by
Muhammet Umut Danış | Mar 10, 2025
The Digital Factories and Transformation Laboratory was established on February 26, 2025, within our Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the Gümüşsuyu Prof. Dr. Necmettin Erbakan Campus, with the support of TUSAŞ.
At the opening ceremony for the Digital Factories and Transformation Laboratory, held on February 26th at the Gümüşsuyu Prof. Dr. Necmettin Erbakan Campus, ITU Rector Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal and TAI Chairman of the Board of Directors, our alumnus Ömer Cihad Vardan, each delivered speeches. The ceremony, where the protocol for the laboratory's opening was signed, was attended by Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Lütfiye Durak Ata, TAI Engineering Deputy General Manager Dr. Özkan Altay, our Deans, representatives from TAI, academics, and students.
Rector Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal emphasized that the laboratory, with TAI support, is a crucial infrastructure within the ITU Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, a development-based initiative, and represents a new model for university-industry collaboration. Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal stated that university-industry collaboration is not solely about one-way knowledge sharing, but rather about shared learning, development, production, and transformation processes.
Prof. Dr. Mandal stated that the projects carried out between TAI and ITU and the protocol signed reflect their vision of combining academic knowledge with industry experience in a stronger way. Our Rector emphasized that the infrastructure provided by the Digital Factories and Transformation Laboratory will offer new opportunities to a wide range of people, from undergraduate students to expert researchers. It will support academic development while also contributing to our country's technology ecosystem in projects requiring precision.
Ömer Cihad Vardan, Chairman of the Board of TAI, stated that TAI, as we have done in the past, continues to develop our country today and in the future, implementing projects starting with R&D to train students and ensure their participation in industry. Vardan stated that the Digital Factories and Transformation Laboratory is part of these efforts. TAI Chairman Ömer Cihad Vardan cited examples of university-industry collaboration from abroad and within TAI, stating that students' involvement in industrial projects during their university education positively contributes to their careers. Following his speeches, Rector Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal and TAI Chairman of the Board of Directors Ömer Cihad Vardan signed the protocol.
The Digital Factories and Transformation Laboratory will contribute to advanced engineering projects with its infrastructure specifically designed for projects carried out with TAI. Providing direct access to TAI's advanced computer systems, the laboratory will be a critical resource for academic and industrial studies.
Following the opening of the Digital Factories and Transformation Laboratory, TAI Chairman Ömer Cihad Vardan met with our students in the Orhan Öcalgiray Conference Hall. Vardan shared his views on the future of digital manufacturing technologies during the seminar and engaged in a pleasant conversation with the students.