GTA Global Summit 2026 Istanbul - Opening Day
Global Tech Advocates brings its worldwide network of chapter leaders, investors and founders to Istanbul for the first GTA Global Summit in Türkiye.
The Opening Day is hosted by the Services Exporters' Association (HİB) at the Türkiye Exporters Assembly (TİM) in Yenibosna. The morning opens with Türkiye's hosts, government and ClimateTech investors. The afternoon belongs to the GTA network: a world tour of its chapters, its newest groups and working groups, and the introduction of the Centre for Global Tech Advocacy.
Morning
09:00 Registration and coffee
10:00 Official opening. Welcomes from Tech Türkiye Advocates co-leads Yıldız Tuğba Kara and Ata Argüder, and from İlhan Bağören (Board Member, HİB). Addresses from F. Derya Koç (Head of Department, Ministry of Trade) and Invest in Türkiye. Then Russ Shaw CBE on who Global Tech Advocates are, how they operate and where.
11:00 ClimateTech and the energy transition. A keynote from Jan Lozek (Managing Partner, Future Energy Ventures), then a panel with Sabancı ClimateTech Ventures and leaders from Türkiye's industry.
11:45 Pass the mic. International delegates come on stage to introduce themselves, followed by the summit group photo.
12:00 Lunch and networking
Afternoon
13:30 GTA World Tour: the state of global tech. Russ Shaw CBE moderates a tour of the network one market at a time: Türkiye and Central Asia, Southeast Asia, China, the UK and Europe, the Americas, and Japan.
14:40 New GTA groups. The newest cities and countries joining the network are announced.
15:20 GTA Working Groups. GTA Black Women in Tech, plus the introduction of GTA Cyber and GTA Innovation Funding.
15:50 Introducing the Centre for Global Tech Advocacy. A fireside chat with Esther O'Callaghan OBE and Russ Shaw CBE on securing GTA's legacy, including the introduction of the Impact Atlas. The Centre opens for pledges on the day.
16:20 GTA Summits: from China and India to Istanbul. Russ Shaw CBE and Anders Nilsson on what the third summit brings.
16:30 Closing remarks, followed by the evening reception.
Confirmed international delegates include:
Russ Shaw CBE (Global Tech Advocates), Esther O'Callaghan OBE (Tech Netherlands Advocates; GTA Advisory Board), Jan Lozek and Başak Günver (Future Energy Ventures), Jeanette Carlsson (Tech Nordic Advocates), John Zai (Tech China Advocates), Richard Lowe (Tech West England Advocates), Jesse Witkowski (Tech Boston Advocates), Luis Novella (Tech Florida Advocates), Anders Nilsson (Tech Italy Advocates), Amor Maclang and Dr Alexander Titov (Tech Philippines Advocates), Aaron Sarma (Tech Malaysia Advocates), Rie Hamaguchi (Tech Japan Advocates; Osaka Prefectural Government), Manuel Amsallem Menendez (GTA Quantum Group), Andrew Wrobel (Reinvantage), Matic Boh (Seven Hills BPI)
Hosting them from Tech Türkiye Advocates: Ata Argüder, Yıldız Tuğba Kara, Mustafa Nafi Kaya and Baran Kılıçer.
Full running order: gtaistanbul2026.org/programme. The programme may change, and more speakers will be announced as they are confirmed.
Language: English. Business attire.