Technoparks in Turkey
Turkey is in the take-off stage of high technology following its rapid
industrialization. Existing industrial parks around the country are
rapidly filling up and expansion plans are on the boards. Plans for
new industrial parks are being drawn-up for cities that do not have
industrial parks.
Recently, words such as technoparks, technopolises, science parks,
research and development centers, among others, are becoming commonly
discussed undertakings by government officials, academicians,
industrialists and businessmen. The Marmara R & D Center, known as
MAM, in Gebze near Istanbul, employs over 900 people, mostly researchers.
Many companies are establishing their own R & D departments or are
increasing their R & D budgets. They also assign work to universities
and to centers such as MAM.
Joint programs between universities and industry are the talk of the
day. Entities such as the ESBAS Technology center at the Aegean Free
Zone, the leading technopark in Turkey, are endeavoring to close the
gap between industry and academia. Turkey aims to be not only a user
of high technology imported from abroad but also a developer of new
technologies. This latter was emphasized by President Demirel at the
inauguration of the ESBAS Technology Center in November, 1997.
Alacati Environmental Technopark
The Alacati Environmental Technopark is the brainchild of visionaries
such as Alacati's Mayor Remzi Özen, industrialist Ergun Ozakat, and
retired Admiral Isik Biren. A dream they have been pursuing since the
early 1990's will now start becoming a reality under the leadership
of an ESBAS team. ESBAS, the developer-operator of the Aegean Free
Zone, is the first private developer of an industrial park and free
zone in Turkey.
The Aegean Free Zone opened its doors to manufacturing and commerce in
the beginning of 1992. It has reached a working population of 4,000
people and an investment of $100 million in infrastructure, buildings
and equipment. The total trade volume in its 7 years of operation
reached $5 billion.
ESBAS will soon form a company for the development and operation of the
Alacati Technopark. The Municipality of Alacati and the Izmir Government's
Private Investment Fund will also partake in this new company. The
Alacati City Council has allocated 7 million square meters of land
for the Alacati Technopark. This land will be transferred to the
company from the Turkish Treasury. The Government will provide, up to
the Technopark's boundary line, all the utilities and the access to
the Izmir - Cesme motorway.
The Status of the Development
The close cooperation of all the governmental bodies and the concerted
effort of the developer-operator company will ensure the rapid start-up
of this unique technopark. It is unique in a number of ways. First, it
is to house companies from all over the world whose primary focus is
on matters and products related to the environment, be it in the form
of R&D or light manufacturing. Second, it is a grass-roots development,
enabling it to be well-planned and ensuring orderly development with
excellent amenities. Third, it is located in an idylic location, near
pristine waters of the Aegean Sea, close to existing residential and
touristic facilities, and will have a corporate airport within its
boundaries.
The nearby campuses of Izmir's three universities will help provide
the firms in Alacati Technopark with well trained scientists. Easy
access to population centers of the Izmir metropolitan area will enable
the resident firms to recruit qualified manpower at reasonable costs.
The master planning of the Alacati Environmental Technopark will start
soon. Topographic maps have been collated and provide civil engineers
and planners the necessary information to analyze site development
alternatives. Together with geophysical work to be performed soon,
an attractive, functional and cost-effective plan is expected to emerge.
In parallel to the master plan work, models for financing the development
will be studied and an optimal program developed. Since a phase-by-phase
development driven by demand is envisaged, financing is not expected
to be an obstacle to the initiation of the early development of the
project.
Conclusion
It is hoped and expected that the Alacati Environmental Technopark
will be an important link in the chain technoparks in Turkey's leap
forward in the high-technology development area. In ESBAS, we are
proud and excited to be involved in such a project. We trust that we
will have the cooperation of the multitute of entities, governmental
or otherwise, that enter into equation for the creation of this new
new technopark. We can, thus realize the dreams of many and continue
participating in the progress of Turkey, and ultimately that of the
World, in the area of environmental preservation.
Kaya Tuncer
Chairman and CEO of ESBAS - IZMIR Free zone
The Aegean Free Zone Development & Operating Co.,Inc.
