Steps to popularize conscious agriculture in our country and ensure university-private sector cooperation between GÜBRETAŞ, the leading company of agricultural R&D activities, and Gebze Technical University (GTÜ), one of Turkey's leading research universities, which ranks high in national and international academic achievement lists, It paid off with a very significant investment.

The R&D Greenhouse, established within the scope of the cooperation protocol signed between the two institutions in 2019 with the coordination of GÜBRETAŞ R&D Center and GTÜ Biotechnology Institute, aims to be the center of important research and development activities that will provide added value to the future of the agricultural sector.

With nearly 69 years of corporate experience, GÜBRETAŞ produces value-added products for farmers, while working on R&D projects that will spread conscious agriculture and create added value. Drawing attention to the importance of knowledge in agriculture in all its activities, GÜBRETAŞ supports these efforts with R&D activities, which it has given great importance to, especially in recent years.

GÜBRETAŞ continues to take important steps regarding R&D studies, which it has accelerated especially since 2017. GÜBRETAŞ, which carries out joint studies with various educational institutions within the scope of private sector - university cooperation, signed a 10-year cooperation protocol agreement with Gebze Technical University (GTÜ), one of the fastest growing research universities in our country, in 2019. One of the first steps of this agreement signed between the university and GÜBRETAŞ, the leading company in the fertilizer industry, was demonstrated with the Venlo type glass R&D Greenhouse.

Within the scope of the protocol signed between GÜBRETAŞ and GTÜ, it is planned that the projects and prototype products to be developed with the Biotechnology Institute will be tested in the R&D Greenhouse established within the university campus and in the open land to be allocated. The installation of a total of 500 m2 greenhouse built within this framework was covered jointly.

The Biotechnology Institute R&D Greenhouse, established in the Gebze campus of the university with the cooperation of GÜBRETAŞ and Gebze Technical University (GTÜ), was opened with a ceremony. GÜBRETAŞ Chairman of the Board of Directors Dr. attended the ceremony. In addition to Fahrettin Poyraz and General Manager İbrahim Yumaklı, GTÜ Rector Prof. Dr. Muhammed Hasan Aslan and academicians and TÜBİTAK President Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal, Kocaeli Deputy İlyas Şeker, Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality Deputy Mayor Yaşar Çakmak, Gebze Mayor Zinnur Büyükgöz and guests attended.

GTÜ RECTOR ASLAN: “A GOOD EXAMPLE FOR COOPERATION”

In the opening speech of the event, Rector Prof. gave information about Gebze Technical University and Biotechnology Institute. Dr. M. Hasan Aslan said, “Our Glass R&D greenhouse, which we will be opening today, constitutes a very good example of these industrial collaborations and was brought to life with the valuable contributions of GÜBRETAŞ, one of the favorite organizations of our country. We are proud that this R&D Greenhouse, which is the product of the cooperation protocol signed between GÜBRETAŞ and our University last year, is one of the rare examples in the country. It is best to cooperate with both the R&D Greenhouse and the Industrial R&D Laboratories being constructed in the Biotechnology Institute Building, which will be completed soon, to present the knowledge and experience of our university and institute to the service of the industry of our region and our country and to develop globally competitive products together. "This is our biggest goal," he said.

GÜBRETAŞ GM YUMAKLI: “GÜBRETAŞ'S MISSION IS TO BE A PIONEER IN EVERY FIELD RELATED TO AGRICULTURE”

Starting his speech by touching on the mission of the company, GÜBRETAŞ General Manager İbrahim Yumaklı said, “GÜBRETAŞ, which was established as the first company in the sector by the decision of the Council of Ministers during the Adnan Menderes period in 1952, has always acted with the mission of being a pioneer. Our motivation is primarily to produce quality products for high agricultural productivity and deliver them to farmers, as well as to produce solutions to problems in agriculture with conscious agriculture dissemination activities and R&D activities that we pioneer. "We carry out many field studies for this purpose, but we accept that the academic leg of R&D studies is indispensable," he said.

Giving information about the academic collaborations and R&D activities that have gained momentum since 2017, General Manager Yumaklı said, “Our search for innovative methods brought us together with Gebze Technical University in 2018. As a result of long negotiations, we signed the protocol in 2019. The R&D Greenhouse is just one part of this protocol. As a very important issue, our biggest problem is that unfortunately we do not have the human resources to scan the international literature. Therefore, the content of the R&D greenhouse that we will open is not just a greenhouse; Together with other projects we carry out in cooperation with Gebze Technical University, we aim to create human resources that will follow international literature and research. We implement all our work without confining the protocol to files. "We continue to establish collaborations for this purpose," he said.

