Last year in June, Final International University and GIKAD (Turkish Cypriot Assocation of Women Entrepreneurs), under the name Final GİNOVA, established an entrepreneurship and innovation center with the goal of becoming the entrepreneurship hub of Northern Cyprus. Final GİNOVA is the only one of its kind in Turkey and Northern Cyprus, and one of the few neuro laboratories in the world. The center's mission is to strengthen entrepreneurship activities in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus using scientific techniques at world standards.

Taking its name from the esteemed entrepreneur in Northern Cyprus, the late Ünal Çağıner, Final GİNOVA launched the "I. Ünal Çağıner Entrepreneurship Competition" this year. Projects that made it to the semi-finals in the "Technology Ventures" themed competition were tested on 24 investors, entrepreneurs, and business people using a neuroimaging technique, a first of its kind in the world. The first prize of the competition was ranked at 100,000 TL + the transformation of the business idea into a venture, the second prize was 60,000 TL, and the third prize was 40,000 TL. The awards of the competition were sponsored by Acapulco Resort Convention Spa Sports Hotel, CreditWest Bank, and Final International University.

In her opening speech at the award ceremony, Final GİNOVA General Manager Assoc. Prof. Arzu Girişken stated, "Today is a historic day for the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus because Final GİNOVA has combined the concept of entrepreneurship with neuroscience for the first time in the world. For the first time in the world, the outcome of an entrepreneurship competition was tested not through jury questioning and declarations, but through the most fair and objective method with the brain data of 24 entrepreneurs/investors. It was very important for us to honor our late Ünal Çağıner with the name of our competition because Ünal Çağıner truly embodied the essence of entrepreneurship; he created, produced value, and inspired. He worked for his country, leaving magnificent works for future generations with his courage and creativity. Having the name of such an inspiring entrepreneur in our competition was a source of pride for us. May his soul rest in peace. Our competition will be traditional with a different entrepreneurship theme each year. I hope it will continue indefinitely for decades."

Hüseyin Yaratan, the Rector of Final International University, stated, "Entrepreneurship is a challenging journey. It is essential not to give up on this journey. Final International University Final GİNOVA aims to make a mark in entrepreneurship and innovation fields, aiming to make the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus a significant player in the global entrepreneurship ecosystem. Today, we embark on a path that will live long under the esteemed entrepreneur, the late Ünal Çağıner's name. I pray for mercy from God for him."

The Minister of Economy and Energy of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Mr. Olgun Amcaoğlu, said, "It is very important for us to commemorate our esteemed figure, Ünal Çağıner, in such a beautiful way. Of course, the most important duty of state individuals like us is to continue walking on the path he has taken. This pioneering step is very valuable, every project participating here is very important. I thank everyone who has worked here to keep the name of our esteemed Ünal Çağıner alive for not giving up. I know this award ceremony will contribute to our country. Every point shown by science is the right point, these are the steps to be taken for the future in this country. We will continue to support the efforts of Final GİNOVA in contributing to science and development."

Mazhar Zaheer, the General Manager of CreditWest, said, "Entrepreneurship used to be known as taking a risk to do business. But now, entrepreneurship has evolved to mean creating meaning, adding innovation. I also want to be an entrepreneur someday. We at CreditWest are proud to be stakeholders in this unique project. I would like to thank all the participants in this competition. I see the innovative approach of Final International University and Assoc. Prof. Arzu Girişken in bringing this to life in Northern Cyprus as an important step. I believe we should announce this to the world as a country. We, at CreditWest, want to emphasize that we will always be there to support this innovative approach. We are planning two more events within the year at CreditWest. One will be for female farmer entrepreneurs, and the other will be about angel investing. We are proud and happy, like all the other stakeholders, to be stakeholders in this innovative competition named after the late Ünal Çağıner. We thank everyone involved."

Prof. Dr. Yener Girişken stated, "Successful entrepreneurs are those who set out not to enlarge their resources or make money, but to change the world. This entrepreneurial competition used brain imaging methods for the first time in the world to determine the winners. Therefore, this competition is the intersection of innovation with our students who have the desire to change the world. This intersection also symbolizes the late Ünal Çağıner in the most meaningful way. May his soul rest in peace."

The keynote speaker of the award ceremony, Ali Can Türkoğlu, General Manager of Bloomberg HT, said, "Entrepreneurship is an important phenomenon for the development and progress of countries. It enables them to exist in the world arena with what they produce. Creativity is crucial in today's rapidly developing world. Northern Cyprus is a very fortunate country in this regard; we can see the passion for creating value in everyone we meet. As a manager of a major institution in the media world, we prepare original content on business and entrepreneurship. This gives me the opportunity to meet many entrepreneurs/investors. This, as I mentioned, helps me understand the importance of the concept of 'innovation' today. Today, witnessing this historic moment is magnificent. Designing the final evaluation of an entrepreneurship competition in such a unique structure is a great vision. I would like to thank everyone involved, especially Final GİNOVA General Manager Assoc. Prof. Arzu Girişken, Prof. Dr. Yener Girişken, and the entire team, Final International University, and all stakeholders."

According to the results obtained through the neuro method of the competition, the first prize was presented by Acapulco Resort Convention Spa Sports Hotel Chairman of the Board Dr. İçim Kavuklu to the winner of the competition, Kelstine Binue, with the project "Dima Pay," an online payment systems project. Dr. İçim Çağıner Kavuklu, while presenting the award, stated, "My dear father Ünal Çağıner was a person who made 'Entrepreneurship' the focus of his life. Creating, adding meaning was his purpose in life. Today, being remembered with such a ceremony, knowing that his name will live on with this competition in the field of 'entrepreneurship' he dedicated his efforts to, brings happiness to our family. Moreover, it was also a source of joy that even in such an impartial, objective evaluation, a female entrepreneur came first. We will continue to work towards the spread of the concepts of entrepreneurship and innovation in Northern Cyprus."

The second prize was presented by CreditWest General Manager Mazhar Zaheer to Enock Sompwe and his team for the project "Rescue Drone," aimed at ensuring security in Northern Cyprus with drones. The third prize was presented by the Rector of Final International University, Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Yaratan, to İzzatillo Jamolddinov for the project "Apex Smart Home Solutions," which aims to correctly manage energy consumption in homes.