Ankara information event was organized with the aim of increasing the collaborations of the Technical Textile and Composite Materials Cluster (BUTEXCOMP Cluster), which was implemented in Bursa with the aim of strengthening the competitiveness of SMEs operating in the technical textile and composite materials sectors in global markets.

BUTEXCOMP Cluster, which is one of the most important outputs of the Composite Materials and Technical Textiles Prototype Production and Application Center Project (BUTEXCOMP) project carried out by Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BTSO), supported by the Ministry of Industry and Technology of the Republic of Turkey within the framework of the Competitive Sectors Program together with the European Union, organized ‘Composite Materials and Technical Textiles Cluster Introduction and Inter-Cluster Cooperation Development Event’ in Ankara. In the event, inter-cluster collaborations, sectoral trends, R&D and innovation opportunities, working areas and cooperation issues were discussed with national and international stakeholders.

Dr. Eren Er, Project Manager of BUTEXCOMP Cluster, made a presentation on “Bursa Technical Textile and Composite Materials Cluster Strategy and Scope of Inter-Cluster Cooperation”, while Yeliz Çuvalcı, BUTEXCOMP Clustering Specialist, informed the participants with her presentation titled “Strategic Positioning and Roadmap of BUTEXCOMP Cluster as an Innovation Cluster”. During the events, sectoral trends, working areas and cooperation opportunities were also evaluated via video conference with Walter Lutz, Secretary General and Judith Bosch, Project Manager of The European Technology Platform for the Future of Textiles and Clothing in Belgium, and Volker Mathes, Business Development Manager of the Federation of Reinforced Plastics operating in Germany, who agreed to sign joint projects.

The last of the Supply Chain Twinning Program Workshops was held within the scope of the Composite Material and Technical Textile Prototype Production and Application Center Technical Support Project (BUTEXCOMP) supported by the European Union and the Ministry of Industry and Technology of the Republic of Turkey within the framework of the Competitive Sectors Program and carried out by the Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BTSO).

Bursa Technology Coordination and R&D Center (BUTEKOM) General Manager Murat Kurtlar, who stated that they made a study visit to Germany and Belgium within the scope of the BUTEXCOMP Project at the workshop attended by sector representatives and academics, said: “We had discussions about the working system of centers similar to BUTEXCOMP during our contacts abroad. As an institution that constantly updates its goals, our basic approach is to support the efficiency of companies by using technologies that depend on the needs of the market. Again, to increase product quality through laboratory studies. Green transformation and innovation are also the most important parts of this process. The workshops were important for our companies to come together and share their competencies. “We will continue our informative activities to raise the awareness of our companies.” he said.

Noting that they received very positive feedback from the companies participating in the workshops, BUTEXCOMP 2nd Key Expert-Innovation Specialist Mutlu Sezen said, “We have achieved significant gains within the scope of our project. Within the scope of our Green Product Project, we are developing new products with 6 selected companies. We provide support to all 10 of our companies to benefit from marketing, foreign trade and financing opportunities in terms of trading the innovative products they have developed. We provide services on consultancy, prototyping, test-analysis, 3D printing, design and modeling with more than 50 companies. In this way, we move our Center to an established, active and sustainable position with all its infrastructure.” said.

Bursa Uludağ University Textile Engineering Department Head Prof. Dr. Dilek Kut said, “There was a very good participation by the companies. I observed that very productive bilateral meetings were held. We had the opportunity to improve our relations with company representatives. This was also very important for us as academics. I believe that as a result of the workshops we held, very good collaborations will be realized and very good projects will be implemented. In particular, these were works that would take the industry to great heights. The Turkish textile industry is very good at conventional production, but development in the field of technical textiles and composite materials should also be focused on. “Our companies should expand abroad in this context.” he said.

