The first executive board meeting of the “Food Innovation Clustering Project” led by Marmara Teknokent and supported by the Ministry of Industry and Technology was held at Marmara Teknokent. General Manager of Zonguldak Technopark, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ferdi Kesikoğlu attended the meeting on behalf of Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University. The project aims to develop innovative food technologies, enhance the sector’s competitiveness, and accelerate Türkiye’s food innovation ecosystem.
Deputy General Manager of Marmara Teknokent, Deniz Yayla; General Manager of Bursa Technical University Technopark, Prof. Dr. Ayşe Bedeloğlu; Director of Research and Technology Transfer at Ülker Biscuit, Dr. Ceren Dikmen Daşkaya, General Manager of GOOD FOOD Functional Food, Gürkut Gider; TÜBİTAK MAM Research Group Leader, Assoc. Prof. Dr. İbrahim Sani Özdemir, Head of the Department of Gastronomy at İstanbul Okan University, Assoc. Prof. Dr. İlkay Gök attended the meeting along with the General Manager of Zonguldak Technopark, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ferdi Kesikoğlu.
Topics such as the support of innovative approaches in the food sector, increasing the number of technology-focused collaborations, and the implementation of projects with added value were discussed at length in the meeting. The goal of enhancing the competitiveness of food technologies in Türkiye, forming sustainable value chains, and creating a strong ecosystem was emphasized in the meeting held at Marmara Technopark. The roadmap to food innovation clustering, the goals, and action plans for the following term were also discussed. Attendees exchanged views on enhancing innovation capacity, strengthening university-industry collaborations, technology development opportunities, and the potential of joint projects.
A Strategic Value for BEUN and Zonguldak
General Manager of Zonguldak Technopark, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ferdi Kesikoğlu stated the following:
“Attending the first executive board meeting of the project is strategically significant in terms of bringing the strong scientific background of Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University and the Research and Development capacity of Zonguldak Technopark into the national collaboration network. Experienced academic staff, research centers, and innovative initiatives of our Technopark will play a significant part in this process. Our main goal is to create sustainable, innovative, and valuable projects by bringing our local potential together with our country’s vision of food technologies. I would like to express my thanks to Marmara Teknokent management and those who contributed to the meeting.”
Rector Özölçer: “Food Innovation Clustering Is a Significant Step in Türkiye’s Journey of Added Value”
The Rector of Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University, Prof. Dr. İsmail Hakkı Özölçer, evaluated the first meeting of the project and stated the following:
“Food Innovation Clustering is a significant initiative that will contribute to the production of added value in the field of food technologies by providing a strong collaboration platform among universities, public institutions, the private sector, and techno parks. Our university is ready to take an active role in this process with its scientific background, research centers, Technopark infrastructure, and the culture of interdisciplinary studies. We aim to provide sustainable, innovative, and high-value contributions to the food technology ecosystem by bringing the production potential of Zonguldak together with the innovation goals of Türkiye. I would like to extend my thanks to the management of Marmara Teknokent, who is hosting the event, and all contributing stakeholders. I would also like to thank the General Manager of Zonguldak Technopark, Prof. Dr. Ferdi Kesikoğlu, who shared the valuable initiatives of Zonguldak Technopark in the meeting.”
This content has been prepared within the scope of the “Food Innovation Clustering” project supported by the Turkish Republic Ministry of Industry and Technology. The responsibility of the content belongs to the clustering initiative and doesn’t reflect the views of the Ministry.
