TÜBİTAK MAM Environment and Cleaner Production Institute participated in the "IV National Productivity Congress" organized by the General Directorate of Productivity of the Ministry of Science, Industry and Technology in Ankara between 10-12 December 2013. The congress continued with the "Undersecretaries Session" after the opening speech of Mr. Nihat Ergün, Minister of Science, Industry and Technology. In the session moderated by Prof. Dr. Ersan Aslan, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Science, Industry and Technology, Prof. Dr. Lütfü Akça, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs, Fatih Acar, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, and Habip Soluk, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications delivered speeches. In the other 24 sessions where invited and refereed papers were presented, more than 80 papers were presented in total.
At the congress, Institute Director Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ertan Durmuşoğlu served as the session chairman in the panel titled "Exemplary Cleaner Production Practices". In addition, Işıl Ataçoğlu, one of the researchers of the Cleaner Production Unit of the Institute, made presentations titled "Current Status of Cleaner Production Practices in Turkey" in the called session titled "National Cleaner Production Activities of TÜBİTAK MAM Environment and Cleaner Production Institute" and Volkan Pelitli, one of the researchers of the Institute, made presentations titled "Minimization of Industrial Waste Oils" in the session titled "Cleaner Production Practices and Supports". In other sessions of the congress, presentations and panels were held under the main headings of exemplary cleaner production practices, examples of university-industry cooperation in R&D and productivity practices, policy tools, productivity enhancing practices, regional, sectoral and national productivity analysis.
The idea of establishing a National Cleaner Production Center, which first came to the agenda in 1999 in our country, was put into practice in accordance with the decision taken by the Scientific Board of TÜBİTAK on 06/04/2013. In the said decision, the TÜBİTAK MAM Environment Institute, which will assume the function of "National Cleaner Production Center", was structured as the Environment and Cleaner Production Institute.
The fields of activity of the Institute within the scope of its work on cleaner production are determined as developing and conducting R&D projects; conducting projects for technology transfer and dissemination of good practices; raising awareness at national level; organizing training organizations for expert staff and capacity building; providing technical support for the industrial sector, improving institutional capacities; and cooperating with international organizations. In this context, the Institute aims to continue its activities in the fields of Training / Dissemination of Knowledge, Project Development, Technical Support / Consultancy, International Relations.
