Spring event for Industry-Oriented Projects outcomes

"Industry-Oriented Projects" is an example of university-industry partnership where industrial companies implement projects in association with Sabancı University to address their key priorities.

The third academic term of the Sabancı University Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences Industry-Oriented Projects (IOP) concluded with a spring reception attended by representatives of industrial companies in a variety of sectors.

The outputs of the Industry-Oriented Projects, Sabancı University's new approach to university-industry partnership, were shared at an event hosted by Sabancı University President Professor Yusuf Leblebici and Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences Dean Professor Canan Atılgan with poster presentations by 88 undergraduate students working in 23 projects held with 18 participating institutions.

Introductory remarks by Sabancı University President Professor Yusuf Leblebici were followed by speeches by Sabancı University Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences Dean Professor Canan Atılgan and Sabancı University Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences Assistant Dean of Research and Industry-Oriented Projects, Associate Professor Selim Balcısoy. Commemorative plaques were presented to project partners after the remarks, and the event continued with a cocktail.

Sabancı University President Professor Yusuf Leblebici began by thanking the participating institutions, and continued: "Our university has had close ties with the industry since its establishment and has attached great importance to cooperation. We have every intent to advance this cooperation in the years to come. The cooperation is not limited to projects: we want to increase supporting production, train more engineers who will work in the industry, and make joint submissions for much more extensive projects. We need the support of your institutions on the path to this strategic objective. As Sabancı University, we will continue to provide all support that is necessary for our industry to develop."

Sabancı University Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences Dean Professor Canan Atılgan said: “Our Industry-Oriented Projects (IOP) concludes its third year. IOP begins with our industry partners approaching us to develop a solution for a real-world problem, which we share with our faculty and assess for compatibility with graduation projects. Finalized projects are opened to our students who own the process going forward. We have so far had 225 students graduate with 64 projects including this year, and today we have 88 students who will make poster presentations for 23 projects. Joining forces over IOP makes a pathway to collective thinking on what else we can do and what larger things we can develop. Our objective is to grow our project volume with IOP partners, currently 11 different projects with an approximate budget of 2.5 million, and start cooperating with more and different institutions."

Discussing project creation and selection by students, Sabancı University Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences Assistant Dean of Research and Industry-Oriented Projects, Associate Professor Selim Balcısoy said: “First and foremost, I would like to thank our students for going for the more difficult path, and to our industry partners for their support. These projects culminated in patents, academic publications, and employment for some of our students. We have even implemented actions that were previouysly not thought of by companies. We evolved into an ecosystem that grows and develops with the companies that provide support."

Students of the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences had poster presentations throughout the event and said that their work with industrial companies enabled them to gain firsthand experience of professional life and was an important step in their careers.

Sabancı University project partners attending the event:

Top-level representatives from DHL Lojistik Hizmetler A.Ş., Doğuş Teknoloji, Enerjisa Üretim Santralleri, Fedaral Döküm, Festo, Ford Otomotiv, Isuzu, Kanca El Aletleri ve Dövme Çelik A.Ş., Kordsa, Kuveyt Türk Katılım Bankası, Moodist Psikiyatri Hastanesi, Ravago Petrokimya, Renault, Sabancı DX, Temsa, Torun Metal, Ulak Haberleşme and Yongatek, as well as representatives of over 20 prospective project partners attended the event.

The IOP cooperation model provides many benefits to all parties

The Sabancı University industry partnership program enables industrial companies to engage in research projects that require considerable time, human resources and technical ability by cooperating with Sabancı University. Meanwhile, partnering industrial companies are relieved of bureaucratic hurdles and can freely utilize the state-of-the-art research laboratories at Sabancı University in projects conducted by students and coordinated by their advisors. The fourth-year students involved in the project comprise a useful talent pool for prospective employers who find an opportunity to know and train their potential colleagues. One key advantage of the program is that it provides specific and innovative solutions to specific problems, and converts ideas to product.

The IOP process in a nutshell:

Interested companies may submit projects in an engineering field of their choice two times a year. All submissions are assessed by a jury panel composed of faculty members. Projects initiated in the fall semester are be implemented and concluded from October to May. Projects initiated in February continue into the next academic year and are concluded in December.

Each industry project has at least two advisors: one appointed by the company, and the other chosen among Sabancı University faculty. Students work on the design phase of the project for the first three months while attending seminars and groupwork in sustainable development, economics, environmental issues, producability, ethics, health, social and political issues, project management, risk and change management, intellectual property rights, innovation and entrepreneurship, and work health and safety. Students are expected to utilize their training in their projects.

Sabancı University stated that Industry-Oriented Projects would continue, and called for new submissions to sop@sabanciuniv.edu.

For more information about Industry-Oriented Projects, please visit sop.sabanciuniv.edu.