Assoc. Prof., Bursa Technical University, Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering. Dr. Cihan Kaboğlu said, “Bursa; A city that is the cradle of technical textiles and composite materials. Thanks to the BUTEXCOMP Project, it is very valuable for our companies operating in the field of technical textiles and composite materials to come together with academicians working in this field. I think it is very valuable in terms of making the products more technical and with higher added value. I believe that our city will produce products with very high added value with these studies focused on university-industry cooperation. It was also a huge step in terms of raising awareness of our companies. I would like to thank the BUTEXCOMP family very much. “I think similar activities should be carried out in many sectors.” he said.

At the last BUTEXCOMP Supply Chain Matching Workshop, Bursa SMEs evaluated cooperation opportunities in bilateral meetings with the suppliers, solution providers and potential buyers who participated in the workshop and were matched in line with needs/interests. Academicians also held meetings focused on university-industry cooperation.

2nd edition of the Supply Chain Twinning Program Workshops within the scope of the Composite Material and Technical Textile Prototype Production and Application Center Technical Support Project (BUTEXCOMP) supported by the European Union and the Ministry of Industry and Technology of the Republic of Turkey within the framework of the Competitive Sectors Program and carried out by the Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BTSO). The second one was organized.

Stating that the workshop held with the aim of increasing the competitiveness of technical textile and composite materials sector companies in Bursa in global markets was productive, BUTEXCOMP 2nd Key Expert-Innovation Specialist Mutlu Sezen said, “We received very positive feedback from the companies that participated in our previous workshops. Company officials state that they are extremely satisfied with the results of the project. It turns out that collaboration between companies is beneficial and will continue sustainably. “Such activities further increase companies’ trust and interest in the project.” he said.

Bursa Uludağ University Textile Engineering Department Head Prof. Dr. Dilek Kut said, “At the meeting where we came together with the companies, we had the opportunity to introduce ourselves as a university and explain the work we have done. Especially today, the textile industry has evolved into the technical textile field. Technical textiles and composite materials have begun to come to the fore. Technical textiles and composite materials will continue to be used in many areas. “With such workshops, we also examine the scientific side of the matter.” said. Bursa Technical University Polymer Materials Engineering Lecturer and Bursateknopark General Manager Prof. Dr. Ayşe Bedeloğlu said, “Within the scope of the project, the capacities of the companies were revealed. Our companies are quite experts in their fields, but sometimes they are not sufficiently aware of their capacities. This project provides benefits for them to use their capacities in a better way. As BTU, we will continue to support university-industry cooperation.” he said.

At the BUTEXCOMP Supply Chain Matching Workshop, Bursa SMEs evaluated cooperation opportunities with the suppliers, solution providers and potential buyers who participated in the workshop and were matched in line with needs/interests in their bilateral meetings.

The road map prepared by the Technical Support Team for the clustering studies initiated within the scope of the BUTEXCOMP Project for the technical textile and composite sectors in Bursa was introduced and discussed at the workshop held with the participation of stakeholders.

The activities of the Composite Material and Technical Textile Prototype Production and Application Center Technical Support Project (BUTEXCOMP), supported by the European Union and the Ministry of Industry and Technology of the Republic of Turkey within the framework of the Competitive Sectors Program and carried out by the Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BTSO), continue. Within the scope of the project, Bursa Technical Textile and Composite Materials Cluster Strategy Road Map and Action Plan Information Meeting was held with the participation of company representatives and Project stakeholders.

At the Bursa Technical Textile and Composite Materials Cluster Roadmap Information Meeting, the cluster strategy roadmap and action plan prepared by BUTEXCOMP Technical Support Team experts were shared with cluster members and stakeholders. At the meeting, priority strategies and development areas were discussed. BUTEKOM General Manager Murat Kurtlar, in his evaluation at the meeting, said: “As BUTEKOM, we support the implementation of this project and its activities. We continue to support our companies operating in the technical textile and composite materials sector in Bursa to benefit them in producing value-added products. A whole has a much greater meaning than the parts that make it up. It is necessary to evaluate cluster activities from this perspective. The definition of the cluster to be created in line with the studies in BUTEXCOMP is very common and well used in Europe. “Such workshops, where we improve ourselves before entering the environments required by competition, will always provide great benefits.” he said.

