ITU Broughts Together Sector Representatives at R&D Day Activities
The R&D Day, organized with the motto “Innovative Projects Come to Life”, aimed to bring together 40 academic projects with R&D centers in the fields of nanotechnology, technical textiles, functional textiles, textile technologies,
textile chemistry and textile based composites compiled from the studies of academicians. In his opening speech for the event, Ahmet Öksüz, Chairman of ITHIB (Istanbul Textile and Raw Materials Exporters’ Union), highlighted the importance of the textile and raw materials industry for the Turkish economy. He stressed that this is inevitable for the export targets of the textile industry and the university, and for the transformation of the industrial cooperation. Ahmet Öksüz stated that Turkey is one of the rare countries where all the production stages in the textile from cotton to jackets is performöed within the country, and said, “Our industry, that covers textiles, garments, leather products and carpets, is the biggest export sector in Turkey with more than 30 billion dollars of exports.”
Underlining the need for qualified manpower to make this success sustainable, Chairman Öksüz said, “Therefore, we need more qualified manpower than ever to create added value in our industry so that we can transform our facilities with high investment costs into a R&D centers and reach our export targets.”
“THE NEED FOR R&D AND INNOVATION INCREASES EACH DAY“
Noting that the Textile and Apparel Exporters’ Union of Turkey has made an agreement with the Council of Higher Education with the aim of improving the quality of textile engineering, Chairman Ahmet Öksüz said,”We aim to increase the quality and preference in the textile engineering department by providing scholarships and guaranteeing job for students who will chose to study textile engineering.”
Chairman Ahmet Öksüz emphasized the importance of the projects prepared and presented by academicians and students in order to make a difference, and said that “New countries are joining the global competition arena every day, and only the countries that research and develop can make a difference. In this regard, our industry’s need for R&D and innovation is increasing day by day. Our expectations from the young people, whom we see as the guarantee of our future are transmitting their knowledge and experience to their industry, and continuing to work in the textile industry.”
ITHIB TO IMPLEMENT 5 DIFFERENT SUB-SECTOR P&D PROJECTS
Istanbul Textile and Raw Materials Exporters’ Union (ITHIB) will implement the project “Developing International Competitiveness for Weaving Fabrics, Hand Knitting Yarns, Garments Sub-Industry, Knitted Fabrics and Technical Textile Industries” within the scope of the Ministry of Commerce’s UR&GE program (Supporting the Improvement of International Competitiveness).
In order to gain new export markets for its members, increase their competencies, and breathe new lifge into exports, ITHIB will bring together its members with the Ministry of Commerce’s incentives under the UR-GE program (Supporting the Improvement of International Competitiveness).
This activity is one of the biggest P&D programs specifically designed for the textile industry in Turkey, and a limited number of participating companies will be able to benefit from it.
