R&D and Design Centers Collaboration Workshop Held
January 18, 2024-Office of Press and Public Relations
The "R&D and Design Centers Collaboration Workshop" was held at GTU with discussions covering everything about Research and Development (R&D) and Design Centers.
Organized by the Kocaeli Directorate of Industry and Technology and Gebze Technical University (GTU), the workshop on "R&D and Design Centers Collaboration" took place with a high level of participation at the GTU Congress and Cultural Center. The program included GTU Vice Rectors Prof. Dr. Işıl Kurnaz, Prof. Dr. Hasari Çelebi, Prof. Dr. Mahmut Durmuş, Kocaeli Director of Industry and Technology İlhan Aydın, TUSAŞ (Turkish Aerospace) Chairman of the Board Prof. Dr. Rafet Bozdoğan, representatives from non-governmental organizations, institutions and organizations, company executives, academics, and students.
In her opening speech at the workshop, GTU Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Işıl Kurnaz emphasized the knowledge and experience accumulated at GTU through researchers and studies since the times of Gebze Institute of Technology. Kurnaz continued, "In our journey to become Türkiye's MIT, we take pride in being one of Türkiye's leading Research Universities. Our performance, both in terms of patent applications and university-industry collaboration-based publications and projects, exceeds the country's averages. However, when it comes to technology and innovation, knowing that standing still is actually moving backward, it is necessary to continue running without getting tired and giving up. From this perspective, R&D, design, and innovation centers are indispensable for us. Successful R&D and design centers not only have high technology in their genes, but also possess a culture of R&D and innovation, sustainable improvement, collaboration, and competition. These are qualities that not only researchers and entrepreneurs in these centers, but also the institutions and the center itself should have. Therefore, to establish and operate a successful R&D and design center, it is essential to have clear definitions of vision and goals, determination of partners and governance style in line with these goals, formation of a team for successful and sustainable governance, and provision of resources. Perhaps, most importantly, environments where creative and bold experiments can be conducted fearlessly are needed to develop innovative technologies. I think it is obvious that in the aviation sector, as well as in the pharmaceutical and health sector, and in the machinery, material, and polymer sectors, the development of competitive products tailored to the needs of individual, corporate, and governmental clients is largely dependent on R&D and innovation nowadays. Therefore, the ability to design long-term R&D Design Innovation Hubs is not only based on a good team and successful governance, but also on long-term financial support. The Law No. 5746 on R&D Centers in Türkiye offers various incentives for the support of research, development, and design activities, including full-time employment of R&D or design staff and various incentives for projects to be carried out within this scope. The importance of university-industry collaboration is once again evident in the tasks given to R&D and design centers in exchange for these incentives: applications to national or international funds, easy access to qualified R&D personnel, joint design of training programs to provide the desired qualifications to these individuals, and complementary joint design and use of university and industry infrastructures in many aspects such as academic counseling, local or global connections. GTU, being a Research University, is always open to collaborative R&D, design, and innovation activities. It is our duty to collectively establish and strengthen R&D and design centers that are the focus of economic growth at the local, national, and international levels. In this regard, I would like to share with you an information note. As GTU, we are hosting the award ceremony for the 'D8 Technology Transfer Award,' and we are looking forward to your applications. The application deadline has been extended until February 10, 2024. You can receive detailed information on the subject from our Technology Transfer Office."
Following the speech of GTU Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Işıl Kurnaz, Kocaeli Director of Industry and Technology İlhan Aydın spoke about Kocaeli's R&D potential, presenting numerical data and conveying the city's goals in this regard. In the program, GTU Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Hasari Çelebi provided information about GTU to the participants. TUSAŞ Board Chairman Prof. Dr. Rafet Bozdoğan, as a speaker at the workshop, discussed the topic of "R&D and Localization" specifically for TUSAŞ, sharing valuable insights. He explained the country's addition of air power to its inventory within a year and its indigenous technology. Then, under the moderation of GTU Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Mahmut Durmuş, a panel on "University-Industry Collaboration in R&D and Design Centers" was held.
During the panel, TÜPRAŞ R&D Team Leader Ersen Ertaş talked about the establishment purpose, vision, and mission of the TÜPRAŞ R&D Center, its areas of activity, goals, and achievements. He discussed university-industry collaboration in Türkiye and what needs to be done to improve this collaboration. Ertaş also explained the role of TÜPRAŞ's R&D Center in strategic areas such as energy, environment, sustainability, and digital transformation and shared the projects it carried out or planned in these areas.
Yeşim Aslan, R&D Manager of TEKKAN Plastics, talked about the incentives they benefited from as an R&D Center, the projects they prepared for project calls, and the challenges they faced while managing the process. She highlighted TEKKAN Plastics R&D Center's collaborations with universities, industries, and other R&D centers, and the national and international support and incentive mechanisms it utilized.
Devrim Özaydın, Global Technology Director of KORDSA, discussed the role of R&D and design centers in university-industry collaboration. He talked about the benefits and challenges of collaboration and shared KORDSA's value-creating R&D structures and new investments for university-industry collaboration. Burak Keskik, Venture Capital Fund Manager for Teknopark İstanbul, talked about the role of technoparks in the development of science and technology in the country. He listed the opportunities and challenges for companies within Teknopark İstanbul and evaluated the contribution of technoparks to the entrepreneurship ecosystem. Keskik discussed Teknopark İstanbul's activities in allocating funds from R&D incentives to investment and turning the allocated funds into investments.
The workshop came to an end with the presentation of plaques and a photo session, followed by a laboratory tour at GTU.
