TURKCELL TEKNOLOJI ARASTIRMA VE GELISTIRME ANONIM SIRKETI

Their core work

Turkcell Technology is the R&D arm of Turkey's largest mobile operator, focused on next-generation wireless communications, RF hardware, and embedded systems. In H2020 projects they contribute telecom infrastructure expertise — particularly in 5G connectivity, millimeter-wave radio systems, and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications. They bring real-world mobile network deployment experience to European research consortia working on connected mobility, drone data systems, and edge AI hardware. Their work sits at the intersection of telecommunications engineering and advanced semiconductor design for low-power, high-frequency applications.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Turkcell Technology entered H2020 in 2018 with a focus on connected mobility and resilient autonomous systems — projects like 5G-MOBIX and ADACORSA dealt with cooperative driving corridors and drone architectures. From 2020 onward, their work shifted decisively toward RF hardware and semiconductor-level design: RFSOI/FDSOI silicon, D-band transceivers, antenna arrays, and ultra-low-power SoCs. This represents a clear move from being a telecom-application participant to contributing at the physical-layer and chip-design level of 5G infrastructure.

Turkcell Technology is deepening into physical-layer 5G component design (mmWave, RFSOI, edge AI SoCs), positioning itself as a hardware-capable telecom R&D partner rather than a pure network operator.

How they like to work

Turkcell Technology participates exclusively as a consortium partner — they have not coordinated any H2020 project. They work in large consortia (207 unique partners across 6 projects, averaging ~35 partners per project), which is typical of major ECSEL/KDT-style joint undertaking projects in the semiconductor and electronics domain. This makes them a reliable, low-friction consortium member who contributes specialized telecom expertise without seeking to lead.

Extensive European network spanning 207 unique partners across 27 countries, built entirely through large-consortium participation. As a Turkish organization, they serve as a bridge between EU research ecosystems and the Turkish telecom market.

What sets them apart

Turkcell Technology brings a rare combination: the R&D capability of a major mobile operator (80+ million subscribers) paired with deep engagement in European semiconductor and RF research. Unlike academic partners who contribute theory, they offer a direct path to testing and deploying 5G technologies on a live, large-scale commercial network. For consortia targeting ECSEL/KDT or SNS Joint Undertaking calls, they provide both technical depth in RF/mmWave design and a credible deployment environment in a non-EU associated country.

Highlights from their portfolio

• 5G-MOBIX
  Largest funding (EUR 280,000) and their first H2020 project — a flagship 5G connected mobility trial on cross-border corridors.
• BEYOND5
  Marks their pivot to RF semiconductor research (RFSOI/FDSOI), positioning them in the European chip supply chain for 5G.
• DRAGON
  D-band (130-175 GHz) radio technology is at the frontier of next-generation backhaul — high technical ambition with direct commercial relevance.