Call for Scientists and Entrepreneurs from Teknopark

Teknopark Istanbul is calling on scientists and entrepreneurs working in the Life Sciences and Health Technologies sectors. The BioQube Incubation Center, established by Teknopark Istanbul to support entrepreneurs working in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and medical devices, will be opening very soon. With over TRY 50 million invested, the BioQube Incubation Center features 12 laboratories, 8 clean rooms and open office spaces, and is expected to support 40 ventures per year through its BioIncubation Acceleration Programs. The BioQube Incubation Center, which will open very soon through a partnership between Boğaziçi University and Teknopark Istanbul, is counting down to its opening. Ahead of the official opening planned for May, Teknopark Istanbul is calling on scientists and entrepreneurs working in pharmaceuticals, medical devices and biotechnology, noting that BioQube presents an unprecedented university-industry collaboration model in Turkey with its unique infrastructure. BioQube, established on the third floor of Teknopark Istanbul's Incubation Center across a total area of 1,500 m², features 12 laboratories, 8 clean rooms and open office spaces. With investments exceeding TRY 50 million, BioQube aims to support 40 ventures annually through its support programs. The Incubation Center, equipped with chemical cabinets, fume hoods and biosafety cabinets provided specifically for entrepreneurs, also features basic equipment in shared laboratories such as centrifuges, autoclaves, incubators and ultrapure water systems. BioQube contains 12 laboratories designed for wet bench work, 8 modular GMP-compliant clean rooms and open office spaces. The incubation center, equipped with chemical cabinets, fume hoods and biosafety cabinets provided specifically for entrepreneurs, also features basic equipment in shared laboratories such as centrifuges, autoclaves, incubators and ultrapure water systems. With infrastructure unprecedented in Turkey, BioQube provides every detail in spatial facilities to meet the future project needs of those working in biotechnology.

"Over TRY 50 million invested"

Bilal Topçu, General Director of Teknopark Istanbul, stated that investments in the BioQube Incubation Center, which has received over TRY 50 million to date, are still ongoing, saying: "We worked closely with Boğaziçi University to create an exemplary university-industry collaboration model in this field. Under the coordination of the Life Sciences and Technologies Application and Research Center (Boğaziçi LifeSci), conducted under the coordination of the Ministry of Industry and Technology, modular clean rooms were established in this area with special project support from the European Union's 'Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA)'. Istanbul Health Industry Cluster (İSEK) provided us with technical support at every stage of infrastructure planning and installation and will play an active role in the operation process. To fully design and support the operating model, Istanbul Development Agency (İSTKA) also provided additional project support. Through this project, we will provide our entrepreneurs with technical support and mentoring in addition to infrastructure usage opportunities."

"High-value, sustainable products will be contributed to the economy"

Prof. Dr. Cengizhan Öztürk, Industrial Projects Coordinator at Boğaziçi LifeSci and İSEK Coordinator, speaking on the matter, said: "In the life sciences field, which is vital to our country and strategically prioritized, and which we have reemphasized in the current pandemic environment, we aim to rapidly contribute high-value products that will serve our country's economy to the national economy. The BioQube Incubation Center will provide at world standards an important infrastructure that Turkey's health entrepreneurship ecosystem requires, and will support it through the BioIncubation Support Program. We invite our entrepreneur companies and scientists to apply with their bold projects."

BioQube is particularly calling on these entrepreneurs:

• Academic spin-off companies, small and medium-sized enterprises operating in life sciences and health technologies • Early-stage companies, entrepreneurs and potential entrepreneurs conducting R&D in life sciences and health technologies, particularly those who have reached the pilot production phase • Entrepreneur companies at all levels working under various headings within the broad umbrella of life sciences and health technologies (medical devices, biotechnology, molecular biology, in vitro diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, vaccines, biotechnology-focused various products…) • Companies that particularly need infrastructure compliant with clean room and/or GMP conditions under the above headings.

Supports provided to entrepreneurs through BioQube are as follows:

• 24/7 modern working spaces, • Laboratory and clean room infrastructure, • Shared equipment and non-equipped laboratory infrastructure, • One-on-one consultations, operational support and ISO consultations, • One-on-one mentoring, sales and design support, financial, legal and intellectual property consultations, business development and management practices, • Training, events, entrepreneurship and talent analysis, • Investor meetings, company meetings, opportunity to participate in demo day.