IUE Receives 3 Million TL ‘TUBITAK’ Funding

Focusing on disaster technologies, artificial intelligence, gastronomy, fashion, and creative industries to contribute to Turkey’s development, Izmir University of Economics (IUE) has received great news from TUBITAK. IUE, which prepared a special project featuring strategic steps to transform scientific studies into economic value, has been awarded a grant of approximately 3 million TL.

As part of the project, which will be completed in 24 months, the focus will be on university-industry collaboration, technology transfer, and intellectual property-related efforts. Training programs on entrepreneurship and innovation will also be organized. Target sectors for university research will be identified, followed by market research, competition, and cost analysis. The integration of scientific projects into the industry will lead to the creation of new job opportunities and increased employment prospects.

The data obtained at the end of the project, titled “Transforming Priority Research Area Outputs into Economic Value” and prepared by IUE Project Development and Technology Transfer Office, will serve as a guide for future projects.

“WE WILL DEVELOP STRATEGIES”

Onur Kanyılmaz, Director of IUE Project Development and Technology Transfer Office, provided detailed information about the project’s scope. Kanyılmaz said, “The priority areas of research at the University include disaster technologies, artificial intelligence, creative industries, gastronomy, culinary arts, fashion, and industrial design. With this project, we aim to turn research results—particularly in these areas—into economic benefits. Initially, we will analyze the University’s existing research outputs and new research focuses. After that, we will identify the target sectors relevant to the research activities and determine the needs of these sectors accurately. Finally, we will develop strategies to transform research outputs into economic benefits.”

CONTRIBUTION TO REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Yağmur Büyükkurt Kahraman, Supervisor of IUE Project Development and Management, emphasized that the project would be carried out in collaboration with multiple institutions, saying, “Our strategic goals include the effective management of intellectual property rights and enhancing university-industry collaborations. We will execute the project in partnership with regional actors such as the Izmir Chamber of Commerce, organized industrial zones, and R&D centers. Through the project, we aim to accelerate entrepreneurship, technology transfer, and commercialization processes on both national and international levels, contributing to regional development. The project also aims to increase our University’s R&D capacity while strengthening the entrepreneurship ecosystem by bringing innovative products and technologies into the industry.”

A ROADMAP TO TAKE SHAPE BY THE END OF THE PROJECT

Highlighting that a roadmap would be developed after completing scientific research and analyses, clearly outlining the steps required to transform scientific outputs into economic value, Kahraman said, “For example, conducting needs analyses and situation assessments for sectors is a comprehensive process. We will perform literature reviews, conduct interviews with stakeholders, administer surveys, and analyze data. We will create intellectual property portfolios based on sector-company groups and make university research outputs suitable for commercialization. Regular meetings with companies will be organized to establish collaborative work groups. Additionally, we will offer training programs on technology transfer, entrepreneurship, intellectual property management, and commercialization for the project’s target audience. The roadmap will ultimately take shape as a result of all these efforts.”