Young Turk takes to Chinese innovation

SHENZHEN — Mehmet Nemo Turker, a young Turkish man, has made the southern metropolis of Shenzhen, Guangdong province, his home and base for entrepreneurial ventures. He has set up several companies that focus on the research and development of energy-related products, including battery cells and energy storage solutions.

Born in 1990, Turker has always had a passion for electronic products. During high school, he developed a social media website and uncovered a vulnerability in the school computer system. Subsequently, the school entrusted him with managing its website, and he even got his own office.

With his sights set on broader horizons, Turker left university to study abroad, choosing Shenzhen, a leading global tech hub.

"'Nemo' means 'no one' in Latin. In the realm of technological innovation, I am a nobody, but I aspire to seize China's development opportunities and start anew," the young man says, riffing on his name.

Turker's entrepreneurial journey began with a desire to help a disabled friend, who became a quadriplegic at the age of 18 after a car accident, and was able only to move his head. His search for devices to aid his friend was a limited success and the quest led him to many others with similar disabilities who yearned to reintegrate into society, but lacked the means.

Huaqiangbei, one of the world's largest electronics markets, provided the answer for which he had been desperately searching.

"Facial recognition was too costly but strolling through Huaqiangbei, I saw a motion-sensing gaming console demonstration and had an epiphany. Why not leverage sensor technology?" Turker says.

He combined sensors with normal glasses, and after a great deal of development and refinement, launched the GlassOuse series. The aid enables those unable to use a mouse or keyboard to operate smartphones and computers with their heads.

"Look, even if a person cannot move their limbs, they can control the mouse by shaking their head, blinking, biting, or even exhaling, leveraging modern technology to enable people with disabilities to return to normal social interaction, life and work to the greatest extent possible under their physical limitations," Turker explains from his office in Longgang district, as he demonstrated the head-controlled mouse he has developed.

His other companies include EnnoPro Group, which is focused on energy product R&D. His team's continuous perfection of its products eventually caught the attention of Sony Group and led to the sale of a patent.

Turker says that his company's focus on hybrid vehicle batteries, supported by the mature industrial chain in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, is allowing its global market share to steadily increase.

"As Turkiye is my homeland and China is my second, I will offer my GlassOuse products for free to those in need in either country. I hope that one day, a 'Mr Nobody' like me will become somebody who contributes to society."

Xinhua