On 09 June 2015, a workshop on "Biodefense" for Civil and Military Defense was held at TÜBİTAK Marmara Research Center (MAM) Gebze Campus in cooperation with the Ministry of National Defense (MSB) R&D Department and TÜBİTAK MAM Presidency.
Within the scope of the National Science, Technology and Innovation Strategies, defence technologies are supported as priority research areas; however, the priority research topics for Biodefence, which is a critical area of defence, are not included in this area. The development of defense capabilities by developing countermeasures for the malicious use of biotechnology, which may lead to new effects, is among the critical objectives of civil and military defense.
The workshop aimed to highlight concrete R&D and innovation targets for administrative and technological basic requirements in defense against biological agents, in coordination with inter-institutional coordination, and to develop a strategy for the development of technologies and critical products developed or owned within the scope of countermeasures with national capabilities or to acquire the necessary technologies in this context.
In addition to TÜBİTAK MAM, which participated in the workshop with its entire executive staff and experts from its relevant institutes, 50 people from the MSB R&D and Technology and SSM R&D Departments, many universities and relevant public and private institutions and organizations attended the workshop.
The workshop started with the opening speech of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bahadır TUNABOYLU, President of TÜBİTAK MAM, and continued with the speech of Eng. Col. Hayri Özden's speech on the need for biodefense and the scope of the Strategy Document to be prepared on this subject. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bahadır TUNABOYLU emphasized that health biotechnology came to the forefront at the BTYK in 2014, and that emphasizing biotechnological studies to be carried out in the field of defence would be important for meeting the needs of our country in the field of CBRN. Eng. Col. Hayri Özden stated that it is not possible to acquire new technology without R&D and the importance of TÜBİTAK supports, and talked about the importance of producing national and critical products within the scope of major programs and the importance of training people, which is the basic input of R&D. He emphasized that the strategy document to be developed should include a human resource development plan, R&D/Project plans, legislative regulations, infrastructure needs and development plans, financial resources and action plans.
Afterwards, Assist. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ata Şenlikçi, Head of SSM R&D Department, stated in his speech that the values obtained within the scope of biological defence can find applications in the military and civilian fields, and that an umbrella committee is needed to evaluate the existing infrastructures for biodefence.
Afterwards, Prof. Dr. Şaban TEKİN, Director of TÜBİTAK MAM Gene Engineering and Biotechnology Institute, spoke on "Biodefence in the World and in Turkey", Assoc. Prof. Dr. Selma ÖZTÜRK, Principal Researcher at TÜBİTAK MAM Gene Engineering and Biotechnology Institute, spoke on "Biodefence Technologies", Prof. Dr. Tanıl KOCAGÖZ, Vice Dean of Acıbadem University, spoke on "A Perspective on Biodefence in Turkey", and Prof. Dr. Mehmet Doğanay, faculty member at Erciyes University, spoke on "Producing the Defence Vehicles Our Country Will Need" in critical periods. Prof. Dr. Tanıl KOCAGÖZ, Vice Dean of Acıbadem University, "Overview of Biodefence in Turkey" and Prof. Dr. Mehmet Doğanay, faculty member of Erciyes University, delivered speeches and presentations on "The Importance of Producing the Defence Vehicles Our Country Needs" during critical periods.
Following the opening speeches and presentations, in 3 sessions throughout the day, participants discussed concrete R&D and innovation targets that can help us gain momentum in the defense against biological agents. In line with the vision and missions of their institutions, their existing infrastructures and expertise on the technologies developed or owned within the scope of countermeasures, they presented their suggestions and opinions on the targets that our country should focus on.
In the closing session, the topics to be covered by the strategic target document to be proposed to the ICTA as an agenda item within the scope of national and military defense against biological agents and related recommendations were reviewed. It was decided that the results obtained from the workshop will be compiled by TÜBİTAK MAM and communicated to the participants as a draft to obtain their opinions, and that the study will be reported with a second workshop to be held to establish the organizational structure at the Ministry of National Defense, and submitted to TÜBİTAK Science, Technology and Innovation Policies Department, which serves as the Secretariat of the High Council of Science and Technology (BTYK).
