At the “Smart Cities and Electric Battery Technologies Workshop” organized in collaboration with Bursa Uludağ University (BUU) and Bursa Metropolitan Municipality, joint solutions and recommendations aligned with Bursa’s smart and sustainable city vision were discussed.
The opening of the workshop, held at the BUU Arif Ağaoğlu Advanced Technology and Engineering Laboratories, was attended by Rector Prof. Dr. Ferudun Yılmaz, Deputy Mayor of Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Mustafa Orkun Gazioğlu, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering Prof. Dr. Adem Akpınar, Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences Prof. Dr. Kadir Yasin Eryiğit, Head of the Department of Automotive Engineering Prof. Dr. Gökhan Sevilgen, Social Impact Analysis Coordinator Assoc. Prof. Dr. Şenol Baştürk, academics, representatives from Bursa Metropolitan Municipality, private companies, associations and chambers, and students.
In the table sessions organized by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Şenol Baştürk, multi-dimensional evaluations were conducted in line with Bursa’s smart and sustainable city vision. Topics included local climate action and carbon-neutral transportation alternatives, urban electric vehicle infrastructure, electrification of public transport, the transformation process aligned with Bursa’s identity as an automotive city, mobilization and technology integration in smart cities, electric vehicle safety and urban risk management, needs for legal regulations, and the qualified workforce required for the electric vehicle transition. In addition, solution and policy proposals were evaluated regarding improving charging infrastructure, strengthening inter-institutional coordination, the impacts of electric vehicles on urban transportation, industrial transformation, disaster and safety risks, regulatory compliance, and developing education and industry–university collaborations.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, BUU Rector Prof. Dr. Ferudun Yılmaz emphasized the university’s “Research University” identity and its position in global competition. Stating that BATEG and the TÜBİTAK 1004 Center of Excellence program are among the most mature examples of university–industry collaboration, Yılmaz noted that projects return to the city not only as scientific outputs but also as patents and qualified PhD graduates. Reminding that the university has shown improvement in 21 out of 31 key parameters and is among the fastest-rising institutions, Rector Yılmaz underlined that externally sourced funds directly serve Bursa’s strong economy and Türkiye’s technological independence.
Deputy Mayor of Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Mustafa Orkun Gazioğlu highlighted that smart urbanism is of great importance for sustainable cities. Emphasizing that supporting domestic and innovative technologies is a strategic necessity for environmental sustainability and economic development, Gazioğlu stated that Bursa Metropolitan Municipality will continue with determination to expand smart city practices in cooperation with universities and industry.
Sharing technical details, Head of the Department of Automotive Engineering Prof. Dr. Gökhan Sevilgen stressed that they began working in these fields when battery technologies were not yet on the agenda in Türkiye and that they ranked first among 12 universities in receiving TÜBİTAK support. Sevilgen stated that, as a result of 3.5 years of R&D, they have produced critical products such as battery modules, management systems, and lightweight composite covers with domestic capabilities. Announcing that, within a month, integration efforts will be completed for a portable energy storage unit that will increase the range of an existing service vehicle from 90 km to 150 km, Sevilgen noted that their goal is to develop high value-added products and train a qualified workforce.
Following the workshop, the delegation visited the Battery Technologies Research and Development Platform at the Arif Ağaoğlu Advanced Technology and Engineering Laboratories and conducted onsite inspections.
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