TÜBİTAK MAM and ÜLKER Food Research Consultation Meeting was held on December 14, 2022 at the Turkey Food Innovation Center.

The meeting was attended by Prof. Dr. Ahmet Yozgatlıgil, Vice President of TÜBİTAK and President of TÜBİTAK MAM; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Cesarettin Alaşalvar, Advisor to the President of TÜBİTAK MAM; Ali Sertakan, Vice President of R&D at ÜLKER Pladis; Müge Corcor, R&D Director at Ülker Chocolate; Serdar Emre, R&D Leader at Ülker Bakery Products; Mümin Alaçam, R&D Director at Ülker Chewing Gum and Confectionery; Pelin Günenç, R&D Director at Ülker TTA; Roza Altın, R&D Director at Ülker Packaging; Dr. İncinur Hasbay, Research Group Leader at TÜBİTAK MAM Food Innovation Technologies; Dr. Hayrettin Özer, Research Group Leader at TÜBİTAK MAM Food Safety and Quality; and R&D Managers from ÜLKER. İncinur Hasbay, Leader of TÜBİTAK MAM Food Innovation Technologies Research Group, Dr. Hayrettin Özer, Leader of TÜBİTAK MAM Food Safety and Quality Research Group, and R&D Managers from ÜLKER.

"Innovative approach and science-based joint R&D activities"

TÜBİTAK Vice President and TÜBİTAK MAM President Prof. Dr. Ahmet Yozgatlıgil made the opening speech of the meeting.

In his speech, Yozgatlıgil said, "As we all know, with the pandemic since 2020, there have been developments beyond predictions, full of surprises and challenges for the food and beverage industry. Habits regarding food and beverage consumption have also changed. The pandemic has shown that we need to prioritize food supply security. At the same time, extensive research on reducing greenhouse gases under the Green Deal and developing smart food systems with a zero waste target have become important."

"In order to overcome risks and respond to changing consumer habits, there is an increasing need for innovative approaches and science-based joint R&D activities in our country. It is of high importance that all stakeholders work together and create synergy. " he evaluated.

"Innovation center and research laboratory to serve the whole of Turkey"

Prof. Dr. Yozgatlıgil said, "As TÜBİTAK, we are aware of our responsibility, we implement projects of strategic importance for our country, and we bring innovation centers and research laboratories that will serve all of Turkey in critical areas to our country."

Prof. Dr. Yozgatlıgil continued as follows: "Within the scope of the IPA-INNOFOOD Project led by TÜBİTAK MAM Life Sciences with this mission, Turkey Food Innovation Platform, which was created with valuable food ecosystem stakeholders like you, is a very important platform that will turn working together into a culture for our country's food industry. TÜGİP, which has 115 members as of today, should also be considered as a forum for dialog and cooperation on priority themes for sustainable food systems. We aim to accelerate result-oriented R&D and innovation studies with collaboration and co-development at the Food Innovation Center implemented within the scope of the INNOFOOD Project."

"Start-ups will be provided with technical consultancy and mentoring by our researchers"

Emphasizing that the Food Innovation Center has also started to serve as an incubation center, Yozagatlıgil said, "The Food Innovation Center has also started to serve as a Food Themed Incubation Center for innovative initiatives of the food sector with the protocol signed with MARTEK and the approval of the Ministry. We aim to host 24 startups. Start-ups that will take part in the incubation center will be offered discounts on pilot line usage, and more importantly, technical consultancy and mentoring will be provided by our researchers. MARTEK will also provide these start-ups with Technopark tax exemption, project, patent and training support."

"The start-ups in TÜGİP Food Themed Incubation Center also offer resources to TÜGİP members as technology suppliers. We are also working to design various programs to match start-ups with TÜGİP members seeking R&D and innovation-oriented solutions. As TÜBİTAK MAM, we want to pave the way for our R&D and innovation ecosystem to realize greater goals by offering our qualified knowledge, experience and human resources in the field of food science and technology to the service of the sector."

Prof. Dr. Ahmet Yozgatlıgil, Vice President of TÜBİTAK and President of TÜBİTAK MAM, presented a plaque with TÜGİP logo to Ali Sertakan, Vice President of R&D at ÜLKER Pladis.

After the meeting, the Ülker delegation was given on-site information about the food products that can be developed in the lines and the R&D and innovation activities by visiting 9 different pilot-scale processing lines at the Food Innovation Center.