In order to increase competitiveness in the technical textile and composite material sectors in Bursa, a workshop was held within the scope of BUTEXCOMP Supply Chain Matching Program. The program aims to enable SMEs to gain a competitive advantage in global markets.

The activities of the Composite Material and Technical Textile Prototype Production and Application Center Technical Support Project (BUTEXCOMP), supported by the European Union and the Ministry of Industry and Technology of the Republic of Turkey within the framework of the Competitive Sectors Program and carried out by the Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BTSO), continue. Within the scope of the project, ‘Supply Chain Matching Workshop’ was held with the participation of company representatives.

The Supply Chain Matching Program implemented within the scope of BUTEXCOMP activities aims to meet the needs of SMEs operating at different levels of the value chain, as well as to increase the competitiveness, export capacity and added value of SMEs. In line with the program, solution partners and companies addressing the needs of SMEs operating in Bursa were brought together at the workshop. Coming together in the first of the workshops for the composite materials sector, the companies had the opportunity to find solutions to their needs in every area of ​​the supply chain while having bilateral meetings. It is aimed that the work to be carried out by companies that find a common ground to strengthen their local collaborations within the scope of the program will make significant contributions to the city and country’s economy.

In his speech at the workshop, BUTEXCOMP Operations Coordination Unit Director Prof. noted that the target outcome of the project was to create a cluster for the technical textile and composite materials sectors. Dr. Mehmet Karahan said, “We have created a very good research and prototyping infrastructure to increase the competitiveness of our SMEs. Currently, our SMEs; It utilizes this research, testing and prototyping infrastructure very effectively. Many of our SMEs carry out work such as developing new products or improving the performance of their existing products within BUTEXCOMP. We have also created a serious training series for our SMEs to help them adapt more easily to the developments in technical textiles and composites, and it continues rapidly. Approximately 200 SMEs benefited from all these activities. With these efforts, we aim to create a supply chain that includes our companies. We have prepared a series of workshops on this subject. Our aim is to increase the synergy between companies and ensure the formation of networks between them.” said.

Making a presentation to the companies at the workshop, Bursa Technical University Polymer Materials Department faculty member Prof. Dr. Ayşe Bedeloğlu said, “Composite is actually a sector that started to develop long ago in Europe and the USA. For our country, it is a new sector open to development. Companies in sectors such as textile and machinery can easily invest in this field and develop new products. In this way, they can catch up with the world and go above average with new products. This workshop was an important event that will shape the industry. In a sense, it is being carried out for the first time in Turkey. It is also a matter of pride that this is in Bursa. In particular, it will provide a progressive effect on the development-oriented aspect of Bursa industry. Having 2 state and 1 foundation university in Bursa is also an important advantage. “At this point, strengthening the industry in this regard can be achieved more easily by developing university-industry cooperation within the framework of composites.” he said.

At the workshop, twinning meetings were held to support the companies’ business capacity. At the end of the event, BUTEXCOMP Technical Support Specialist Serap Gültekin gave information about the work to be done in the program in line with the results of the Supply Chain Matching Workshop.
Composite Material and Technical Textile Prototype Production and Application Center (BUTEXCOMP) Technical Support Project carried out by BTSO is carried out within the scope of the Competitive Sectors Program, financed within the framework of the financial cooperation of the European Union and the Republic of Turkey and carried out by the Ministry of Industry and Technology.

The Supply Chain Matching Program was launched within the scope of the BUTEXCOMP Project to increase the competitiveness of the technical textile and composite material sectors in Bursa. The program aims to contribute to strengthening the export capacity of companies.

