Our University provides institutional support to start-ups, entrepreneurs, researchers, and project teams developing innovative ideas in the fields of the low-carbon economy, clean energy, climate action, and sustainable technologies. This support includes business idea development, one-to-one mentoring, project preparation, technology development, intellectual property management, commercialization, investor matchmaking, access to national and international funding opportunities, company formation, and international collaboration mechanisms. These activities are carried out particularly through the Karadeniz Technical University Technology Transfer Application and Research Center (KTU TTM), while low-carbon and clean energy technologies are also prioritized within the University’s institutional clean energy policy.
The University’s Policy on the Use, Research, Development and Support of Clean Energy Technologies provides the institutional foundation for this approach. The objectives of the policy include decarbonizing the University’s energy consumption, expanding the use of renewable energy systems, supporting R&D activities related to clean energy technologies, and creating the necessary environment for transferring developed technologies into practical applications and commercialization.
The policy also envisages monitoring national and international clean energy funding opportunities through KTU TTM, supporting research in renewable energy and energy efficiency, and facilitating the commercialization of technologies developed in these areas. In this way, the University institutionally supports the transformation of clean energy and low-carbon technologies from academic research into innovative products, technologies, and entrepreneurial ventures.
Evidence:
https://www.ktu.edu.tr/dosyalar/sustainability_eSmCN.pdf
Evidence:
https://www.ktu.edu.tr/sustainability/policy-development-for-clean-energy-technology
KTU TTM’s Entrepreneurship and Commercialization Services transform this policy framework into a continuous support mechanism for entrepreneurs. The Center provides researchers, students, and entrepreneurs with services relating to business idea development, company formation, investor matchmaking, technical support, project development, and commercialization.
Technology-based business ideas are evaluated in terms of their technological maturity, market dynamics, competitive conditions, and commercialization potential. Entrepreneurs receive support in developing business models and business plans, company establishment processes, access to investor networks, and technology commercialization. The licensing and transfer of developed technologies and their connection with the private sector are also supported.
This mechanism provides the institutional infrastructure required for innovative ideas in low-carbon and clean energy fields to progress through the research → technology → business idea → enterprise → investment → commercialization pathway.
Evidence:
https://www.ktu.edu.tr/tto/girisimcilik-ve-ticarilesme-hizmetleri
One of the strongest and most direct initiatives supporting low-carbon enterprises in 2025 was the Project Competition organized within the Greater Black Sea Forum, held on 10–12 December 2025. One of the priority thematic areas of the competition was explicitly defined as “Low-Carbon and Clean Energy Solutions.”
The competition was open not only to university students and researchers but also directly to start-ups, entrepreneurs, companies, clusters, and business support organizations. It therefore created an accessible innovation platform for enterprises developing technologies for the low-carbon economy and clean energy.
Within the programme, innovative ideas in low-carbon and clean energy fields could be presented in the form of prototypes, research-based ideas, strategic proposals, or business models. Participants were given opportunities to present their projects to experts, sector stakeholders, and potential investors; gain regional and international visibility; identify new partners; and access award and funding opportunities.
Evidence:
https://www.ktu.edu.tr/tto/etkinlik/buyuk-karadeniz-forumu-proje-yarismasi
The overall structure of the Greater Black Sea Forum also created a comprehensive innovation, technology transfer, and entrepreneurship ecosystem for low-carbon enterprises. One of the Forum’s three main thematic areas was directly designated as “Low-Carbon and Clean Energy Solutions,” with seminars, panels, thematic workshops, project competitions, and B2B meetings integrated within the same platform.
The Forum brought together academics, entrepreneurs, start-ups, companies, investors, public institutions, and technology transfer organizations, thereby providing a collaborative environment for the development, adoption, and commercialization of low-carbon and clean energy technologies. Participation by research and technology organizations from Türkiye, Greece, Bulgaria, and Romania also supported enterprises in accessing international networks.
Technologies presented during the Forum included solutions directly contributing to the low-carbon economy, such as CO? capture and utilization, clean energy, energy efficiency, and low-carbon technologies.
Evidence:
https://www.ktu.edu.tr/tto/etkinlik/buyuk-karadeniz-forumu
Evidence:
https://ktu.edu.tr/tto/duyuru/buyuk-karadeniz-forumu-10-12-aralik-2025
Another important support mechanism for project owners working on low-carbon and clean energy solutions was the Business Idea Evaluation and Mentoring Workshop, organized on 10 December 2025 as part of the Greater Black Sea Forum.
During the workshop, entrepreneurs received one-to-one mentoring from KTU TTM experts. The meetings assessed the level of innovation of the enterprises, target markets, customer segments, value propositions, competitive advantages, commercialization potential, and investment potential.
