Among the six initiatives highlighted at the closing event for the second phase of the IPA under the Competitive Sectors Program, led by the Ministry of Industry and Technology, were the INNOFOOD and SciREACT projects, which were implemented under the TÜBİTAK MAM framework.
The closing event for the “Turning Innovation into Impact” theme of the IPA Phase II Competitive Sectors Program—implemented by the Ministry of Industry and Technology and co-financed by the European Union and the Republic of Turkey—was held. The event, which highlighted the outputs of projects carried out under the program and the contributions made to Turkey’s research, innovation, and industrial infrastructure, featured six standout projects, including the SciREACT and INNOFOOD projects, for which the TÜBİTAK Marmara Research Center (MAM) served as the lead beneficiary.
From the Scientific Response to COVID-19 to Preparing for Future Pandemics
The SciREACT Project marked a significant step toward transforming scientific research outcomes into products by supporting the preparatory processes for clinical trials of two vaccine candidates and one drug candidate developed under the COVID-19 Turkey Platform. While technology transfer, production under GMP conditions, and preclinical research activities were carried out as part of the project, collaborations between the public sector, academia, and industry were strengthened. Additionally, through the Pandemic-X Workshop Series, lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic were evaluated, contributing to the development of national preparedness capacity for potential future outbreaks.
Regional Competitiveness and Innovation in the Food Industry
The INNOFOOD Project—of which TÜBİTAK MAM is the primary beneficiary and which is the most comprehensive and highest-budgeted project of the IPA II period—was launched to enhance Turkey’s R&D, innovation, and technological infrastructure capabilities in the food and beverage sector. As part of the project, the Food Innovation Center—which includes nine pilot-scale processing lines and state-of-the-art laboratories—Turkey’s first food-themed Pre-Incubation Center, and the Turkey Food Innovation Platform (TÜGİP), comprising 205 members, were launched.
In addition, regional research, analysis, and pilot production infrastructure was established in the provinces of Giresun, Şanlıurfa, and Gaziantep. The project is significant in terms of enhancing SMEs’ capabilities in innovative product development, fostering value-added production in the food industry, and strengthening regional competitiveness.
From Research to Application: TÜBİTAK MAM’s Vision for Technology Development
The SciREACT and INNOFOOD projects demonstrate TÜBİTAK MAM’s approach to transforming its research and development activities across various sectors into tangible outcomes. The research infrastructure developed in the fields of health biotechnology and food technology, along with technology transfer and public-university-industry collaborations, contributes to our country’s innovation capacity and goals of technological independence.