Introductory meeting for the Supply Chain Twinning Program within the scope of the Composite Material and Technical Textile Prototype Production and Application Center Technical Support Project (BUTEXCOMP) supported by the European Union and the Ministry of Industry and Technology of the Republic of Turkey within the scope of the Competitive Sectors Program and carried out by the Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BTSO). Edited. The meeting, attended by company representatives, was hosted by Bursa Technology Coordination and R&D Center (BUTEKOM).

Noting that a study has been carried out that shapes the future of the technical textile and composite material sectors, BUTEKOM General Manager Murat Kurtlar said, “A good supply process that operates without interruption is an important advantage for the future of the sectors. Being able to make the best demand forecasts, capacity planning, supplier quality management and order fulfillment is becoming more important every day. Therefore, supply chain collaboration is the most effective way to achieve these. The work we will do in this context within the scope of BUTEXCOMP will be very valuable. This program was launched to draw attention to the cooperation of supply chain actors, which is common in international markets. In the coming days, we will complete the preparatory work with the inputs and continue with matching workshops. “We aim to increase the competencies and competitiveness of companies in the technical textile and composite material sectors and their sub-sectors.” he said.

Supply chain; Stating that it is a critical system covering the process from raw material procurement to reaching the end user, BUTEXCOMP Technical Support Specialist Serap Gültekin said: “Increasing the competitiveness of SMEs operating in the technical textile and composite material sectors in Bursa, supporting open innovation, cooperation between SMEs and We are carrying out twinning studies to improve export capacities. With the awareness work we carried out, we ensured that the SMEs we identified were informed about the program and the workshops we will hold in the autumn. We also learned the expectations of our SMEs. With this program, SMEs need to exchange more information through matching. “With the program, we will contribute to the development in this direction and to increasing added value.” he said.

BUTEXCOMP, one of Turkey’s most important technological transformation projects in composite materials and technical textiles, supported by the European Union (EU) and the Republic of Turkey and carried out by Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BTSO), held a Search Meeting titled ‘Use of Composite Materials and Technical Textiles for Strengthening Buildings Against Earthquakes’ in Istanbul.

The Composite Material and Technical Textile Prototype Production and Application Center (BUTEXCOMP) Technical Assistance Project carried out by BTSO is implemented within the scope of the Competitive Sectors Program, which is financed within the framework of the financial cooperation between the European Union and the Republic of Turkey and carried out by the Ministry of Industry and Technology.

In the meeting, which continued for 2 days with the participation of academicians who are experts in their fields as well as representatives of relevant government agencies, universities, non-governmental organizations, research centers and the private sector, after the ‘situation analysis’, the necessary actions to be taken to prepare a draft road map and action plan for increasing the use of composites and technical textiles for earthquake-resistant structures were revealed through parallel group work.

On the first day of the program, world-renowned Japanese Earthquake Expert Yoshinori Moriwaki made a presentation on the studies carried out on the strengthening of buildings, while Yuko Tanaka, Head of the Turkey Office of the Japanese International Cooperation Agency JICA, explained the studies carried out by JICA after the February 6 earthquakes. Dr. Heike Illing-Günther, Director of the Saxon Textile Research Institute, who attended the meeting online from Germany, shared the results of the project titled ‘Textiles for the Building Sector – Examples of Reinforcing Materials/Research’. In the event, Prof. Dr. Güney Özcebe, Retired Faculty Member of METU Civil Engineering Department and Advisor to the Rector of TED University, made a presentation titled ‘Is Structural Retrofitting a Solution?’, Prof. Dr. Haluk Sucuoğlu made a presentation titled ‘Evaluation and Retrofitting of Existing Buildings’ and Prof. Dr. Alper İlki, Faculty Member of Istanbul Technical University Faculty of Civil Engineering and President of Earthquake Foundation, made a presentation titled ‘Kahramanmaraş Earthquakes, Retrofitting the Earthquake Performance of Existing Buildings’.

