that is the highest legal entity in Turkey representing the private sector, the links with business and industry is consistently and strongly maintained.
