University-Industry Cooperation in the Paints and Coatings Sector

The development of our country and progress towards 2023 targets depend on increasing production and exports. In manufacturing industry, quality products, product variety, innovative and cost-reducing alternative solutions are of particular importance for the paints and coatings sector. Under the auspices of the Ministry of Economy, the Istanbul Chemical Substances and Products Exporters Association and Paint Manufacturers Association prepared in 2012 "Paints and Raw Materials Sector Development Workshop 2015-2023 Targets-Strategies Final Report" in which the sector's strengths were identified as; product variety, high installed capacity, emphasis on R&D and innovation and having environmentally friendly, health-conscious and advanced technology infrastructure, while weaknesses were identified as; import of paint raw materials from abroad, shortage of skilled labor, the sector consisting of small enterprises and financing problems, insufficient market controls for product standards etc. In the same report; increase in social consumption levels, the dynamic nature of the construction sector and development of the contracting industry, and increase in paint consumption due to insulation regulations changes were evaluated as opportunities. In this context; innovation-based R&D that can be described as value-added innovation and alternative raw material studies to reduce external dependency are seen as extremely important for the sector. Academic support to be provided through public-private partnership, industry-oriented master's and doctoral thesis studies for raw material R&D, encouragement of universities to develop innovative products in these areas and transfer them to industry, and increasing cooperation through technology parks and technology transfer offices acting as intermediary between industry and academia are among the first solutions that come to mind. On the other hand; the primary duty of universities, in addition to providing education and training services, is to conduct research in basic and applied fields and produce new knowledge and add new knowledge to existing knowledge. The most effective way to transfer knowledge accumulated in academia to the production process is to establish university-industry cooperation.

Contributing to the conversion of technology-based scientific knowledge at universities into economic value by transferring it to industry, and directing companies towards R&D and innovation activities, ensuring sustainable cooperation based on mutual trust between academics at the university and industrialists has become quite important today.

The emphasis given to R&D and innovation in the paints and coatings sector will contribute to our country achieving stronger competition with Europe in this field and will mean an increase in our society's welfare level.   Prof. Dr. Öner Yusuf Toraman Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University Faculty of Mining Engineering, Faculty Member&Public-University-Industry Cooperation Provincial Coordinator