Commenting on the meeting, Alparslan Şenocak, Member of the Board of Directors of BTSO, said, “After the February 6 earthquakes, reinforcement applications, especially with carbon fibers, have come to the agenda again. Our Textile and Technical Textile Center of Excellence and Advanced Composite Materials Research and Excellence Center, which we established within BUTEKOM in Bursa, have an important infrastructure and accumulation that will strengthen the studies in this field. With our BUTEXCOMP project, we aim to prepare a new roadmap to increase the use of composite materials and technical textiles in the construction of new earthquake-resistant buildings and the retrofitting of existing buildings. In this context, I think that our search meeting, which we organized with the participation of sector stakeholders and experts in the field, provided important outputs.”

Prof. Dr. Mehmet Karahan, Director of the BUTEXCOMP Project Operation Coordination Unit, said: “Our aim is to establish a domestic supply chain in Turkey for technical textiles and composite materials used in earthquake retrofitting, and to establish the relevant standards and legislation. We also aim to close the gaps in education in this field and to create areas of cooperation. Within the scope of the workshops, we will continue to discuss issues such as how legislation and standards should be established in this field, who should work on this work, what can be done on the basis of education, for example, opening courses on the subject in the civil engineering department, opening reinforcement-oriented programs in 2-year vocational colleges. A very valuable report will be obtained at the Search Meeting in Istanbul. We will present this report to the relevant authorities with the hope that it will be implemented.”

BUTEXCOMP, one of Turkey’s most important technological transformation projects in composite materials and technical textiles, supported by the European Union and the Ministry of Industry and Technology of the Republic of Turkey and carried out by Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry, organized another event to increase the competitiveness of the sector. Technical Textile and Composite Materials Sector Cluster Analysis Strategy Meeting was held with the participation of companies and stakeholders in the sector.

The Composite Material and Technical Textile Prototype Production and Application Center (BUTEXCOMP) Technical Assistance Project carried out by Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BTSO) is carried out within the scope of the Competitive Sectors Program financed by the European Union and the Republic of Turkey within the framework of financial cooperation and carried out by the Ministry of Industry and Technology. In the first part of the ‘Cluster Analysis Strategy Meeting’ held with the participation of sector representatives, the importance of clustering and the ‘Cluster value chain and map’ prepared for the Composite Materials and Technical Textiles Cluster were shared with companies and project stakeholders. In the second part, the participants discussed in groups and shared their opinions.

BUTEXCOMP, one of Turkey’s most important technological transformation projects in composite materials and technical textiles, supported by the European Union and the Ministry of Industry and Technology of the Republic of Turkey and carried out by Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry, organized another event to increase the competitiveness of the sector. Technical Textile and Composite Materials Sector Cluster Analysis Strategy Meeting was held with the participation of companies and stakeholders in the sector.

Murat Kurtlar, General Manager of BUTEKOM, stated that the findings of the Bursa technical textile and composite materials cluster ecosystem value chain and cluster analysis were discussed in interactive sessions at the event and added: “We guide the transformation of the industry and our industrialists, especially digital and green transformation, by focusing on companies and entrepreneurs with high growth potential. The technical textile and composite sectors play a critical role in this transformation. Within the scope of this project; we will provide support to our companies operating in both sectors to develop their products, to enable them to open up to new markets, to ensure that they can get more share in global markets, and to strengthen their innovative capacities.”

Prof. Dr. Mehmet Karahan, Director of the BUTEXCOMP Project Operation Coordination Unit, said: “We aim to create a unified cluster for technical textiles and composite materials. With the supply chain created in the cluster, companies will complement each other and reach a point where they can compete in international markets and sell good products. Since there is no cluster in this field in Turkey, we deemed this work essential. BTSO, the beneficiary of the project, already has great experience in clustering. In this last event, we exchanged views with the companies on which elements the supply chain will consist of in the cluster. We will hold 4 more workshops.”

