TİM and İTÜ to Cooperate on Development of Domestic Solar Panels for Satellites

Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM) and Istanbul Technical University (İTÜ) have signed a cooperation protocol that will contribute to Turkey's "National Space Programme" objectives.

Through the protocol, the "Multi-Functional Solar Panel Research and Development Project for Nano, Micro and Cube Satellites" will be implemented within İTÜ's Space Systems Design and Test Laboratory, coordinated by İnovaTİM. The project will develop multi-functional, domestically-produced solar panels for Nano and Micro Satellites, which are increasingly widespread globally and have very low costs. TİM Chairman İsmail Gülle stated, "We will also export the project that will contribute to our space objectives."

Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM), the umbrella organisation of 61 exporter associations covering 27 sectors with 100,000 exporters, continues its work in line with Turkey's 2023 targets. In this context, a cooperation protocol was signed between TİM and Istanbul Technical University (İTÜ), one of Turkey's most established universities. At the signing ceremony held at TİM's Foreign Trade Complex, attended by TİM Chairman İsmail Gülle and İTÜ Rector Prof. Dr. İsmail Koyuncu, Astrophysicist Dr. Umut Yıldız, who continues his work at NASA, explained the importance of space technologies for young people through online participation, while Prof. Dr. Alim Rüstem Aslan gave a presentation on the project. Students from İnovaTİM also participated in the signing ceremony.

100 İNOVATİM STUDENTS IN THE PROJECT

Through the protocol to strengthen university-industry cooperation, the "Multi-Functional Solar Panel Research and Development Project for Nano, Micro and Cube Satellites" will be implemented within İTÜ's Space Systems Design and Test Laboratory, coordinated by İnovaTİM. The project, which directly aligns with three of the ten visionary objectives in Turkey's first National Space Programme announced by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, will enable 100 İnovaTİM students to acquire know-how by participating in project processes over two years. With the project reaching its goals in 2023, it is expected that solar panels will be developed with low costs and innovative techniques and reach export levels.

TARGET: SUSTAINABLE GROWTH AND EXPORTS

Speaking at the ceremony, TİM Chairman İsmail Gülle said, "The path to sustainable growth and exports runs through value-added exports, research and development, and innovation. University-industry cooperation is very important in this regard. We should ensure that scientific resources at universities are transferred to industry and converted into economic value. With the protocol we have signed, we are launching the 'Multi-Functional Solar Panel Research and Development Project for Nano, Micro and Cube Satellites' to be implemented within İTÜ's Space Systems Design and Test Laboratory, coordinated by İnovaTİM. We take particular pride in İnovaTİM, Turkey's youngest and most innovative family, being a stakeholder in such an important project. With our project, we aim to build capabilities in economic production techniques and development processes for solar panels used in Nano, Micro and Cube Satellites. With the project reaching its goals in 2023, we anticipate that solar panels developed with low costs and innovative techniques will reach export levels. We believe that the export of these panels will make a positive contribution to our per-kilogram export value in the coming period."

NATIONAL SPACE PROGRAMME EXCITING

Emphasising the excitement of the "National Space Programme" announced by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Gülle continued: Following our President's statement that "We will carry our flag, which most befits the skies, to the places it deserves. Our feet will be on earth, our eyes in space," we sprang into action. With the İTÜ cooperation, through our project, we aim to develop a costly space subsystem that we are currently dependent on abroad within our country's knowledge infrastructure and contribute to our National Space Programme in 2023. Since the day TİM was established, we have continued to emphasise the importance of exports for economic independence and to stress that the path to sustainable development runs through exports, and we will continue to do so. We take pride in our contribution to growth, development and employment. We will continue working towards "Turkey Rising through Exports" with new cooperations and consultation mechanisms and continue to make our contribution to our country's macro-level objectives. İNOVATİM IMPLEMENTING HIGH-IMPACT IMPORTANT PROJECTS Emphasising that İnovaTİM, which includes thousands of university students from 150 different universities, is a source of pride and implements high-impact important projects, Gülle said, "İnovaTİM Project Teams participate in international competitions and successfully represent our country. Through the Artificial Intelligence and Innovation Education Project in High Schools, we provide training to over 10,000 high school students on innovation, IoT and artificial intelligence. Through the İnovaTİM Innovation Competition, we produce hundreds of solution-oriented projects addressing the world's problems and conduct scientific studies on Generation Z. Through the 'Multi-Functional Solar Panel Research and Development Project for Nano, Micro and Cube Satellites', our first R&D project, 100 İnovaTİM students will acquire know-how by participating in project processes. We know this is the first step for our İnovaTİM students and believe that by developing solutions to the world's problems, they will make our country proud." Noting that space activities are advancing globally at a rapid pace and SpaceX deployed 833 satellites in 2020, Gülle said, "Furthermore, with launches to be conducted every two weeks, plans include placing more than 60 satellites per launch, bringing the total number of satellites to 42,000." PROF. DR. KOYUNCU: OUR TECHNOLOGY-BASED PRODUCTS WILL INCREASE İTÜ Rector Prof. Dr. İsmail Koyuncu said in his remarks: "The standard of being a developed country today is digitalisation, mastery of data, innovation and, as a result of all these, developing high value-added products that use technology at the highest level. Maintaining and increasing competitiveness is only possible through developing innovative products and processes. As a research university, İTÜ has the academic human resources, researchers and R&D infrastructure necessary to conduct the research and development, innovative work and fundamental research that our companies targeting branding and exports require. This protocol we have signed with Turkish Exporters Assembly is an extremely strong step towards increasing our technology-based products. I wish it brings good fortune to our country." Source