Entrepreneurs were also guided regarding TÜBÄ°TAK, KOSGEB, and other national and international investment and funding mechanisms. Support for technology-based enterprises with high Technology Readiness Levels demonstrates that the mechanism focuses not only on idea generation but also on product development, market entry, investment, and commercialization stages.
Considering that one of the Forum’s main themes was “Low-Carbon and Clean Energy Solutions,” this workshop constitutes an important support mechanism for strengthening the business model, investment readiness, and commercialization capacities of low-carbon enterprises.
Evidence:
https://surdurulebilirlik.ktu.edu.tr/tto/etkinlik/is-fikri-degerlendirme-ve-mentorluk-atolyesi
Our University also supports enterprises developing low-carbon and sustainable technologies in gaining access not only to national opportunities but also to international funding schemes and project partnerships.
The International Project Development and Consortium Formation Workshop, organized as part of the Greater Black Sea Forum, represents an important mechanism in this regard. The thematic priorities of the workshop directly included the low-carbon economy, climate change adaptation, resilience, and sustainability.
Entrepreneurs, company representatives, researchers, public institutions, and business support organizations developed project ideas for open or upcoming international funding programmes, met potential project partners, and had opportunities to establish international consortia.
This support mechanism enables a start-up developing low-carbon technologies not only to receive mentoring but also to transform its technology into an international R&D or innovation project, identify foreign partners, and gain access to international funding resources.
Evidence:
KTU also supports low-carbon and clean energy enterprises in gaining access to investors, industrial partners, and international R&D networks through B2B mechanisms.
The B2B Innovation, Collaboration and Investment Meetings, held as part of the Greater Black Sea Forum, enabled entrepreneurs, companies, researchers, technology transfer offices, public institutions, and investors to be matched individually according to their needs and technology profiles.
The key objectives of the meetings included developing joint R&D projects, creating investment and commercialization opportunities, establishing new technology partnerships, and promoting international collaboration. Thus, an enterprise developing clean energy or low-carbon technology could establish direct connections with potential investors and technology partners.
The presence among the Forum’s international partners of organizations working in energy and clean technologies further strengthened access to international technology and partnership networks for low-carbon enterprises.
Evidence:
https://www.ktu.edu.tr/ttoen/event/b2b-innovation-collaboration-and-investment-meetings
In 2025, our University also carried out activities aimed at communicating international funding and R&D opportunities relating to clean energy technologies to entrepreneurs and technology developers.
In this context, the Clean Energy Transition Partnership – CETPartnership 2025 Call was announced by KTU TTM. The programme provides funding for international R&D and innovation projects aimed at developing new technologies and system solutions required for the clean energy transition.
The opportunity for private-sector organizations in Türkiye, as well as universities, to participate in these programmes through various mechanisms represents an important opportunity for enterprises developing clean energy and low-carbon technologies to access international R&D funding and partnerships.
KTU TTM’s dissemination of such calls to the entrepreneurship and research ecosystem, together with its support for project-development processes, constitutes a complementary institutional mechanism facilitating access to finance for low-carbon technologies.
Evidence:
Evidence:
KTU’s institutional support for technology-based entrepreneurs also continued in 2025 through the TÜBÄ°TAK 1812 BiGG Investment Programme. Within the BiGG programme, KTU TTM supports entrepreneurs in areas including the development of technology-based business ideas, business model development, business plan preparation, financial planning, patent searches, and mentoring.
The TÜBÄ°TAK 1812 BiGG Investment 2025-2 Project Preparation Workshop, organized for the second call period of 2025, supported the transformation of technology-based business ideas into investable entrepreneurial projects.
When considered together with the University’s thematic support mechanisms for low-carbon, clean energy, and sustainable technologies, this general technology entrepreneurship infrastructure creates a complementary ecosystem in which low-carbon enterprises can progress from the idea stage to the investment stage.
Evidence:
KTU TTM’s support for technology-based entrepreneurship also generated tangible outcomes in 2025. Under the first call of the TÜBÄ°TAK 1812 BiGG Investment Programme for 2025, several entrepreneurs received support through the entrepreneurship consortium led by KTU TTM.
This result demonstrates that the University has an active entrepreneurship infrastructure that facilitates access to finance for technology-based enterprises and supports the progression of entrepreneurial ideas toward company formation and investment.
Although this mechanism supports technology entrepreneurship in general, when assessed alongside thematic support for clean energy, energy efficiency, climate technologies, and low-carbon technologies, it provides the institutional infrastructure necessary for enterprises contributing to the low-carbon economy to progress toward financing and investment stages.
Evidence:
Taken together, these practices demonstrate that our University’s support for low-carbon innovation is not limited to general entrepreneurship activities. The University:
In conclusion, in 2025 our University provided a multidimensional and institutional support system for start-ups and enterprises developing the low-carbon economy and low-carbon technologies, extending from the initial idea-development stage through investment and commercialization.