GÜBRETAŞ CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FAHRETTİN POYRAZ: “THE REAL POWER IS IN PRODUCING A NEW VALUE”

GÜBRETAŞ Chairman of the Board of Directors Dr. started his speech by emphasizing the necessity of consuming in order to produce. Fahrettin Poyraz stated that in the information age, theoretical knowledge should be supported with practical applications and said, “The channels must be open at the point of consuming information. This project, carried out by GÜBRETAŞ, the most important company of Agricultural Credit Cooperatives, Turkey's largest farmer family, with Gebze Technical University, serves exactly this purpose. In the new period, we need to carry out new studies in the field of plant nutrition products. This requires cooperation with universities. It is not enough to only increase the diversity of plant nutrition and protection products, but it is also necessary to carry out the application in environments such as greenhouses and test fields until the best results are achieved. The real power is in producing a new idea and value. We must also demonstrate our ability to produce what we produce by keeping the channels open. Our universities and professors are interested in our projects with great excitement. "This gives us hope," he said.

INCREASE IN R&D BUDGET DESPITE THE PANDEMIC

After the opening speeches, in the second part of the program, TÜBİTAK President Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal made a presentation titled "Co-Development and Success Together in the R&D and Innovation Ecosystem". Prof. Dr. Mandal started his presentation by pointing out that there was an increase in the budget share allocated to R&D expenditures in Turkey despite the pandemic conditions that shook the whole world. Referring to R&D and innovation processes, Mandal said, “Transformation; It should be feedback, open, systemic challenge, collaborative and interdisciplinary, systematic, oriented towards co-development and joint innovation. The new TÜBİTAK strategic approach highlights two key concepts: qualified information and qualified people. It prioritizes a stronger, goal-oriented, high added value, social and economic benefit-providing approach to success together with new cooperation models focused on co-development and impact. He continued his speech by saying, "We focus on R&D and innovation outputs and impacts, and focus on the transformation of outputs into social and economic benefits in line with national targets."

Prof. also mentioned that the sustainable food system is targeted with the sub-field of "From Field to Fork" in the European Green Deal calls. Dr. Finally, Hasan Mandal emphasized agriculture, agricultural economy and agricultural machinery R&D projects in Turkey. He stated that within the scope of research support programs, 573.4 million TL support was provided at 2020 fixed prices for a total of 994 projects in the last 10 years.

THE EXAMPLE R&D GREENHOUSE WAS OPENED

Following the speeches, the opening ribbon was cut in front of the R&D Greenhouse with the participation of GÜBRETAŞ and Gebze Technical University administrators as well as protocol guests. Afterwards, the participants who examined the greenhouse were given information about the work to be done here by Kutman, Deputy Director of the Biotechnology Institute. The event ended with the giving of plaques in memory of the day and taking a souvenir photo.

In these days when awareness of the strategic importance of both agriculture and biotechnology in line with our country's development goals is increasing, in the R&D greenhouse established with the cooperation of GÜBRETAŞ - GTÜ and which will serve within the Biotechnology Institute; Studies on innovative plant nutrition products, especially new generation, environmentally friendly and highly effective fertilizers, microbial fertilizers and biostimulants, and agrochemicals including plant protection products, studies on biofortification and functional product research, studies on plant biotechnology, plant physiology and seed technologies. and soilless agriculture and medicinal and aromatic plant research are planned to be carried out.

The greenhouse will become a center of attraction for output-oriented R&D projects, especially to be developed and implemented through university-private sector collaborations, will direct sustainable and competitive agricultural research in Turkey with innovative, domestic and national products, and will have an important role in our national food and nutrition security. It is aimed to host research that can make significant contributions. In this regard, in addition to carrying out R&D activities with industrial partners, testing and analysis services regarding product effectiveness and safety will be provided to industrialists and entrepreneurs.

GTÜ Biotechnology Institute has also taken an important step in this regard, aiming to train qualified human resources that can meet the needs of R&D personnel with a doctorate in the relevant sectors, and with the TÜBİTAK 2244 Industrial Doctorate Program project accepted this year in cooperation with GÜBRETAŞ.

IT WILL BE AMONG THE PREMIUM GREENHOUSES IN TURKEY

The completed Venlo type glass greenhouse draws attention with its modern air conditioning automation, LED lighting and design that allows both soil and soilless agricultural work.

Biotechnology Institute R&D greenhouse, which differs from commercial greenhouses with its features such as precise climate control, irrigation with pure water to prevent contamination, day length can be controlled thanks to the lighting system, and thus experimental plants can be grown at high standards accepted in the international literature for 4 seasons, is one of the few glass greenhouses in our country. It took its place among the R&D Greenhouse.