The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey’s (TÜBİTAK) 1004 High Technology Platforms Program Experience Sharing and Promotion Ceremony took place at Teknofest 2023 on Sunday, April 30th. The event, held at Atatürk Airport in İstanbul, was graced by the presence of Mustafa Varank, Minister of Industry and Technology; Mehmet Fatih Kacir, Deputy Minister; Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal, President of TÜBİTAK; and other important public, industrial, and university representatives from Turkey.
With the 1004 Centers of Excellence Support Program, TÜBİTAK aims to support quality scientific and scientifically-viable domestic research programs and projects. The program brings together public, industrial, and university institutions in Turkey in order to “develop together and achieve together.”
The A1 Platform, led by the National Nanotechnology Research Center (UNAM), has been making remarkable progress towards achieving national goals since being awarded support through the first call made under this program in 2018. At the ceremony, representatives of the A1 platform, which includes Turkey’s most important industrial institutions such as TUSAŞ, Vestel, and Şişecam—as well as Bilkent, Eskişehir Technical, Abdullah Gül (AGÜ), and TOBB ETU universities—shared their experiences and accomplishments, highlighting their collaborative efforts in pursuit of a shared vision.
In his opening speech at the ceremony, Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal, President of TÜBİTAK, emphasized the significance of the TÜBİTAK 1004 Program in transforming and improving the R&D ecosystem in Turkey, stating that, “I truly believe that the program’s outcomes can strongly contribute to the scientific and technological advancement of our country, and hopefully, propel it to be among the top ten countries in the field.” Following his remarks, the Minister of Industry and Technology, Mr. Mustafa Varank, highlighted the TÜBİTAK 1004 Program as one of the most effective support programs that can enhance Turkey’s capability to produce high-tech products. He stated, “We encourage the public, industries, and academic stakeholders to collaborate towards a common goal and lead them to success. We aim to develop domestic products with advanced technology platforms to compete in global markets instead of relying on imported high-tech products. Thus, we strive to make our research infrastructure more specialized and centers of excellence.”
Mr. Varank continued, “The platforms that were selected to be supported following the 2018 call have already demonstrated that we are on the right track with the products and technologies they have started to develop, even though only half of the project support period has been completed. Undoubtedly, these platforms, which are formed by Turkey’s leading institutions, will play a leading role in meeting Turkey’s technology needs.”
Later at the event, Prof. Dr. Evren Mutlugün, Deputy Project Manager of the A1 Platform program, held a panel for researchers to share their experiences conducting projects under the scope of the first call in 2018.
During the panel, Prof. Dr. Mutlugün stated, “There is a highly interactive structure. When we look at the project teams only in terms of the research program implementing organizations, we are managing the operations of a team of nearly 200 people along with project teams.” He also expressed that the work to develop globally competitive products in Turkey continues, using the high added-value photonics, coating, and material competencies produced by the organizations within the A1 platform.
Prof. Dr. Mutlugün then emphasized that the most distinct feature that sets the TUBITAK 1004 Program apart from other support programs is the network structure of the platform, which allows for interaction to spread exponentially. “The projects are ongoing. We are now past the halfway point. Product development has begun. We see that dozens of outputs that were planned at the beginning of the project are beginning to be realized. From now on, the project will continue with more focus and diversified outputs,” he said.
Following the speeches of Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal and Mr. Mustafa Varank came the signing of the new platforms that were awarded support under the second call made in 2021. The event concluded with a panel that included Prof. Dr. Evren Mutlugün, who presented on the experiences of the platforms that received support after the 2018 call.
