Establishment of Kahramanmaraş Research &Technology Center to support Regional Development and SMEs Özer ÇINAR, PhD., P.E., Director Region of Kahraman Maraş Kahraman Maraş Research and Technology Center (KARTEM) Kahramanmaras, TURKEY, Tel : ;

Kahraman Maraş Region  Key Data  Area: 14,346 km 2  Total population: 1,002,384  Population Density: 70  Urban population: 54%  Rural population: 46%  Working population: 471,120  Unemployment rate: 13.0% (2005)

Kahraman Maraş Region  Sectors of Activity  Farming and agro-food industry: Arable farming, forestry and wood-working, animal feed plants  Industry: Textile, pulp and paper, steel kitchen utensils, thermo-power plants, Hydro-power plants, vegetable oil, and ice cream manufacturing  Services: Banking, insurance, tourism  Main Assets  Rich natural resources (lignite, bauxite, iron, and barite), wide variety of landscapes, abundant water reserves (hydroelectric power stations).  Cultural and geographical heritage marked by Byzantium, Seljuk and Ottoman Empires (Eshab-ı Keyf, Castle, Ulu Mosque, and Stone Madrasah)  Best known for its production of salep, a flour made from dried orchid tubers and its distinctive ice cream.

Kahraman Maraş Region  Kahramanmaraş Sutcuimam University  Founded in  students, 667 academicians, and 530 administrators.  Two Main Campuses Avsar Campus hectares Karacasu Campus hectares  7 Faculties Science and Letters, Economics and Management, Engineering, Medicine, Forestry, Agriculture, Theology.

Problems Faced by Main Stakeholders in the Region  Region Administration (Provincial Directorate of Administrate)  Lack of research and development facilities to support regional developments in the region  Suboptimal agricultural productivity  Small-Medium Enterprises  Lack of research and development facilities and capabilities  Difficulties in adapting to ever-changing world developments from managerial and technological point of view  Problems in transferring novel technologies.  Lack of environmental awareness.  Lack of qualified employees and managers.  Lack of efficiency in productivity.  Lack of skills and capabilities to adapt to changes in competitive business world.  Kahraman Maraş Sütçüimam University  Lack of research and development facilities to help SMEs and local governments in the region  Insufficient cooperation between university and SMEs along with local governments

The solution is…  To establish Research and Technology Center  First, Project Coordination Team was established in May 2006 with special agreement between the Provincial Directorate of Administration and Kahramanmaras Sutcuimam University.  Kahraman Maraş Research and Technology Center was founded in March 2007  A project to construct state-of-art building for the center was submitted to EU pre- accession funds.  A project for regional development of 12 million Euro will be submitted to State Planning Organization of Turkey in early May 2007.

Objectives to Construct R&T Center  To provide scientific information flow and to enhance mutual relations among the beneficiaries.  To increase and enrich various economical activities in the region.  To construct a work place to provide practical, scientific and technical, managerial solutions for problems faced by SMEs and Local Government in Kahraman Maraş.  To promote the conversion of research and development activities into commercial investments.  To convey scientific and human resources into agricultural and industrial productivities.  To create a joint research center where research and development activities will improve the quality of students as well as enhancing research capabilities of universities academic stuff.

Platforms in the R&T Center  Sustainable and Renewable Energy  Natural Resources and Environmental Science & Technology  Plant Science  Animal Science  Food Science and Technology  Forestry Science and Forestry Product Technology  Medical Science  Engineering and Material Science  Social and Regional Planning

Center Units  Research Laboratories : 4000 m 2 Bioengineering and Biotechnology Lab Plant Science Lab Animal Science Lab Environmental Engineering & Science Lab Sustainable and Renewable Energy Lab Food Science and Technology Lab Medical Science Lab Forestry Science and Forest Product Technology Lab Geographical Information Systems and Remote Sensing Lab Material Science and Nanotechnology Lab

Center Units (Cont.)  Joint Research and Accredited Laboratories : 2100 m 2 Water and Wastewater Analysis Lab Fuel Analysis Lab Fiber and Textile Analysis Lab Soil Analysis Lab Food Analysis Lab  Other Units : 2250 m 2 Administrative Units Researcher Offices Graduate Student Offices Graduate Student Classes Seminar Room  TOTAL : 8350 m 2 (net) : m 2 (gross)

THANKS………

Kahraman Maraş Region  Lies on a plain at the foot of the Taurus Mountains  Population of little over 1 million as of 2000  Best known for its production of salep, a flour made from dried orchid tubers and its distinctive ice cream.  Kahramanmaraş's industry is mainly based on textile, ice cream, dried red pepper, and metal kitchen utensil industries.  Also, many of the American clothing companies like Aéropostale and American Eagle are supplying their yarns from Kahramanmaraş.  Some of the internationally-known ice-cream companies like Mado and EDO started their business in this ice-cream city and thousands of people visit Kahramanmaraş, just because of its ice-cream