The Consortium

IRC-EGE is operated by a Consortium formed by Ege University Science and Technology Centre (EBILTEM), the Aegean Region Chamber of Industry (EBSO), the Izmir Ataturk Organised Industrial Region (IAOSB) and the Directorship for Support and Development of SME’s (KOSGEB).

The partners of IRC-EGE have complementary objectives: EBILTEM supplie the academic and research aspects, offering technical expertise and consultancy, providing a platform for university-industry collaboration and national technology transfer. Meanwhile IAOSB provides the collection of SMEs to immediately commence the IRC activities, KOSGEB caters for their financial and managerial needs and EBSO provides a wide platform for the dissemination of information and for creating a larger group of clients. Although they have no previous experience in running an IRC, it is apparent that their joint efforts and previous domestic and also international experiences will make the project successful in the Aegean region.

Regional Universities

EBSO on the other hand has a protocol, signed with six regional universities in Mugla, Denizli, Manisa and Izmir (Ege, Dokuz Eylul and Yuksek Teknoloji), for the promotion of university-industry relations. EBSO’s good regional relations and influence is indispensable especially in the establishment of Branch Offices in different provinces.

All of the partners have their own specific company databases. These have provided a starting point for the IRC-EGE database. In addition, EBSO has branches in various provinces and is also an influential organization in the region. KOSGEB also has offices in a range of provinces. These contacts together with the network of regional universities are to be utilized to establish the 5 Branch Offices planned for the efficient distribution of services.

All of these organisations are deeply committed to promoting relationships between academia and industry and they have been collaborating closely for the last seven years to attain pre-determined targets towards these objectives. Through the leadership of Ege University, these endeavours have been handled with an institutionalised approach, increasing the efficiency of joint collaborative activities between industrial companies and research institutions. EBILTEM has been active within this framework for the last seven years, organizing annual project exhibitions, national brokerage events and developing a database for industrially applicable projects developed by regional research institutions and providing a platform for university-industry collaboration and national technology transfer. In the Agro-industry brokerage event held in May 2002, 16 projects out of the 96 exhibited ended up in collaborative projects. Thus, IRC-EGE is building on what has already been achieved, exploiting the existing infrastructure in the EBILTEM Building in which it is co-inhabiting.