In addition to education and teaching activities, contributing to regional development through university-industry cooperation, Hasan Kalyoncu University (HKU) is implementing important projects in entrepreneurship, the driving force of economic growth and development.
The SmartBigg programme, which enables high-quality business ideas of academics and students with high potential to create added value to be realised at the HKU Incubation Centre and which HKU organises as the 1st Stage Implementing Organisation of the TÜBİTAK 1512 Technology Entrepreneurship Capital Support Programme, has begun.
In a statement on the subject by HKU Rector Prof. Dr. Tamer Yılmaz, it was stated that they aim to spread the culture of entrepreneurship among academics and students through courses, certificate programmes, seminars and consultancy services.
“TECHNOLOGY-BASED BUSINESS IDEAS WILL BE REALISED”
In the statement made by Rector Yılmaz: “Within the latest project we have implemented in the field of entrepreneurship, to which we attach great importance as a university, HKU has become the Implementing Organisation that will carry out the 1st stage activities of the 1512 Technology Entrepreneurship Capital Support (BiGG) Programme. Within the scope of the project named SmartBigg, which will be completed in 2 years, technology-oriented, innovative and creative entrepreneurs who have ideas but need support to realise their projects will be given training and mentoring support, in addition to physical facilities such as offices and infrastructure, at the Kalyoncu Innovation and Technology Transfer Office (KALİTTO) Incubation Centre. In this way, technology-based business ideas will be realised by providing various forms of support to innovative projects from the idea stage to the company formation process,” he said.
TECHNOLOGY-ORIENTED ENTREPRENEURS WILL BE GIVEN A GRANT OF TL 200,000
Rector Yılmaz continued his statement as follows: “With the TÜBİTAK 1512 Technology Entrepreneurship Capital Support Programme, the aim is to support entrepreneurs’ activities from the idea stage to the market so that they can turn their technology- and innovation-oriented business ideas into ventures with high potential for creating added value and qualified employment. In this context, applications will be received by KALİTTO, which operates within our university, business ideas will be evaluated, and pre-incubation and acceleration services will be provided to entrepreneurs while business ideas found suitable as a result of the evaluation are turned into business plans. After training in business plan preparation, business model creation, intellectual property rights, company formation, business law, etc. and mentoring activities, entrepreneurs will be able to receive a grant of TL 200,000 and apply to TÜBİTAK through KALİTTO to set up their companies.”
The target group of the SmartBigg project includes 4th-year undergraduate students and all graduate students, as well as prospective entrepreneurs who graduated from these programmes at most 10 years ago and do not hold shares in any company. Prospective entrepreneurs who meet these criteria can apply to the programme with their innovative business ideas at the website www.smartbigg.com. Within the programme, training such as company formation and accounting training, law for entrepreneurs, intellectual property rights, project management and business canvas – business model training has been given in the first stage.
