Ondokuz Mayis University (OMU) aims to reach the top of the list of innovative and value-producing universities by increasing its scientific productivity, R&D (Research and Development), entrepreneurship and technology initiatives. In this context, the university hosted Assoc. Prof. Serdal Temel, Deputy Manager of Science and Technology Application and Research Center (EBILTEM) at Ege University and the Executive of the EBILTEM Project.

At the organization held in Atatürk Congress and Culture Center (AKM), Assoc. Prof. Serdal Temel informed the participants about the process of building national and international project competencies and R&D strategies and technologies with the services of EBİLTEM TTO (Technology Transfer Office).

Innovative experience sharing activity was held with the participation of Vice Rector Prof. Mehmet Kuran, Prof. Hüsnü Demirsoy, Advisor to the Rector, OMU-TTO Manager Ömer Andaç and TTO staff, faculty deans, directors of vocational schools and academicians.

Assoc. Prof. Temel, also the head of the Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Ege University, stated in his presentation: "EBILTEM is the only point in any kind of interface-related activity within the scope of university-industry cooperation. At our university, EBILTEM is the platform enabling to carry out R&D activities, innovations, projects, intellectual property rights and entrepreneurship. In other words, no other unit is directly involved in this process".

“We aimed to become a next-generation university”

EBILTEM Project Leader Temel stated that only 3 public employees worked in their 30-member team and that they provided financing for all their work through the projects they have produced, and he also remarked that the top management has always supported them. Assoc. Prof. Temel said: "Publications, projects, congresses, academic studies, etc. We have calculated how much support they have received, we have come up with such a picture, in short, we want to know ourselves first. Then we have worked on TUBITAK projects, development agency supports, other international projects one by one. Our aim was to identify which departments of our university could be listed among the top 5 in Turkey. Finally, we have targetted to become a next-generation (the 3rd generation) university focusing on entrepreneurship and research and to use the public resources rationally. Of course it was important to do this objectively within the framework of a strategy, independently of the existing management. "

“At this period, we have also received the opinions of the academicians”

Noting that they acted in line with the mission of creating a R&D and innovation ecosystem, Assoc. Assoc. Prof. Serdal Temel emphasized that they received the opinions of the academicians at the university through online questionnaires, and he stated that they included a case study and analysis study. He added that they discussed and evaluated the ecosystem they were trying to build with the academicians from each faculty, and that they prepared reports for each faculty at the end of the process.

A multi-directional process

Deputy Manager of EBİLTEM Temel said, "We also examined the methods applied in the international field and we determined our own way by searching for what we can learn from them. Then we came together with the experts from the outside of the university to create a road map. Then we have determined the position of the Ege University both in Turkey and in the world in the last 10 years. Finally, we saw that came to the fore in certain fields such as biotechnology, biomaterials, nanotechnology, biochemistry, environment and energy. On the other hand, we evaluated our university in terms of human resources." Assoc. Prof. Serdal Temel ended his presentation and answered the questions from the participants.

Story and Photography: Sinan Akdoğan