The closing meeting was held for the project “Strengthening Infrastructure and Establishing a Mentor Bridge for New Product Development”, implemented by Hasan Kalyoncu University (HKU) within the scope of the Facility for Refugees in Türkiye (FRIT) – ENHANCER Project, which is funded by the European Union (EU) and carried out in coordination with the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), the Ministry of Industry and Technology of the Republic of Türkiye and the Silk Road Development Agency (İKA).
In the programme, which began with the opening speeches of HKU Rector Prof. Dr. Türkay Dereli, Silk Road Development Agency (İKA) Secretary General Dr. Burhan Akyılmaz and ICMPD/Enhancer Project Migration and Development Portfolio Manager Pınar Yapanoğlu, presentations were given on the projects brought to life with support provided within the scope of the project.
THE SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENTED PILOT PROGRAMME IS PLANNED TO CONTINUE
Giving the opening speech of the programme, HKU Rector Prof. Dr. Türkay Dereli said: “Hasan Kalyoncu University, with its human resources above all, as well as its laboratories, technology transfer office, technopark and all its other components, has high potential for R&D and university-industry cooperation. Within the scope of the activities carried out by our University in the field of industry cooperation, more than 40 companies have been founded by students and academics at the incubation centre, and 15 of them have been given start-up capital by various institutions. A total of 156 patent applications have been made by students and academics, 16 of which have been registered and 5 commercialised. At OSB Technopark, entrepreneurs have carried out a total of 47 official R&D and software projects. In the last 3 years, a total of 39 R&D project contracts have been signed between our University and industrial organisations. Our University’s academics have taken part in projects with a total budget of 9 million 460 thousand TL. At the Kalyon Garage Prototyping and Entrepreneurship Centre, prototype production support is provided to SMEs, academics and our students. With the project implemented under the ENHANCER programme, the Kalyon Garage infrastructure has been strengthened with new machinery and software. Through the pilot call opened in the project, applications were received from SMEs and entrepreneurs, and support for preparing business plans for new product ideas was provided by mentors trained within our project. Thus, business plans were prepared for the entrepreneurs’ new products, and the way was opened for them to be produced with the right methods and commercialised. Thanks to the infrastructure we have strengthened within the project, the continuation of the pilot programme we have successfully implemented has been planned, and our cooperation with the real sector will continue to grow.” He thanked all stakeholders, above all ICMPD and İKA, who contributed to the implementation of the ENHANCER project.
WE HAVE PROVIDED GRANT SUPPORT TO 109 GRANT BENEFICIARIES
Providing information about ICMPD, ICMPD/ENHANCER Grant Manager Pınar Yapanoğlu said: “Activities are being carried out to develop the capacity of the entrepreneurship ecosystem and its actors in the provinces covered by the Enhancer project. In particular, the aim is to strengthen cooperation among these actors. Within the scope of the activities, we attach importance to having grant activities in the project’s content for the establishment of shared-use facilities. The budget of the project is 32.5 million Euros. A portion of 17 million Euros has been allocated to grant projects. The project aims to strengthen, through grants, in particular chambers of commerce, universities, technoparks, SMEs, cooperatives and individual entrepreneurs as users. So far, we have provided grant support to approximately 109 grant beneficiaries. A budget of 250 thousand Euros has also been transferred from our ENHANCER project budget to the project whose closing we held today.” She conveyed her thanks to everyone who contributed to the project.
THEORY AND PRACTICE TOGETHER BRING SUCCESS
İKA Secretary General Dr. Burhan Akyılmaz said: “Many more projects of this kind need to be carried out in order to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurship ecosystem. As İKA, we have carried out many activities to strengthen our region’s entrepreneurship ecosystem. As the steps you, our valued entrepreneurs, take towards commercialising the ideas you develop in this ecosystem, and the mentors and incubation centres that will support this process come together, we have begun to see more result-oriented work. Success comes from combining theory and practice.”
Following the opening speeches, Ahmet Yasin Acar, Ecosystem Explorer at Deniz Ventures, gave a seminar on “The entrepreneurial ecosystem in Türkiye and the investor perspective”. In the programme, representatives of the SMEs that benefited from the project also gave investor presentations.
In commemoration of the day, HKU Rector Prof. Dr. Türkay Dereli presented a gift to ICMPD/Enhancer Project Migration and Development Portfolio Manager Pınar Yapanoğlu, HKU Vice-Rector Prof. Dr. Mehmet Lütfi Yola presented a gift to İKA Secretary General Dr. Burhan Akyılmaz, and HKU Innovation and Technology Transfer Office Coordinator Cengiz Helvacıkara presented a gift to Deniz Ventures Ecosystem Explorer Ahmet Yasin Acar. The programme ended with a group photograph.
News: Çetin KARABIYIK /HKU
