Within the scope of the DOKAP Entrepreneurship and Innovation Research Project, technical visits to Catalunya and Basque regions of Spain between May 22nd and May 26th were completed in order to see the good practice examples in the project work packages on site. The data obtained from these visits to Spain's leading research and technology centers will constitute an input to the creation of strategies to be developed for the actors in the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, especially Organized Industrial Zones, Business Development Centers, Technology Development Zones, Technology Transfer Offices, clusters in the DOKAP Region, and the design of the support system. In addition to DOKAP President Ekrem Yüce and the project team, Samsun 19 Mayıs University Vice Rector Mehmet Kuran and Samsun Technopark Manager Buğra Çolak also participated in the visits.
On the first day of the program, PRUAB, the research center of the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), one of the best universities in the Catalunya region, Synchrotron, one of the largest industrial parks in Europe, and EURECAT, one of the leading technology centers in the region, were visited and information was received from the authorities of the institutions and opinions were exchanged on various issues.
On the second day of the program, before noon, PARC UPC, the research center of the Polytechnic University of Catalunya and the Institute of Robotics and Industrial Informatics (IRI) within the university, and the incubator and accelerator of TecnoCampus, which is designed for university-industry cooperation, were visited at its campus in Mataro. In the afternoon, we moved to the city of Terrassa, where we visited the AEI Textils textile technologies cluster located in the LEITAT technology center. During the visit to this textile cluster, which has a Bronze Cluster Excellence Award, information was collected on the textile/ready-to-wear cluster to be feasible in the DOKAP Region, cluster strategies and cooperation processes between members were examined and opinions were exchanged on the issues to be considered in cluster formation. During this visit, LEITAT technology center authorities also introduced their technology centers.
The field visits continued on Thursday and Friday with meetings with leading science and technology centers, regional development organizations and clusters in the cities of Alaba, San Sebastian and Bilbao in the Basque Country. As part of the program in the Basque Country, on the first day, the Alava Incubation Center (BIC Alava) and the Alava Technology Park were visited to examine the innovation system of the Basque Country, the impact of the incubation center and start-up companies on the innovation ecosystem and development of the region, and the supports and services provided for start-ups to pass the stage called death valley, which is the most difficult stage for start-ups. In addition, information was received on the location selection criteria of technological structures, their future strategies and growth plans, and possible collaborations were evaluated.
On the second day of the program in the Basque Country, meetings were held with the Basque Economic Development Agency (SPRI), Bilbao City Council, Bilbao Innovation Factory (Bilbao Berrikuntza Faktoria) and GAIA Electronics and Information Technologies Cluster; and the internationalization, entrepreneurship, innovation and technology, strategic projects and initiatives, infrastructure and financial support and services implemented by the SPRI regional development agency of the Basque Local Government in the economic development of the region and the increase of the gross national product, and how the city of Bilbao has been re-developed in a planned way starting from the beginning after the crisis. In addition, during the visit to the GAIA cluster, which is certified silver by the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) Model, the cluster's contribution to the digital transformation and development of the region and the activities and services provided within the cluster were examined.
During the meetings, TÜBİTAK TÜSSİDE and DOKAP officials made presentations introducing both their institutions and the DOKAP Entrepreneurship and Innovation Research Project, as well as various promotional activities to raise awareness about our country.
