The first two meetings of the Sabancı University "DIMAP Funding Mechanisms Information and Networking Days" event series were held on December 17, 2024 at the Radisson Blue Hotel Ataşehir and on December 18, 2024 at the Hilton Maslak.
The events organized within the scope of the DIMAP - Direct Digital Manufacturing Platform Project, funded by the Competitive Sectors Program (RSP) implemented by the Ministry of Industry and Technology of the Republic of Turkey within the framework of the financial cooperation between the European Union and the Republic of Turkey and carried out within the Sabancı University Integrated Manufacturing Technologies Research and Application Center (SU-IMC), brought together the business world, academics, and industry experts.
The first day of the event began with the opening speeches of Sabancı University Vice President for Research and Development Prof. Dr. Mehmet Yıldız and Sabancı University IMC CEO Devrim Özaydın.
Mehmet Yıldız drew attention to the importance of the DIMAP project in his opening speech and made the following remarks:
"DIMAP is a critical initiative that paves the way for innovation and technological advancement in Turkey. This project brings together academic research and the needs of industry, allowing businesses to adopt the most advanced technologies." Devrim Özaydın expressed his excitement about the contributions DIMAP will provide to the sector and made the following statements:
"I hope that these events held within the scope of the DIMAP Project will create new collaboration opportunities for our participants, encourage innovation, and be productive for all of us."
In the panel held on the first day of the event, Prof. Dr. Mehmet Yıldız and SUATT Business Development Manager Abdurrahman Türk, and in the panel held on the second day, SUATT Director Talat Durgut and SUATT Project Manager Can Kartoğlu, provided information about Sabancı University's research, development, and project competencies and answered the questions of the participants.
New Opportunities for Sectors with DIMAP
The DIMAP project aims to provide new collaboration opportunities for companies interested in additive manufacturing, material development, machining, mechanical testing, and non-destructive testing technologies, especially in the automotive, aviation, and composite sectors. The project aims to support sectoral transformation with the infrastructure, services, and collaboration opportunities it offers, especially for SMEs.
As part of the event, SMART and Eurostars, two of the most suitable international support programs for SMEs, were introduced in detail. Participants were informed about DIMAP’s competencies in these funding mechanisms, the advanced technology infrastructure and the collaboration models it offers.
Program Highlights
At the first event in Istanbul, Sabancı University Vice President for Research and Development Mehmet Yıldız emphasized Sabancı University’s approach to establishing strong collaborations with industrial partners and developing a robust research ecosystem. He gave examples of the significant investments the university has made in its research infrastructure for this purpose. He particularly noted that a competent professional team of faculty members, postdoctoral researchers, and doctoral students at SU-IMC work together to strengthen connections between academia and industry. He also stated that the university prioritizes the commercialization of technologies through licensing, patents, and entrepreneurship.
Emphasizing Sabancı University’s interdisciplinary approach that blends engineering-focused studies with social sciences and management sciences, Yıldız drew attention to the importance of considering the social impacts of technological developments. Mehmet Yıldız also drew attention to the university’s priority of training qualified individuals, stating that Sabancı University graduates contribute to R&D studies in many areas, including advanced materials, manufacturing, mechatronics and robotics, energy, software, digital, and health sectors.
The program continued with the following sessions:
EUREKA SMART Cluster and EUROSTARS Program Introduction: Details of international industrial R&D project support programs for SMEs were presented by TÜBİTAK experts.
DIMAP Collaboration Models: The technological infrastructure and expert services offered by SU-IMC were introduced.
Success Stories and Consortium Formation: Examples of successful projects in the SMART and Eurostars programs were shared and partnership opportunities were presented to the participants.
6 Table Workshops and One-on-One Meetings: Companies met with experts one-on-one and obtained important information regarding project applications and partner search for European Union projects.
Network Development and Upcoming Events
Participants in the events evaluated network development opportunities during coffee breaks and lunch. Many important connections and collaborations were made during this process.
Following the meetings in Istanbul, the event series will continue in Bursa on December 24, 2024, and in Kocaeli on December 25, 2024.