A Strong Start for ITU Platform Projects

The ITU Platform Project Program, which was launched for the first time in 2025 and accepted applications, officially began on January 12, 2026, with a signing ceremony held at our Ayazağa Campus, marking the official launch of five platforms deemed worthy of support. The platforms stand out for their qualities that strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration within the ITU research ecosystem and support joint production in strategic areas.

The official launch of projects supported under the ITU Platform Project Program was marked by the signing of agreements at a ceremony held at the Süleyman Demirel Cultural Center on January 12. At the ceremony hosted by Büşra Nur Albayrak from our Media and Communication Office, Deans of the faculties involved in the projects, participating academics, and students gathered under the auspices of ITU Rector Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal.

ITU Rector Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal expressed his satisfaction with the signing ceremony for the five platforms, noting that the platform projects were inspired by the university's long-standing history. Prof. Dr. Mandal stated that projects carrying the mission of creating value for society from the past to the present embody ITU's vision of being a responsibility and impact-focused research university.

Our Rector emphasized that each platform project brings together ITU's knowledge base with our students and stakeholders. He noted that the platforms have strengthened the culture of interdisciplinary collaboration and laid the foundations for a sustainable research ecosystem. He thanked the platform project leaders, researchers, students, and stakeholders, expressing his hope that the projects would become a success story that adds value to Türkiye.

At the signing ceremony, our academic platform project managers gave presentations. Following the presentations, the agreements were signed to mark the start of the projects.

Each platform was designed as a structure that generates innovation and added value within itself and fosters learning. Students' active participation plays an important role in shaping the platforms. This quality, which enables the expansion of platform projects in terms of scope, further strengthens the impact that the project will generate.

Applications for the ITU Platform Project Program, strengthened by university-industry-public sector collaborations, were accepted between August 1 and October 1, 2025. Following the evaluation process, the supported projects were announced on December 29. The five platform projects that received support offer opportunities for a total of 74 researchers from 13 different departments at ITU to shape the technologies of the future.

Platform projects eligible for support:

Geohazard Monitoring and Risk Analytics Platform (GeoRiskHub):

GeoRiskHub analyzes climate change-related disaster risks in a dynamic and integrated structure, offering a high-capacity risk ecosystem by evaluating multiple hazard scenarios.

Director: Prof. Dr. Tolga Görüm - Eurasian Institute of Earth Sciences

Electric Energy Generation from Istanbul Bosphorus Currents

The turbine system, which utilizes the currents of the Bosphorus, contributes to sustainable transportation goals by integrating environmentally friendly and low-noise energy production with maritime transport.

Director: Prof. Dr. Uğur Oral Ünal - Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering

IPMED: Integrated Photonic and Microfluidic Early Diagnostics Systems Platform

IPMED, which combines photonics, microfluidics, and biosensor technologies, offers domestic solutions for the early diagnosis of cancer and other diseases.

Director: Prof. Dr. Levent Trabzon - Department of Mechanical Engineering

E-TEXIOT: E-Textile Suit as an IoT Platform:

The platform, which integrates wearable sensors with IoT infrastructure, develops scalable solutions for healthcare, rehabilitation, and smart living applications.

Director: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gökhan İnce - Department of Computer Engineering

New Horizons in Integrated Circuit Design, Modeling, and Optimization: Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Algorithms, and Cybersecurity-Based Applications:

Artificial intelligence, quantum algorithms, and cybersecurity approaches are producing solutions that will deliver efficiency, security, and high performance in chip design.

Director: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mustafa Berke Yelten - Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering