10th Chemistry R&D Project Market Awards Announced

The Ministry of Commerce-approved and Turkish Exporters Council (TİM)-coordinated 10th Chemistry R&D Project Market Awards, organised by İKMİB, distributed TRY 550,000 in prize money across 6 categories for 20 projects. İKMİB Board Chairman Adil Pelister: "Our target is to achieve USD 40 billion in chemical exports by 2030. For our sector to reach this export target, it depends on producing high-value-added, innovative and competitive products. We have reached the 10th year of our Chemistry Sector R&D Project Market event. Over the past 9 years, more than 1,100 project applications were evaluated and TRY 1,756,000 in material awards were distributed."

First place winner receives TRY 50,000 award

The awards ceremony for the "Chemistry R&D Project Market" event, organized by İKMİB for the 10th time this year with Ministry of Commerce approval and Turkish Exporters Council (TİM) coordination, was held online. Speaking at the ceremony, İKMİB Board Chairman Adil Pelister said the chemical sector would achieve approximately USD 24 billion in exports in 2021, setting a new record. Stating that they are conducting long-term efforts to take the sector to higher levels and provide greater lasting benefits to the economy, Pelister said, "Our target is to achieve USD 40 billion in chemical exports by 2030. For our sector to reach this export target, it depends on producing high-value-added, innovative and competitive products." Noting that high-value-added product manufacturing depends on giving importance to R&D work and that innovations and inventions in the chemical industry directly affect quality of life, Pelister stated, "Making ideas applicable and producible will quickly contribute to the country's economy through the R&D work conducted and will reduce import dependency. For this purpose, we have reached the 10th year of our Chemistry Sector R&D Project Market event. Over the past 9 years, more than 1,100 project applications were evaluated and TRY 1,756,000 in material awards were distributed. This year as well, we will award TRY 50,000 to first place in each category, TRY 30,000 to second place and TRY 20,000 to third place, and additionally TRY 100,000 in special monetary awards to commercialized projects."

"We will produce more, sell more, and export more"

Chemistry R&D Project Market Executive Board Chairman Necmi Sadıkoğlu stated that their objective is to develop innovative, R&D-focused, applicable products, using the following words: "Our aim should be to produce and export qualified, high-value-added products. We will produce more, sell more and export more. But while doing this, we will conduct high-value-added quality production and increase our exports as much as possible so we don't experience these crises we are living through. When the Central Bank's foreign exchange reserves increase, interest rates will fall, investment, production and employment will increase. The way out of this vicious cycle is to do R&D, design and innovation."

20 projects awarded from 87 submissions

This year, 87 projects in total applied to the competition across 6 separate categories: "Pharmaceuticals", "Medical", "Paints and Adhesives", "Plastics and Rubber", "Cosmetics-Soaps and Cleaning Products" and "Basic Chemicals". Following the jury's evaluation, the category first-place winners earned TRY 50,000, second-place TRY 30,000 and third-place TRY 20,000 in monetary awards. A total of TRY 550,000 in monetary awards were distributed to 20 award-winning project owners. Additionally, TRY 100,000 in special awards will be given to projects commercialized within one year. Under a cooperation İKMİB established with a fund provider, selected projects from among the 42 that reached the finals will have the opportunity to meet with investors. At the awards ceremony, besides the projects that won monetary awards in 6 categories, three projects in the success stories category were awarded certificates of appreciation. Prize-winning projects are as follows: Within the scope of the organization, no projects were found worthy of first place in the "Pharmaceuticals", "Medical", "Cosmetics-Soaps and Cleaning Products" and "Basic Chemicals" categories. In the "Paints and Adhesives Category", Murat Yılmaz's project titled "High Wear and Corrosion Resistant Ceramic-Based Metal Coating Paint Containing Graphene, Aluminum Oxide and Silicon Carbide" was deemed worthy of first place. Erdem Mutlu's "I-Black" venture came first in "Plastics and Rubber". Erkan Bahçe's Apricot Pit Shell Powder Denture Cleanser and Polisher project, which placed second at the 6th Chemistry R&D Project Market; Seda Gündoğan Yükselen's Environmentally Friendly Pat that Prevents Stamping in Digital Printing project, which placed third at the 3rd Chemistry R&D Project Market; and Prof. Dr. Huriye İcil's Red Fluorescent Sign Project, which won the "Grand Prize Across Categories" at the 2nd Chemistry R&D Project Market and was deemed worthy of first place, received certificates of appreciation.  

ISTANBUL (AA)