Deep tech factory transforms innovative ideas into reality

Zülal Atagün – İZMİR

A pioneering deep technology factory is providing a new avenue for entrepreneurs, SMEs and innovators to transform their ideas into tangible products.

The primary mission of the factory is to empower those with innovative ideas by providing easy and free access to production and analytical tools in the emerging field of "deep technology."

The unique facility located within Ege University’s Technopark and supported by the E.U. allows for the prototyping of a wide range of items, from crucial components of jet engines to parts of a human backbone, all within the same space.

The factory’s inclusive approach is highlighted by Ege Technopark General Manager İskender İnce. “This factory was established to help those who have an idea but don’t have the means to turn it into a product or a prototype,” he explained.

İnce emphasized that the factory is equipped to support a wide array of projects, from developing cancer treatments to constructing jet engines.

The factory offers 3D polymer and metal printers, diverse material options for additive manufacturing, wire erosion, fiber laser cutting, PCB prototyping and 3D optical scanning services for high-precision CAD data generation and quality control of 3D models.

Informatics and life sciences are key areas at Technopark, where the factory’s capabilities exceed those found in many European counterparts according to İnce.

It also fosters academic collaboration, integrating the work of faculty members, students, and industry professionals through a pre-incubation program designed to help students transform their ideas into viable businesses.

Anıl Baybura, the deputy general manager of Ege Technopark, elaborated on the facility’s impact.

“We support all projects that the infrastructure of the devices we have makes possible. We have 36 companies, both Turkish and foreign,” he said

“In the future, our colleagues will be able to move on to the business development part carried out with partners in Europe together with us.”