Knowledge and Innovation for the Benefit of Society

1. Knowledge and Innovation for the Benefit of Society Semra Ulku, President Izmir Institute of Technology

2. Calculus of Innovation: “Knowledge drives innovation, innovation drives productivity, productivity drives economic transformation and growth.” (Broady 2005) Universities and their research can be important contributors in this regard; however, in the past it has been difficult for Turkish universities to turn their research into innovation protect their innovations use those innovations to fund new research. Investment in education and research is the single best way for most persistent and difficult challenges

3. Changing Nature of Engineering • The nature of engineering work has been changing steadily and the engineers are being transformed from “answer-giver” alone to “problem architects”. • The volume of information that engineers are collectively called upon to know is increasing far more rapidly than the ability of engineering curricula to “cover it”. • The integration of knowledge and the development of critical skills needed to make appropriate use of knowledge is becoming more important than from the simple presentation of knowledge. • Significant changes in engineering education will be required if we are to meet the needs of our graduates in preparing them for the challenges of the future

4. Requirement of Interdisciplinary Research and Education Knowledge is extracted (by disciplines) from a fully integrated world. Meeting the challenges-the pulling together of separate areas of knowledge and sometimes re-integrating and recasting them-which the disciplinary processes often create, is essential. Interdisciplinary research is-and has always been-a necessary.

5. The US and Japan are still far ahead of the EU25 • The innovation gap between the EU25 and Japan is increasing and the one between EU and US is close to stable. • The EU invests about a third less in research than the US, and the EU/US innovation gap has not narrowed in recent years. • Meanwhile, emerging countries like China and India are rising

6. According to the 5th Edition of the European Innovation Scoreboard: • “Leading countries”: Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Germany • “Average performance”: France, Luxembourg, Ireland, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Norway, Italy and Iceland • “Catching up”: Slovenia, Hungary, Portugal, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Latvia, Greece, Cyprus and Malta • “Losing ground”: Estonia, Spain, Bulgaria, Poland, Slovakia, Romania and Turkey

7. Izmir Institute of Technology a research-intensive university with emphasis on interdisciplinary studies offers graduate and undergraduate degrees in science, engineering and architecture language of instruction is English established in 1992

8. Izmir Institute of Technology Education is student-centered, research, and project oriented on all levels and encourages teamwork in an interdisciplinary context. The motivation for research is increased by research and design project competitions. Designed to encourage scientific thinking and research with project courses from the first term of the freshman year, until graduation. Students become aware of the knowledge and skills necessary to complete their projects, students’ motivation for their course work is greatly enhanced. Interdisciplinary degrees awarded in materials science and engineering, bioengineering, environmental engineering, and energy engineering. The strength of the interdisciplinary degrees stems from supervision by at least two faculty members of different departments multiple disciplinary approaches and facilities.

9. Izmir Institute of Technology Has Launched an Innovation and Technology Transfer Center. The objectives of the technology transfer office are: to transfer knowledge and inventions for the benefit of the society, through licensing of intellectual property of the university faculty to diversify and increase private industrial funding and support of faculty research.

10. The services that will be offered by theuniversity innovation and technology transfer office are: to evaluate research results for their commercialization potential to help faculty develop start-up companies to assist with patent applications to negotiate licensing arrangements with corporations to administer the existing license agreements to ensure royalty payments to the university and faculty

11. The Izmir Institute of Tecchnology incorporates: Biotechnology and Bioengineering Research Centre Computer Application and Research Centre Environmental Research and Development Centre Geothermal Energy Research Centre Materials Research Centre, Wireless Communication and Multimedia Research Centre,

12. The Izmir Technology Development Zone with its 672 acres of land incorporating three office buildings. Currently, a total of 21 private companies information technologies and software 13; electrical, electronics and mechanical 3; industrial design 1; energy 1; advanced materials, thin film coatings 1; biotechnology and biomaterials 1; ceramic industries 1.

13. Izmir Institute of Technology Examples of innovative work at IYTE: Plant source antioxidants Anti-cancer drugs Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) robots

14. Conclusion • The generation of new knowledge through research and the transmission of existing knowledge in education are two essential elements of a productive and innovative society • Engineering students should develop analysis, integration, synthesis capabilities and creativity • Graduates should know how to learn • Innovation requires interdisciplinary teamwork, therefore graduates should be comfortable with it • Broad definitions of disciplinary boundaries and interdisciplinary research centers seems to be the proper model • For effective interdisciplinary research structural and administrative barriers between departments-institutions need to be removed • Universities should try harder to facilitate the commercialization of research