Within the scope of the Smart Trade Digital Interaction Platform (STRIDE) Project, a two-day training program was held with the aim of strengthening exporters' adaptation to artificial intelligence (AI) and providing them with a fundamental understanding of AI use in import and export processes. On the first day of the program, September 10, 2026, the Cultural Transformation Awareness Training was delivered by Ahmet Melih Selçuk, Analyst and Trainer at MEXT, at the headquarters of the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK). The training was built on the premise that one of the greatest barriers to integrating AI into foreign trade is the perception-based resistance employees develop toward the technology. Through the training, representatives of 15 companies included in the project's field analyses, operating in the automotive, chemicals, apparel, electronics and steel sectors, were supported in taking an active part in the transformation process.
On the second day, September 11, 2026, the Smart Trade Starter Training was held, covering the fundamentals of how AI can be used in foreign trade and supply chain processes.
The Smart Trade Starter Training was designed as a modular program under the leadership of DEİK's Economic Research Directorate, based on six months of work by the research team formed under the project. The training covered AI concepts and applications in foreign trade, as well as ethics, data security and human oversight. Participants were also presented with a comparative overview of the public AI policies and smart trade implementation models of Türkiye, India, China, Vietnam, Brazil, the United States and the European Union.
Demet Güneş, e-Export Expert at the Ministry of Trade of the Republic of Türkiye, introduced the Easy Export Platform (Kolay İhracat Platformu), Türkiye's AI-supported digital platform for exporters. The platform offers target market recommendations, sectoral analyses and up-to-date regulatory information. Güneş shared the opportunities the platform provides for companies and answered participants' questions.
The program continued with topics ranging from use cases of accessible smart trade tools to AI ethics and security, and concluded with a session designed to help participating companies identify the tools that best suit their needs.
