Post by Mete Kıvanç ÜNALTEKİN

We have launched the Project for Promoting the Use of the Intellectual Property System by Entrepreneurs and SMEs in Türkiye, developed in cooperation between World Intellectual Property Organization – WIPO and TÜRKPATENT, with the aim of encouraging innovative and export-oriented Turkish entrepreneurs and SMEs to make effective use of intellectual property rights and to strategically integrate these rights into their business models. Following the opening ceremony, which was honored by the participation of Deputy Minister Muhammet Kasım Gönüllü, firms received one-on-one consultations from WIPO and its experts as part of the project implementation phase. At the conclusion of the consultancy stage, certificates were presented to the participating firms by TÜRKPATENT President M. Zeki Durak, Head of Innovation and Promotion Department, Salih KOCA and WIPO TDC Director Habip Asan. I was honored to be part of the pilot project, which was implemented for 20 SMEs and start-ups located in the technoparks and technology development zones of Ankara. On this occasion, I would like to express my gratitude for their support in communication, interaction, and coordination with our firms to: Gökçe Erdem and Pınar İstanbulluoğlu from Bilkent Technology Transfer Office TTO, Seyda OZYURT ATES from Hacettepe Teknokent A.Ş. Dr. Idil Buse Kok Hazer, RTTP and Yusuf Dudu from ODTÜ TTO, Müzeyyen Beyza Cangüven and Merve Ceren Ceylan from Ankara Üniversitesi Teknokent, A. Özge Eken Karataylı from Gazi TTO - Gazi Üniversitesi Teknoloji Transfer Ofisi, Arzu Firlarer from Başkent Üniversitesi BİTTO, Ayşe Demirel and Ozan Güney from Teknopark Ankara TTO, Gökhan Topal and Nida Nisanur Gözetlik from OSTİMTech Teknoloji Transfer Ofisi. I would also like to extend my sincere thanks to our President M. Zeki Durak and Habip Asan for their leadership in the realization of this project, and to the project architects from World Intellectual Property Organization – WIPO, Sarah Nassar and Eda Ugurlu. My heartfelt appreciation also goes to my dear colleagues and long-time friends Cengiz ADANUR and Reyyan Pınar SÖZBİLEN. This project could only have been implemented with the best experts in the field — my deepest thanks to Elio De Tullio, Sanem YALCINTAS, PhD, CLP, Omer Hiziroglu, CLP, and Volkan Okutan. I am truly looking forward to taking part in the continuation of this project, which is planned to be implemented in other regions of our country in 2026.