Within the framework of co-financing by the European Union and the Republic of Türkiye, run as part of the Competitive Sectors Programme of the Ministry of Industry and Technology of the Republic of Türkiye, implemented by Ege Teknopark in partnership with Ege University and EGİAD, the second international study visit of the Ege D-Tech Project, was successfully conducted from October 16 to 20, 2023.
The meetings, involving representatives from the project implementer Ege Teknopark and project partners Ege University and EGİAD, commenced with presentations by Prof. Dr. Emre İlker and Project Team Leader Philip Sowden, introducing Ege Teknopark and the Ege D-Tech Project.
The first visit within the program took place with officials from the government-supported entrepreneurship agency, the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO). The meeting, featuring Rutger de Graaf, the NPE Coordinator of the Agency, and Iris Schut, the NPE International Start-up and Talent Advisor, addressed various forms of support for entrepreneurs and delved into potential inter-institutional collaborations. In a segment of the meeting, Refik Tuncer, Director of Orange Camp, delivered an informative presentation. In the latter part of the day, Leo le Duc, Director of Science Park, and Femmie Geradts, Statutory Director, conducted discussions on the support provided to entrepreneurs within the Start-up Village and the role of collaborative workspaces in the start-up ecosystem. The first day of the study visit concluded with presentations by Lukas Helmbrecht, CEO and Co-founder of Lumetallix, and İbrahim Özkan, CEO of PXON.
On the second day, the first meeting took place with the officials from TNO High Tech Campus, a high and deep tech R&D center hosting 140 companies and organizations in Eindhoven. During this session, TNO Technology Transfer Coordinator Lucas van Dam and Deep Tech Start-up Community Manager and Program Director Robin van Scheijndel shared insights about HighTechXL activities and focus areas.The meeting allowed for the exchange of inter-institutional experiences on potential opportunities in technology transfer. In the afternoon, the SolarBEAT research facilities, focusing on solar and sustainable energy as a joint venture of Eindhoven Technical University and TNO, were visited under the leadership of Site Director David Out.
The subsequent day of the program featured a meeting with representatives from YES! Delft, one of the leading incubation centers in Europe and the world. The discussion, led by Asier Segura Elorza, Start-up Scout, delved into the center’s support for the start-up ecosystem and detailed activities within the incubation program. The discussion, led by Asier Segura Elorza, Start-up Scout, delved into the center’s support for the start-up ecosystem and detailed activities within the incubation program. The final meeting of the day was conducted with Dr. Roland Schmehl, Co-founder of Kite Power, focusing on energy production from wind. The day concluded with a meeting with Joep van der Weijden, Project Manager of The Green Village, an initiative in the field of sustainable innovations for home and office spaces.
Throughout these visits, a series of meetings were held with significant Dutch and European organizations. This study visit enabled an on-site examination of the support provided by these institutions to entrepreneurship and the start-up ecosystem. Furthermore, potential collaborations for internationalization support for the Ege D-Tech Incubation Program were explored.
The approximately one-week study visits culminated with an evaluation workshop conducted by Prof. Dr. Emre İlker, the General Manager of Ege Teknopark, Philip Sowden, Project Team Leader, and Rosalinde Klein Woolthuis, Sustainable Innovation Expert.