Yeliz Çuvalcı, BUTEXCOMP Clustering Expert Yeliz Çuvalcı shared the findings of the cluster analysis and value chain analysis and said: “Together with our companies, representatives of public institutions and organizations and universities, we discussed which steps we will take to compete with the whole world in Bursa in the technical textile and composite sector. We have taken the first step of the strategic road map that we will shape with the opinions of the companies on the basis of analysis, value chain. The technical textile and composite sectors are growing sectors with high added value all over the world. Bursa can become one of the world’s leading players in both sectors with its industrial infrastructure and company strength. For this, it is necessary to clarify which sub-sectors should be focused on and which technological capabilities and processes can be developed. Our job is to clarify this road map for companies.”

The Composite Material and Technical Textile Prototype Production and Application Center (BUTEXCOMP) Technical Assistance Project, carried out by the Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BTSO), is carried out within the scope of the Competitive Sectors Program financed by the European Union and the Republic of Turkey within the framework of financial cooperation and carried out by the Ministry of Industry and Technology. At the ‘Diagnostic Studies and Needs Analysis Consultation and Dissemination Meeting’ held with the participation of sector representatives; market research data and technology trends collected in the light of interviews with 140 companies and needs analysis with 50 companies will be adapted to the needs of SMEs in both sectors.

BTSO Board Member Hakan Batmaz stated that BUTEXCOMP aims to create a fully integrated cluster for the two sectors and said, “BUTEXCOMP, which will provide services in titles such as training, R&D, consultancy, partnership building and working together culture in order for the Bursa manufacturing industry to consolidate its place in the rapidly developing technical textile and composite sectors, will provide significant benefits to our companies. It will enable SMEs to become part of a technologically richer, more efficient and more competitive ecosystem.”

Prof. Dr. Mehmet Karahan, Director of the BUTEXCOMP Project Operation Coordination Unit, stated that the meeting was very important in shaping the future of both sectors and said: “We will use the results of the diagnostic study in the formation of partnership programs of companies in cluster formation, role model and supply chain studies. Especially the supply chain is very important for the correct formation of the cluster. We have obtained extremely useful outputs in the diagnostic study, cluster formation and supply chain formation, in the dimension of the services and trainings we will provide to the companies, as well as in determining the activities of BUTEXCOMP.”

Within the scope of the activities of BUTEXCOMP, one of the most important technological transformation projects for composite materials and technical textiles, conducted by the leadership of Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BTSO), an interactive training that will increase the competitiveness of technical textiles was held.

Composite Materials and Technical Textile Prototype Production and Application Center (BUTEXCOMP), which is one of the most important technological transformation projects co-financed within the framework of the financial cooperation of the European Union and the Republic of Türkiye, and conducted by the Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BTSO), makes a significant contribution to the transformation of the sectors. Within the scope of the project, a 3D/Next Generation Weaving Technologies Training programme was organized, hosted by Bursa Technology Coordination and R&D Center (BUTEKOM).

Under the leadership of BTSO, within the scope of the Competitive Sectors Programme carried out by the Ministry of Industry and Technology, a live virtual tour was held to the Germany Lindauer Dornier GmbH factory in the 3D/Next Generation Weaving Technologies Training organized within the BUTEXCOMP project implemented under the roof of BUTEKOM. In addition to the live online presentation on textile technologies and 3D knitted composite jacquard design software for composites, the Tape Weaving Machine Laboratory in BUTEKOM was physically visited.

BUTEKOM Academic Consultant Prof. Dr. Mehmet Karahan stated that they carried out a very useful programme and said, “As part of the technical textile part of our project, we organized a comprehensive training programme on advanced technology production methods used in the production of technical textile and composite material preforms. The operation at the Dornier factory in Germany was directly broadcasted live to our participants. Our participants had the opportunity to see and watch closely the weaving technologies used in 3D weaving, tape weaving and other technical textiles. With this activity, we think that we have completed the lack of knowledge of our companies, especially in the textile sector. We introduced them to new technologies and provided important information to our SMEs in their transformation into technical textiles. During this journey, we expect our SMEs to benefit from trainings and other activities in a more competitive and more technical textile-adapted way.”