The Closing Conference and Success Stories Seminar Event of the BUTEXCOMP Project, which was implemented in Bursa with the aim of strengthening the competitiveness of SMEs operating in the technical textile and composite material sectors in global markets, was held at the Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BTSO) Main Service Building.
Composite Material and Technical Textile Prototype Production and Application Center Project (BUTEXCOMP), financially supported within the framework of the ‘Competitive Sectors Program’ of the Ministry of Industry and Technology of the Republic of Turkey together with the European Union, and carried out by BTSO under the umbrella of BUTEKOM, has completed its activities. BTSO Board Member Muhsin Koçaslan, Bursa Uludağ University Rector Prof. attended the meeting. Dr. Ferudun Yılmaz, BUTEXCOMP Project Operation Coordination Unit Director Prof. Dr. In addition to Mehmet Karahan, project stakeholders and business world representatives attended.
“BUTEKOM Has Achieved a Much Stronger Structure”
BTSO Board Member Muhsin Koçaslan stated that Bursa has successfully carried out its transformation in line with its high-tech and value-added production targets, and is Turkey’s gateway to the world with its product and market diversity. Noting that the goods and services produced by Bursa reach more than 200 countries and customs regions, Koçaslan said, “Our exports per kilogram are at the level of 4.5 dollars. Our exports exceeded 17 billion dollars and our foreign trade surplus exceeded 8 billion dollars. However, the pace of transformation in global competition requires us to go beyond what we have achieved so far. If we want to be among the winners of change, we have to use knowledge, which is the most valuable asset, in production with a mind that will create added value.” said. Stating that developed economies have developed models that have an accelerating effect on the transformation of academic knowledge into commercial value, Muhsin Koçaslan said, “The equivalent of this business model, which is valid in the world, in Bursa is BUTEKOM, which was established in 2008 within the Uludağ Textile Exporters Association. BUTEKOM, which has included centers of excellence with the participation of our Chamber since 2013, has gained a much stronger structure with the project.” he said.
“The Competitiveness of Our Sectors Has Increased”
BTSO Board Member Muhsin Koçaslan said that BUTEKOM has created a unique ecosystem where thousands of companies, hundreds of academicians, doctoral students and R&D centers work together under the same roof, in line with its value-added production targets. Stating that they carried out two large guided projects and an IPA project with the support of the Ministry of Industry and Technology, Muhsin Koçaslan said: “With the BUTEXCOMP project we carried out under the responsibility of our Ministry, hundreds of our companies benefited from diagnostic analysis, determination of conversion parameters, design, consultancy and training services. Our textile and composite cluster, which determined the strategy road map within the scope of the project, also recently gained legal entity. In this regard, as the Chamber, we attach great importance to the implementation of university-industry cooperation with concrete projects in order to increase the competitiveness of our sectors. With the competencies we have brought to BUTEKOM, we can carry out all product development stages from basic research to prototyping. The exemplary cooperation of our universities and the private sector will provide a significant competitive advantage to our producers. We aim to increase our work towards this goal. As Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry, one of the most established and powerful chambers in Turkey, we will continue to cooperate and support in all studies to develop university-industry cooperation.”
“A Very Important Project for Our Economy Goals”
Bursa Uludağ University Rector Prof. Dr. Ferudun Yılmaz stated that an exemplary project was carried out for university-industry cooperation in Bursa and that he believed that the added value to be obtained by implementing similar studies in the coming period will increase even more. Prof. Dr. Yılmaz said, “University-industry cooperation is the solution to many problems. We need to bring together the knowledge of the university and the dynamism of the industry. When we achieve this, an economy with increased value-added production capability will emerge. As Bursa Uludağ University, smart and innovative materials are among our priority areas. Therefore, the project itself directly covers our area of competence. These projects are very important for our economy. I congratulate BTSO for playing an important role in the project. We want to join them and make the relationship here more dynamic. “I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the emergence, construction, completion and completion of the project.” he said.
Success Stories of Companies Shared
BUTEXCOMP Project Operation Coordination Unit Director Prof. Dr. Mehmet Karahan gave a presentation to the participants about the final evaluation of the approximately 42-month process, including supply operations and technical support, and the gains obtained from the project during this process. Following the opening speeches of the meeting, TÜBİTAK Clean Energy Technologies Research Group Deputy Leader Dr. It continued with the ‘New Generation Material Technologies and Sustainability’ panel moderated by Ersin Üresin. After the panel, the meeting ended with the success stories of the companies taking part in the “Green Product and Role Model Programs”.