R&D and Innovation at Its Peak at BAUN: Awards Presented at the BAUN TTO 2nd Innovative Ideas Project Marketplace
The 2nd Innovative Ideas Project Marketplace, organized under the coordination of the Balıkesir University Technology Transfer Office with the support of TÜBİTAK, concluded with an award ceremony. The final program and award ceremony of the event, held on 23–24 December 2025, took place at the Malazgirt Hall of the Atatürk Congress and Culture Center with strong participation. The program was attended by Balıkesir University Rector Prof. Dr. Yücel Oğurlu, Vice Rectors Prof. Dr. Cevdet Avcıkurt and Prof. Dr. Fatih Satıl, BASİAD President Selçuk Savaş, BAİKAD President Oya Hansu Çolak, MÜSİAD Board Member Fatih Beyoğlu, as well as academic and administrative staff and students.
Aiming to strengthen university–industry–entrepreneurship interaction, the Project Marketplace received a total of 262 participant applications from 17 universities and 7 companies. Reflecting the interaction between universities, industry, and entrepreneurship, the event featured 94 projects submitted by participants from 7 entrepreneurial companies and 17 universities, including Balıkesir University. The projects were presented under the thematic areas of Sustainable Agriculture and Nutrition, Smart Transportation, Smart Manufacturing Systems, Energy and Clean Technologies, and Health and Well-Being.
The program was organized in partnership with BASİAD, BAİKAD, MÜSİAD, Balıkesir Chamber of Commerce, Balıkesir Chamber of Industry, and Balıkesir Technopark. Project teams delivered their presentations on the first day, while the award ceremony was held on the second day.
Rector Oğurlu: “Universities have a responsibility to transform knowledge into value”
The award ceremony of the Project Marketplace began with opening remarks. Speaking at the ceremony, Balıkesir University Rector Prof. Dr. Yücel Oğurlu emphasized that the Project Marketplace was not merely a competition, but also an important reflection of a culture of collaboration and production. Highlighting the responsibility of universities to transform knowledge into economic value, Rector Oğurlu stated:
“The ideas and projects presented here today demonstrate how strongly our young people, academics, and industry stakeholders embrace this responsibility. At our university, which ranks fourth in Türkiye in terms of the number of R&D projects supported by international institutions and organizations, we will continue to support initiatives focused on R&D, innovation, and entrepreneurship with determination.”
Vice Rector and BAUN TTO President Prof. Dr. Fatih Satıl and BAUN TTO Coordinator Assoc. Prof. Dr. Fatmagül Tolun also congratulated the participants in their remarks.
Successful Projects Received Awards
Following the jury evaluations, projects deemed successful based on the criteria of innovation, feasibility, and commercialization potential were presented with awards. Project teams from different universities, companies, and disciplines received their awards and certificates from Rector Prof. Dr. Yücel Oğurlu and protocol representatives.
The award ceremony concluded with a group photo of the project teams and the presentation of certificates. The top three projects in the Student Category, which received cash prizes, were as follows:
Ranking – Project Team – Project Title – Thematic Area – Category – Award
1. Muhammed ARSLAN – Assoc. Prof. Dr. Âdem KORKMAZ (Advisor), Prof. Dr. Mehmet Tektaş (Advisor)
Project Title: Embedded Artificial Intelligence System for Semantic Environmental Description Using Visual Data for the Visually Impaired
Thematic Area: Health and Well-Being
Category: Student
Award: TRY 25,000 Cash Prize
2. Habibullah ABDULLAYEV, Yunıs TEYMURLU, Nahıd AHADZADE, Agıl KISHIYEV
Project Title: ChatCNC: An AI-Powered Smart Assistant that Guides Operators on Production Lines
Thematic Area: Smart Manufacturing Systems
Category: Student
Award: TRY 15,000 Cash Prize
3. Hüseyin Özgen ÇATAR, Sultan Nur BEKTAŞ
Project Title: Circular Organized Industrial Zone: Digital Symbiosis Platform
Thematic Area: Energy and Clean Technologies
Category: Student
Award: TRY 10,000 Cash Prize
Within the scope of the event, plaques and achievement awards were also presented in the thematic areas of Sustainable Agriculture and Nutrition, Smart Transportation, Smart Manufacturing Systems, Energy and Clean Technologies, and Health and Well-Being.
