CONSTRUCTION OF İZMİR BİLİMPARK HAS STARTED
Construction of Izmir Science and Technology Park Technology Development Region (İzmir Bilimpark), which is co-established by Izmir University of Economics and Izmir Chamber of Commerce, has started in ITOB Organized Industry Region. Ekrem Demirtaş, Presdient of IUE Board of Trustees, IUE Rector Prof. Dr. Oğuz Esen, and faculty members threw the first shovel of cement mortar for İzmir Bilimpark which will be completed at the end of the year and ready to serve in 2015. Start of the construction initiated the applications of the entrepreneurs and the evaluation process for the projects.
Ekrem Demirtaş stated that they experienced a historical moment on 14 April 2001 when they established Izmir University of Economics and with the start of the construction for Bilimpark they created a new history entry. Demirtaş said, “We’ve engaged in many major developments in the last 14 years. İzmir Bilimpark will be a turning point. It is of utmost importance for young generations to have all kinds of scientific study opportunities in order to get Turkey ready for the coming third thousand year. We did not hold a ceremony due to the elections. Later on we will have a deserving ceremony for İzmir Bilimpark. We will be allocating offices for the entrepreneurs until the construction is over, and İzmir Bilimpark will be ready to roll in the beginning of 2015.”
Rector Prof. Dr. Oğuz Esen stated that it was a historical day they experienced and the university, which heavily focused on social sciences originally, took an important step in becoming a technical university now. The Rector indicated that İzmir Bilimpark will help develop the technics and technological aspects of the University. “Scientific research will turn into a value here. The funds generated here will help more researches through a mutual interaction thus improving technics and technological aspects of Izmir University of Economics”, stated Prof. Dr. Esen.
‘İzmir Bilimpark will reduce brain drain’
The architectural project of the building, where Research-Development, innovation, and software ideas will turn into production, was designed by lecturers and students of IUE Faculty of Fine Arts and Design, Department of Architecture. İzmir Bilimpark will provide consulting services and capital support for the entrepreneurs, and create a strong entrepreneur-investor-industrialist network. It will also help increase the number of patents and copyrights Turkey holds. It will provide the infrastructure and means of communication required to ease the presentation of products developed in Aegean Region and software in international markets. The regional research- development and innovation capacity, which are among the priorities of the city, will be increased at the technology development zone where also the brain drain of Izmir will be reduced. It will help reveal the brand value of Izmir.
