Three Awards to ITU Members from TechXtile Start-Up Challenge

Awards for the TechXtile Start-Up Challenge, organized for the fifth time this year, were presented at a ceremony held on March 5, 2024 in Bursa. ITU members who received three awards in two separate categories attracted attention with their successful projects.

Awards for the TechXtile Start-Up Challenge, organized by Uludağ Textile Exporters’ Association (UTİB) and Bursa Industry and Business Association (BUSİAD), were presented at a ceremony held on March 5, 2024 in Bursa. ITU members who received three awards in two separate categories attracted attention with their projects that create solutions for the needs of the textile field in the light of current technological developments. 

First place in Scale-Up category 

In the “Scale-Up” category, in which projects already implemented are evaluated by a jury of field experts, our Faculty of Architecture graduate Ahmet Halis Lala and Faculty of Management student Melih Gazi Küşüm’s project “Harcy” that utilizes textile waste as thermal insulation material in the construction sector was awarded the first prize. 

Underwear design for pilots 

Istanbul Technical University won the second and third prizes in the “Level-Up” category, in which presentations of projects that are still at the idea stage are awarded. The “Underwear Design for Pilots” project developed by our Faculty of Textile Technologies and Design faculty members Prof. Dr. Emel Önder Karaoğlu, Prof. Dr. Cevza Candan, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sena Cimilli Duru together with Rafet Sayar was awarded the second prize. 

Sustainable and environmentally friendly textile project 

The recipient of the third prize in the Level-Up category was “Ecoshieldpro” prepared by our Faculty of Textile Technologies and Design faculty member Prof. Dr. Fatma Banu Nergis and Department of Textile Engineering master’s student Bilge Koyuncu together with our Textile Engineering Ph.D. graduate Asst. Prof. Dr. Nebahat Aral. The award-winning project aims to contribute to the ecologically compatible development of the textile sector. 

We congratulate our academics and students and wish them continued success.