ODTÜ Teknokent

Work on establishing METU Technopark began in the late 1980s. During those years, feasibility studies, supported by the World Bank, primarily examined global examples, particularly from the USA and the UK, and raised public awareness of the project's importance. As a result of these efforts, in 1992, METU Technology Development Center (METU TEKMER) was opened in collaboration with KOSGEB (Small and Medium Enterprises Development Organization), with the main objective of establishing incubation centers for technology development. The successful results achieved at METU TEKMER encouraged efforts to establish a science park (technopark) at METU. In 2000, the first building of METU Technopark was opened, and in 2001, Law No. 4691 on Technology Development Zones, defining the legal framework for technoparks in Turkey, came into effect. The tax exemptions and incentives provided to entrepreneurial companies under this law, combined with the infrastructure and academic knowledge provided by METU, transformed METU Technopark into a center of attraction.

The aim of METU Technopark, Turkey's first and most innovative technopark, is to provide modern infrastructure and facilities to companies, researchers, and academics who develop and produce technologies that will increase our country's competitiveness in the international arena. Through its activities aimed at increasing university-industry collaboration, METU Technopark contributes to the creation of synergy between the parties.

ODTU Technopark has achieved exemplary success for other technoparks in Turkey with its more than 380 companies, over 60% of which were established within ODTU Technopark, the employment opportunities it has created for more than 8,000 personnel, 90% of whom are university graduates, doctoral or master's degree holders, and its 170,000 m2 indoor area where R&D activities are carried out.

50% of the companies operating in METU Technopark conduct R&D in software and IT, 20% in electronics, 15% in machinery and design, 6% in medical technologies, 6% in energy and environment, and the remaining 3% in other fields such as advanced materials, agriculture, food, aerospace, and automotive. Some of the R&D projects carried out within METU Technopark include: dynamic model development and simulation projects for aircraft/helicopter systems, development of aircraft/helicopter control systems, satellite development projects, alternative energy and alternative fuel projects, wind and water turbine design, vehicle tracking systems, design of test and measurement systems, power sources and energy supply systems, laser applications, sensor technologies, tissue and gene research, e-government, e-commerce, distance education, e-learning and e-education software, ERP-MRP solutions, educational management systems, geographic information system software, formatted message management systems, hospital software, advanced materials research with various field applications, and microelectronic mechanical system applications.

METU Technopark runs a wide variety of programs for the companies and entrepreneurs it houses. These include pre-incubation programs such as the "New Ideas New Businesses Acceleration Program" and the "Animation Technologies and Game Development Center" to support technology-based entrepreneurship; incubation centers such as the METU KOSGEB TEKMER Incubation Center; the Acceleration and Investment Company "Growth Circuit" established as a financial instrument; the "METU Technology Transfer Office" for the commercialization of academic knowledge; and overseas offices established to support international collaborations, including defense industry, ICT, and healthcare clusters aimed at developing inter-company partnerships.

As a result of all these services provided and the work done, METU Technopark has ranked first six times in the Technology Development Zones Performance Index studies conducted by the Ministry of Industry and Technology of the Republic of Turkey since 2011.