The fifth gathering of the academic platform strengthening University–Industry Collaboration
The ARDEK Workshop is organised to strengthen the relationship between universities and industry, develop joint research and innovation ecosystems, and produce policy recommendations.
The 5th ARDEK Workshop, to be held on November 2–3, 2026 at Selçuk University, Konya, will bring together academics, industry representatives, policy makers and international guests to discuss six critical themes.
The Konya Declaration produced at the end of the workshop will be presented to CoHE and relevant ministries as a policy document.
To identify current challenges in University–Industry Collaboration (UIC), share international best-practice examples and develop concrete policy recommendations for Türkiye.
Panel sessions exploring university–industry collaboration across six themes
The institutional framework of university–industry collaboration mechanisms in Türkiye, coordination structures and strengthening of governance models are discussed. The role of CoHE in UIC policies, university technology transfer offices and capacity for industry linkages are examined.
Successful university–industry collaboration models from Germany, Sweden, South Korea and other countries are presented by international speakers. Benchmarking against Türkiye's current structure leads to adaptable model proposals.
The design of graduate programmes responding to industry needs, industrial doctorate applications and jointly-run research programmes with industry stakeholders are examined. Shared university–industry responsibility for training qualified researchers and engineers is discussed.
Bringing university research infrastructure together with industry in health technologies, medical devices and pharmaceuticals is discussed. Collaboration opportunities and barriers in clinical research, biotechnology and digital health are examined.
Commercialisation of academic R&D in agricultural biotechnology, precision farming, food safety and sustainable food systems is examined. Joint project models between university research centres and companies in the agri-food sector are discussed.
Collaboration models in the university–industry–defence triangle in national defence technologies, unmanned systems, cyber security and critical infrastructure are discussed. Joint projects coordinated by the Presidency of Defence Industries and the role of universities are examined.
At the close of the 5th ARDEK Workshop, the outputs of two days of discussions and working groups will be compiled into the Konya Declaration. This declaration will be shared publicly with a view to presenting its policy recommendations, implementation guidance and priority action items to CoHE and relevant ministries.
Join the Workshop →