The ‘Science Factory’ reaches 117 projects

Continuing its efforts to contribute to the development of our country and Izmir by placing social benefit at its core, Izmir University of Economics (IUE) has reached a record number of projects. As of November, the number of projects developed by IEU faculty members in various fields such as arts and sciences, fine arts, law, communication, business, engineering, and medicine has increased to 117. The total budget for these national and international projects amounted to 393 million TL. Of these projects, 39 were carried out within the scope of university-industry collaboration, in partnership with the European Union (EU), TUBITAK, and development agencies. Increasing its project count by approximately 40% in the last two years, IUE has proven rapid development in research and development,

TOP-LEVEL STAFF

IUE Rector Prof. Dr. Yusuf Hakan Abacıoğlu emphasized their support for academics in producing scientific projects, stating that this commitment is reflected in the numbers. Abacıoğlu said, “There are three more fundamental points we focus on as a University. These are contributing to science, value to people, and benefit to society. It is crucial for IUE faculty members to use their knowledge for the benefit of society and humanity. The natural way to do this is by generating projects, emphasizing research and development activities, just as expected in a university. In this regard, we are very fortunate. We have an academic staff that is project and innovation-oriented, follows current trends and the requirements of the era, has sectoral experience, and speaks a high level of foreign languages.”

SIGNIFICANT INCREASE

Stating that they made patent applications for many national and international projects, Prof. Dr. Abacıoğlu continued, “The number of research projects conducted at our University was 82 in July 2021 and 104 in August 2022. Currently, our project count has reached 117. In 2022, the total budget for these projects was 103 million TL. The current updated amount is 393 million TL. There is an increase of more than three times compared to a year ago. Project budgets are covered through national or international grants, funds, and company funding. The data indicates that we have achieved success in producing high-quality and extensive projects. In this sense, I can say that we have broken our own record. Currently, 13 projects prepared by IUE academics have national patents, and 11 projects have international patent applications. We aim for these numbers to increase even more in the coming period.”

POWER of CAMPUSIZMIR

Reminding that they created CampusIzmir as the first model of university-city integration in Turkey, Prof. Dr. Abacıoğlu said, “We consider the whole of Izmir as our campus and naturally consider the qualified companies in our city as our partners. When producing projects, we strive to conduct studies that prioritize the benefit of our city and our people, focusing on the individual. CampusIzmir means collaborating with all stakeholders in the city, working together. CampusIzmir plays a significant role in our achievements.”