"Competitive Sectors Program: Impact and Beyond Event" was held on 15-16 March with the participation of TUBITAK President Prof. Dr. Hasan MANDAL and TUBITAK Marmara Research Center Food Institute Director Assoc. Prof. Dr. Cesarettin ALAŞALVAR in order to introduce the projects that contribute to the industrial policy of Turkey and the European Union.
IPA-INNOFOOD Project and Turkey Food Innovation Platform (TÜGİP) were introduced in the R&D projects panel with the theme of strategic content. The theme speech was delivered by Prof. Dr. Hasan MANDAL, President of TÜBİTAK, and topics such as R&D, energy and green consensus, creative industries, current situation in the sectors and future strategies were discussed. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Cesarettin ALAŞALVAR took part as a panelist in the R&D panel with the theme of strategic content.
The "IPA-INNOFOOD Project for the Establishment of Research and Innovation Facilities to Improve Regional Competitiveness in the Food Industry", carried out by TÜBİTAK Marmara Research Center Food Institute, is an R&D project involving a large infrastructure investment, including the establishment of research, laboratory and innovation facilities to support SMEs serving in the food and beverage sector in 12 Level II regions of our country defined as priority regions for development and in Gebze. The project aims to support SMEs serving in the food and beverage sector to improve product quality and safety, develop R&D-based product/production technology, and increase their competitiveness in international and national markets.
To serve this purpose, the project launched TÜGİP, a communication network and clustering platform for all actors in the food and beverage sector. In addition, regional laboratories and systems are being established through the Food Innovation Center, which consists of an advanced food safety laboratory and pilot plant.
Within the scope of regional laboratories and systems, an innovative pilot-scale hazelnut drying facility and food testing/analysis laboratory using renewable energy sources is planned to be established in Giresun, while a scientifically and technologically fully equipped pilot-scale processing line for pistachios is planned to be established in Gaziantep to improve pistachio processing conditions. A food testing/analysis laboratory for microbiological and chemical analysis is also planned to be established in Şanlıurfa.
