The reasons for the choice were Turkey’s thriving gaming industry and skilled talent

Sisal, leading  Italian operator in gaming industry, launched Digital Hub in Turkey. In doing so, Sisal has expanded its footprint by establishing technological hubs in Albania, Tunisia, and Türkiye, with a team of 450 digital talents. Currently, Sisal owns a global retail network of 50,000 sales points, business operations in 5 countries and serving more than 1 million online consumers. On February 20th, the Digital Hub marked its second anniversary with the opening of a new location at Yıldız Technical University, Yıldız Technopark. Institutional guests, including representatives from Italian Embassy, and partners from business and university attended the opening ceremony.

“Sisal is one of the leading international operators and since its foundation more than 75 years ago” said Mario Martinelli, Chief Technology Officer at Sisal, adding that “In recent years, we’ve invested significantly in global international team and talents. We’ve selected İstanbul as the location for our Digital Hub due to Türkiye’s thriving digital sector and ample skilled professionals. This hub is key in driving our digital growth and international expansion.”

Solutions not only Turkish market, but also for Sisal’s core platforms

“Our software and design team, consisting entirely of Turkish nationals and comprising 86 people” Ozan Solmaz, Technology Director of Sisal Digital Hub in Türkiye, stating the opportunity to work on the latest technologies such as VR and AI, collaborating with AI competency hubs in an integrated approach. The Sisal Digital Hub, located within Yıldız Technical University Technopark, will focus not only on the Turkish market but also on developing software for Sisal’s core platforms and digital solutions involved in their  international business. (Here’s a story of mine about Turkey’s first unicorn, Peak, and its acquisition by Zynga for USD1.8 bio)

The ceremony also featured the signing of a new partnership with SKY LAB Computer Science Club to support the Yıldız Jam initiative. This partnership aims to promote a Game Jam culture and facilitate networking among participants. The agreement was signed by Ozan Solmaz and the YTU University students.