YTÜ Yıldız Technopark, one of Turkey’s leading technology ecosystems, along with Petkim and STAR Refinery, have signed a collaboration agreement focused on R&D, joint projects, strengthening the entrepreneurship ecosystem, and developing a qualified workforce.

YTÜ Yıldız Teknopark, Petkim, and STAR Refinery have signed a Cooperation Protocol aimed at strengthening university-industry collaboration, accelerating the transfer of knowledge and technology, and developing innovation-focused joint projects.

Under the protocol, the goal is to combine academic expertise with the industrial experience of Petkim and STAR Refinery; to develop joint R&D projects in the fields of energy, refining, and petrochemicals; aligning technology startups with industry needs, developing joint projects under national and international funding programs, and supporting initiatives that generate high added value.

The signing ceremony was attended by YTÜ Yıldız Technopark General Manager Assoc. Prof. Dr. Muhammet Garip, YTÜ Rector’s Chief Advisor Prof. Dr. Özer Çınar, SOCAR Turkey Refinery and Petrochemicals Business Unit Technology Leader İbrahim Kadıoğlu, Dr. Ali Çınar, Advisor to the CEO of SOCAR Turkey; Selim Kurtuluş, Deputy General Manager of the Technopark; as well as other executives and invited guests.

Academic knowledge meets industrial experience

In his opening remarks at the ceremony, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Muhammet Garip stated that the signed protocol was not merely an agreement between two parties, but rather a strategic partnership that would bring together academic knowledge and industrial experience toward shared goals.

Noting that the energy sector is undergoing a major transformation in many areas—such as technological transformation, sustainability, energy efficiency, new fuel technologies, and the reduction of carbon emissions—Garip emphasized that YTÜ Yıldız Technopark is one of the key players in this transformation.

Garip said, “We view the protocol we signed today as a strong partnership where academic knowledge will converge with industrial experience and entrepreneurship toward shared goals. What matters to us is ensuring that academic knowledge finds its place in industry, that startups scale up, that R&D efforts are commercialized, and that the technologies developed are transformed into economic and social value,” he said.

Noting that they possess one of Turkey’s largest technology development ecosystems, Garip stated that with over 750 technology companies and more than 14,000 R&D personnel operating in a 175,000-square-meter enclosed area, they are developing innovative solutions in numerous fields ranging from artificial intelligence to energy technologies, from biotechnology to mobility, and from finance to the defense industry.

Garip noted that the technologies developed are brought to global markets through international offices in Amsterdam, London, Dubai, and Skopje, and stated that this international network will be further expanded with the new center planned to be established in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Joint R&D projects and international funding initiatives will be developed

Garip stated that priority needs in the energy sector will be determined jointly, adding that academics, entrepreneurs, and technology companies will come together on joint projects.

Garip said, “We aim to develop joint research projects in the focus areas we will identify with Petkim and STAR Refinery, jointly pursue national and international funding programs, and form strong project consortia. “We will bring together the scientific expertise of our academics with the innovative approaches of our entrepreneurs on a single platform. We will also jointly develop custom R&D projects tailored to the identified needs,” he said.

“Two States, One Nation” Emphasis

At the end of his speech, Garip thanked the executives of Petkim and STAR Refinery for their support of the collaboration. Expressing his belief that the protocol would also make significant contributions to technology and innovation partnerships between Turkey and Azerbaijan, he said, “I hope that the protocol we have signed will yield beneficial results for Turkey and our dear Azerbaijan, in line with the ‘two states, one nation’ philosophy, through our institutions and our technology and energy ecosystems,” he said.

“A Commitment to Joint Investment in Technology”

Ibrahim Kadıoğlu, Technology Leader of SOCAR Turkey’s Refining and Petrochemicals Business Unit, noted that bringing together the strong industrial experience of Petkim and STAR Refinery with the technology and innovation ecosystem would create significant opportunities. He emphasized that sustainable success would be possible not only through production capacity but also but through investments in technology.

Kadıoğlu said, “The protocol we signed today is not just a routine signing for us. This protocol represents a strong commitment to the will of our institutions to combine their strengths in joint investments focused on technology, innovation, and the development of human resources.”

Noting that YTÜ Yıldız Technopark’s strong academic infrastructure and entrepreneurial ecosystem will create significant synergy with the industrial experience of Petkim and STAR Refinery, Kadıoğlu said, “We believe we will jointly develop solutions that will make a difference for our country. By combining our strong academic infrastructure and entrepreneurial ecosystem with our industrial experience, we will carry out successful technology-focused projects,” he said.

Solutions will be developed to address the technological and operational needs of Petkim and STAR Refinery

İbrahim Kadıoğlu said that, under the protocol, they will leverage the university’s knowledge base and entrepreneurial ecosystem to develop innovative solutions specifically tailored to the technological and operational needs of Petkim and STAR Refinery.

Kadıoğlu said, “We will work to develop innovative solutions tailored to the needs of Petkim and STAR Refinery in collaboration with YTÜ Yıldız Technopark startups. We also aim to carry out initiatives regarding scientific collaboration with academics, partnerships in R&D projects, and joint steps toward funding programs.”

Noting that this collaboration will also offer new opportunities to aspiring young engineers, Kadıoğlu emphasized that university-industry partnerships will make significant contributions to the development of a qualified workforce.

Contributing to Cooperation Between Turkey and Azerbaijan

Concluding his remarks, Kadıoğlu emphasized that university-industry collaborations add value not only to institutions but also to nations, stating, “The true success of the agreement we signed today will lie in the projects we develop together and the innovative solutions we bring to the table. We hope this collaboration will serve as a model not only for Petkim, STAR Refinery, and YTÜ Yıldız Technopark, but also for enhancing the technology production capacity of both Turkey and Azerbaijan.”

Following the speeches, YTÜ Yıldız Technopark General Manager Assoc. Prof. Dr. Muhammet Garip and SOCAR Turkey Refinery and Petrochemicals Business Unit Technology Leader İbrahim Kadıoğlu signed a protocol between YTÜ Yıldız Technopark, Petkim, and STAR Refinery to strengthen university-industry collaboration.

Under the signed protocol, YTÜ Yıldız Teknopark, Petkim, and STAR Refinery will conduct joint work in the areas of energy technologies, R&D, innovation, entrepreneurship, national and international funding programs, and the development of qualified human resources, with the goal of establishing a long-term university-industry collaboration model.

Following the signing ceremony, a technology delegation composed of representatives from Petkim and STAR Refinery visited the Industrial Design and Prototyping Center (ETP) and the Central Research Laboratory. The delegation then held B2B meetings at the Technopark Administration Building with companies capable of developing solutions tailored to the technological and operational needs of Petkim and STAR Refinery.

Through these meetings, the aim is to evaluate concrete areas of collaboration that bring together YTÜ Yıldız Technopark’s academic and entrepreneurial ecosystem with the industrial expertise of Petkim and STAR Refinery, and to develop new project opportunities.