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February 17, 2026 - GTU Office of Press and Public Relations The Biotechnology and Bioeconomy Clustering Initiative (BİKÜME), pioneered by the Technology Transfer Office of Gebze Technical University (GTU), officially commences its operations today with a grand launch ceremony. Carried out with the support of the Ministry of Industry and Technology of the Republic of Türkiye, the initiative aims to establish a circular value chain within Türkiye's biotechnology ecosystem.
BİKÜME has been structured not merely as a collaboration network, but as a holistic model that produces measurable activities, shared infrastructure, and sustainable outputs. Built upon a closed-loop framework spanning from R&D to testing and validation, and from production to market access, the cluster brings together companies, universities, technology zones, and civil society organizations under a common platform.
The launch, held at the GTU Congress Center, was attended by Darıca District Governor Yaşar Dönmez, GTU Rector Prof. Hacı Ali Mantar, Gebze Chamber of Commerce Chairman of the Board Abdurrahman Aslantaş, Gebze District National Education Director Şenol Pekgöz, Kocaeli University Vice-Rector Prof. Elif Öğüt, Kale Group President and CEO Zeynep Bodur-Okyay, GTU Vice-Rector Prof. Hasari Çelebi, GTU Vice-Rector and BİKÜME Coordinator Prof. Elif Damla Arısan, GTU Institute of Biotechnology Director Prof. Işıl Aksan-Kurnaz, as well as academics, industry representatives, and students.
Key Messages from the Launch Speakers at the event drew attention to BİKÜME's role in sectoral transformation: GTU Rector Prof. Hacı Ali Mantar emphasized that BİKÜME will make a significant contribution to Türkiye's biotechnology vision and represents one of the most concrete examples of university-industry collaboration. GTU Vice-Rector Prof. Hasari Çelebi stated that, as the Technology Transfer Office, they will provide full support throughout all logistical and technical infrastructure processes of this ecosystem. GTU Institute of Biotechnology Director Prof. Işıl Aksan-Kurnaz highlighted the importance of transforming academic knowledge into economic value, noting that the newly opened Innovative Biomaterials Lab will serve as an incubation hub in this process. GTU Vice-Rector and BİKÜME Coordinator Prof. Elif Damla Arısan shared that the Cluster has launched with 61 active participants, and that the primary goal is to achieve qualified workforce development and sustainable growth.
Going forward, BİKÜME will focus on the following key areas: Qualified Workforce: Development of sector-specific competency maps and green transition training programs Entrepreneurship Support: Providing of academic consultancy, mentorship, and scaling support for start-ups Sectoral Analysis: Conducting of short and long-term strategic roadmaps and SWOT analyses
The launch event concluded, following a session moderated by Sevgi Salman-Ünver, PhD, in which Kale Group President and CEO Zeynep Bodur-Okyay shared her industry vision, with the opening of the Innovative Biomaterials Lab and a visit to the Institute of Biotechnology. |
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