The Skilled Workforce of the Future Takes Shape at GTU Technopark

March 5, 2026 - GTU Office of Press and Public Relations
 

With the participation of Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır, a new center to be established within Gebze Technical University (GTU) Technopark under the SOGEP projects will support skilled workforce development and regional employment.

The signing ceremony of six projects supported by the Development Agency (MARKA) formalized the major initiative coordinated by GTU Technopark. Held at the Kocaeli Governorate, the ceremony highlighted the “Skilled Technical Workforce and Employment Center Project”, to be implemented under GTU Technopark coordination within the Social Development Support Program (SOGEP).

Bridging Academia and Industry

The project, signed by GTU Rector Prof. Hacı Ali Mantar, aims to combine the university’s academic expertise with the technical competencies required by industry. Expected to directly contribute to regional development, the center will activate local potential and open new opportunities for young professionals and technical experts. Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır and Governor İlhami Aktaş emphasized that the projects carry critical importance not only for economic growth but also for social development. The center at GTU Technopark will provide a sustainable, science-based solution to the “skilled personnel” needs of regional industrial enterprises.

The signed projects, to be implemented under the coordination of GTU Technopark “Skilled Technical Workforce and Employment Center Project”, "Energy and Fertilizer Production From Waste Project" under the coordination of Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality, "Smart Agricultural Pest Control Project" under the coordination of Kocaeli Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, "Skilled Workforce Development for the Defense and Aerospace Sector Project" under the coordination of İMES Organized Industrial Zone, "Empowering Agricultural Productivity in Esentepe Project" under the coordination of Esentepe Kanatlar Villages Agricultural Development Cooperative (Limited Liability), and "Cold Chain and Ice Production Facility for Kefken Fishermen Project" under the coordination of S.S. Kefken and Surrounding Villages Fisheries Cooperative, have a total budget of TRY 32,100,000, of which TRY 17,500,000 is to be granted by the East Marmara Development Agency (MARKA).