Rector Hasan Ceylan said technocities are important mediating points for academics turning their ideas into practice, adding that knowledge which is not channeled into industry or economy these days is “worthless.”

“The technocity will affect every aspect of industry and computer software production. While academics cannot typically work in other institutions, the technocity will allow for that. Through the technocity academics could start up, or be involved in, companies. They will be able to turn their knowledge into practice and production,” Ceylan said.

Ceylan said the technocity would also be a significant contribution to the local economy and the university was happy to give potential investors all the information they required. He added that the university has allocated a 62-acre area to the project and purchased a building from the Mining Exploration Institute. “If the demand turns out to be high, we might enlarge the area,” he said.

Ceylan said that technocities, pioneered by the Middle Eastern Technical University, had been established in many universities nationwide, adding that they were now awaiting confirmation of the project by the Industry and Commerce Ministry.

According to information provided by Ceylan, the university will hold more than 50% of the technocity’s shares, while other partners included the Van Municipality, the Van Governorship, the Van Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Van Industrial Zone Directorate and the Business Development Center in the city.

Source: Anatolia News Agency