Ideas Competed at IGU, the Future Won: Winners Announced at the "Research and Innovative Award-Winning Project Competition"

The "Research and Innovative Award-Winning Project Competition," organized by Istanbul Gelisim University (IGU) to encourage IGU students toward science and innovation, has concluded. Over 100 student projects focused on R&D, innovation, and entrepreneurship were evaluated by a panel of expert judges before winners were announced. The competition, held across eight categories, awarded first-place winners a support prize of 25,000 TL. The program was attended by IGU Board of Trustees Chair Abdülkadir Gayretli, Vice Rector Necmettin Maraşlı, Turkish Armed Forces Foundation Director General Bilal Topçu, Turkish Armed Forces Foundation Istanbul Regional Representative Retired Colonel Metin Murat Taşkapı, and an accompanying delegation. As part of the program, Bilal Topçu delivered a comprehensive presentation on the Foundation's activities, the defense industry ecosystem, and career opportunities.

"We Are Building Our Research University Goal Together with Our Students"

Sharing his assessments in the context of the "Research and Innovative Award-Winning Project Competition," IGU Board of Trustees Chair Abdülkadir Gayretli emphasized that Istanbul Gelisim University aims to strengthen students' project culture and scientific output while advancing its vision of becoming a research university. He also announced that initiatives to establish a TECHNOPARK within IGU have been launched:
"Our greatest goal as Istanbul Gelisim University is to become a research university that places science at its center, one that produces, develops, and transforms what it produces into societal benefit. We are building this vision not only with our academic staff, but together with our students. We regard it as a strategic priority for our students to develop projects, cultivate a research culture, and transform their ideas into ventures that can be commercialized. Through the financial and academic support, we provide, the partnerships we build, and the TECHNOPARK we will establish, we aim to position our young people more powerfully within the science and innovation ecosystem. Because we believe that Türkiye's future will rise on the shoulders of a generation that researches, questions, and produces with courage."

"We Strongly Support Our Students in the Fields of Science and Innovation"

Delivering the opening address at the award ceremony, IGU Vice Rector Prof. Necmettin Maraşlı drew attention to the university's project- and R&D-focused approach:
"As Istanbul Gelisim University, we do not limit our students to education alone, we also strongly support them in the areas of application, project development, research, and innovation. We promote a project culture through undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral-level work, and contribute to our students' career development through both financial and motivational support. The high number of TÜBİTAK project applications is a tangible indicator of this effort. Projects carried out under the coordination of our Technology Transfer Office have achieved success on national and international platforms and have been recognized with awards at major competitions such as TEKNOFEST. Our goal is to ensure that our students grow into individuals who research, produce, and innovate, and we are committed to continuing our support in this direction."
Prof. Maraşlı also highlighted IGU's achievements at TEKNOFEST and with Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ), underscoring the university's rise in scientific output.

"The Youth Who Produce Are Türkiye's Future"

Turkish Armed Forces Foundation Director General Bilal Topçu addressed the significance of student-developed projects for Türkiye's future:
"The Turkish Armed Forces Foundation was established in the aftermath of the embargo that followed the Cyprus Peace Operation, with the goal of enabling our country to develop its own defense technologies. Today, it has evolved into a powerful ecosystem that encompasses strategic institutions such as ASELSAN, TUSAŞ, ROKETSAN, and HAVELSAN. All revenues of our Foundation are reinvested in the development of the defense industry, paving the way for domestic and national technologies. The spirit of TEKNOFEST has shown us that the fulfillment of producing and creating tangible value far surpasses the satisfaction of consumption. The projects our young people develop through months of dedication become a source of hope for our country's future. It is our wish that, beginning from your university years, you continue on your path as individuals who research, produce, and add value to your country."

Great Excitement Across Eight Categories

Organized with the contributions of IGU Technology Transfer Office (TTO) and Office of Scientific Research Projects (BAP-K), and with 24 academics from the university serving as jury members, the competition awarded prizes across a total of eight categories, including Artificial Intelligence, Hardware, and Autonomous Systems; Finance, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Technologies; Digital, Chip, Information, and Communication Technologies; and Energy and Sustainability Technologies.
The first-place winners in Energy and Sustainability Technologies were announced by Metin Murat Taşkapı, while the winners in architecture, design, creativity, and visual innovation were announced by Prof. Necmettin Maraşlı.

The first-place winner in agriculture, biotechnology, and health technologies was presented by IGU Faculty of Engineering and Architecture Dean Prof. Bayram Ünal.

In the Aviation and Space Technologies category, awards were presented by Faculty of Dentistry Dean Prof. Mahir Günday.

Turkish Armed Forces Foundation Director General Bilal Topçu joined IGU Board of Trustees Chair Abdülkadir Gayretli in presenting awards, sharing in the excitement of the first-place students. As part of the program, Abdülkadir Gayretli presented a commemorative plaque to Bilal Topçu in recognition of his contributions.

The TECHNOPARK Announcement and the Research University Vision

Istanbul Gelisim University, distinguished by its science- and innovation-centered approach, its strong academic staff, and its strategic partnerships with institutions including those in the defense industry, is preparing its students not only for today, but for the technological world of tomorrow.
With these decisive steps taken in pursuit of nurturing individuals who research, produce, and innovate, IGU is advancing steadily toward its vision of becoming a research university.