Kordsa Technology and Impact Center Opens at Kocaeli University

Sabancı Youth Mobilization, an initiative launched by Sabancı Holding, continues to expand across Turkey. As part of the Sabancı Youth Mobilization program, which aims to create a new social development model on a national scale, the fifth Technology and Impact Centre was opened by Kordsa on the Kocaeli University campus.

The opening of the Kordsa Technology and Impact Centre, which will bring together young people and academics with future technologies in the field of materials technologies, was held with the participation of Kocaeli University Rector Prof. Dr. Nuh Zafer Cantürk, Sabancı Holding Materials Technologies Group Chairman Burak Orhun, Sabancı Holding Corporate Brand Management and Communications Department Head Filiz Caragül Tüzün, Kordsa CEO İbrahim Özgür Yıldırım, Kocaeli University faculty members and students.

Speaking at the ceremony, Kocaeli University Rector Prof. Dr. Nuh Zafer Cantürk said: "As Kocaeli University, we attach great importance to collaborations that touch the lives of our young people in particular, and we make this our management philosophy. We work with all our strength to create infrastructure and a research climate that will pave the way for scientific and technological advancement. Today we are proud to realize a meaningful project with Kordsa, a global brand and an important part of Sabancı Holding."

"WE WILL CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO GENERATE NEW IDEAS"

Sabancı Holding Materials Technologies Group Chairman Burak Orhun said: "The comprehensive transformation processes taking place in the world today necessitate a transition in the field of materials technologies. The shift from conventional materials to sustainable materials has now become a necessity for all sectors. Particularly to ensure that energy and mobility transformations bring lasting benefits, we need to put sustainable materials, which lie at the centre of these transformations, at the service of the world.

We are bringing the Kordsa Technology and Impact Centre to life with such a vision partnership with our Kocaeli University. In this centre, while providing our young people with all of Sabancı's technological infrastructure and accumulated knowledge, we will conduct work containing innovative solutions in materials technologies. In this way, we will create an environment for young people to generate new ideas, support them in creating sustainability and social impact, contribute to them becoming the next generation of leaders, entrepreneurs and researchers, and transform brain drain into brain gain," he explained.

PROJECTS WILL BE LINKED WITH KORDSA FACILITIES IN DIFFERENT GEOGRAPHIES AROUND THE WORLD

Kordsa CEO İbrahim Özgür Yıldırım, noting that materials technologies are the raw material of sustainability and that success gained in this field will serve the world and humanity, said: "We were founded in 1973 as a company supplying reinforcement materials to the tire sector. During this period, in addition to our tire reinforcement products, we added composite technologies, construction reinforcement and compounding products, becoming a global player in materials technologies.

Today, with our 2 R&D centres and 3 technical centres spread across the world, we have a global innovation network in 7 countries across 4 continents. With our Kordsa Technology and Impact Centre, we will further strengthen this network. We plan to link the projects and applications developed at the centre with Kordsa facilities in different geographies around the world. Our teams have prepared very comprehensive programmes. Our young people, by participating in these programmes, will become part of our vision to build the future. Our goal with the Kordsa Technology and Impact Centre is to reach a total of 1,500 young people by the end of 2025."

KORDSA WILL PROVIDE SUCCESSFUL YOUNG PEOPLE WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO GAIN EXPERIENCE

Work at the Kordsa Technology and Impact Centre will be structured under 5 different models.

● Project-Based Participation: Projects will be conducted with students in special areas such as sustainable advanced materials.
● Training: In addition to technical training in advanced materials, young people will be provided with operational excellence and personal development training, with the goal of equipping them with the knowledge and leadership sets they will need in the future.
● Mentoring programmes: Kordsa employees will mentor young people by sharing their knowledge and experience in the sector.
● Innovation programmes: Innovation programmes will be implemented to bring out the entrepreneurial spirit of young people and encourage their creativity. In the field of materials technologies, mechanisms will be designed to support the incorporation and productization processes of ideas developed by students and academics.
● Campus IT: Young people studying in computer engineering and software development fields will be offered opportunities for collaboration and experience in relevant Kordsa projects.