Turkish Defense Firms Lead National R&D Investment Rankings

Ender Öztürk

September 9, 2026

The 13th edition of the Turkey R&D 500 Research, conducted by Turkishtime, has revealed that Turkey’s defense sector dominates the national innovation landscape. According to the 2025 report, the top 500 companies in the country invested a total of 257.8 billion TL into research and development. Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ) secured the top spot once again, followed closely by ASELSAN, ROKETSAN, and HAVELSAN. This marks a significant milestone as the top four R&D spenders are exclusively from the defense and aerospace industries, underscoring the strategic shift toward high-technology production and sovereign defense capabilities.

Defense Giants Command the Majority of R&D Spending

TUSAŞ maintained its leading position in 2025 by investing 65.2 billion TL, representing a 26.6% increase in its R&D budget compared to the previous year. The company’s commitment to innovation was further evidenced by its 43 utility model registrations and 66 patents. Following TUSAŞ, ASELSAN reported an investment of 48.2 billion TL, while ROKETSAN and HAVELSAN invested 21.4 billion TL and 9.5 billion TL, respectively.

When combined with TEI’s 6 billion TL contribution, these five defense entities account for more than 150 billion TL in total expenditure. This figure represents approximately 58% of the aggregate R&D spending among the top 500 companies in Turkey. This concentration of capital highlights the critical nature of developing advanced systems such as combat aircraft, radar infrastructure, electronic warfare suites, and sophisticated missile technology.

Defense Exports Drive Technological Growth

The research also introduced a new category focusing on export performance derived from R&D products. Out of the 843.9 billion TL in total R&D-based exports recorded between 2023 and 2025, the defense and aerospace industry contributed a substantial 245.1 billion TL. ASELSAN ranked second nationally in this category, with TUSAŞ and ROKETSAN also securing prominent positions.

These figures demonstrate that the investment in local R&D is translating directly into global market competitiveness. By focusing on indigenous product development, these companies have effectively reduced reliance on foreign technology while simultaneously increasing the value-added output of the Turkish economy.

Defense Firms Dominate the R&D Workforce

The impact of the defense sector extends beyond financial metrics into human capital development. The research indicates that TUSAŞ, ASELSAN, ROKETSAN, HAVELSAN, and TEI collectively employ 22,071 R&D professionals. This group constitutes 86.51% of the total R&D workforce among the top 10 companies surveyed.

ASELSAN leads the employment charts with 9,691 R&D staff, followed by TUSAŞ with 5,100 personnel and ROKETSAN with 3,390 specialists. Furthermore, these organizations are significantly driving the number of women in technical R&D roles, with a combined total of 4,873 female employees. ASELSAN also holds the record for the highest project volume, managing 1,253 active R&D initiatives simultaneously.

As these companies continue to scale their technological infrastructure, the synergy between R&D investment, patent production, and expert employment remains the primary engine of Turkey’s industrial advancement. The data confirms that the defense sector will remain the cornerstone of the nation’s high-tech strategy for the foreseeable future.

We are interested in hearing your perspective on Turkey’s rapid advancement in defense technology; do you believe this heavy concentration of R&D investment in the defense sector will eventually trigger a wider technological spillover into civilian industries? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.