Presidency Defense Industry (SSB) President Haluk Görgün stated that they see the university-industry collaboration as a very valuable development model and said, “This model brings academic study closer to the need in the field, feeds engineering capability with scientific production and carries our country’s competitiveness to higher levels in strategic technologies.” he said. Within the scope of the “University-Defense Industry Joining Ceremony”, the “ASELSAN Academy Graduation Ceremony and ASELABS Openings” program was held at ASELSAN Gölbaşı Technology Base with the participation of Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, SSB President Haluk Görgün, ASELSAN General Manager Ahmet Akyol, university rectors and academicians.
In his speech, Görgün said that they brought together the knowledge of universities and the high-tech production capability of the defense industry with a strong will around the same goal. Emphasizing that national subsystems and projects developed within the scope of university-defense industry cooperation clearly demonstrate the level Turkey has reached in its technology journey, Görgün noted that the efforts of engineers and strong coordination between institutions have given significant momentum to the high-technology vision of the “Turkey Century”.
Describing the defense industry as one of the distinguished areas where strategic mind, advanced engineering, sustainable research culture and strong human resources meet, Görgün continued his speech as follows: “We see the university-industry partnership as a very valuable development model. This model brings academic study closer to the need in the field, feeds engineering capability with scientific production and carries our country’s competitiveness to higher levels in strategic technologies.
In this way, a very strong synergy is formed, our universities provide scientific depth, our industrial organizations offer productization power and Our young people also increase the dynamism of this ecosystem. Thus, our country continues on its way with firmer steps as a country that develops its own solutions to its own needs, strengthens its technological independence and builds the competencies of the future today.” Görgün expressed his gratitude to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for the direction he has given to the rise of the defense industry in recent years and the support he has given to the high-technology-oriented vision, and emphasized that this leadership has opened a strong horizon for the institutional capacity and international competitiveness of the sector.
The 150th delivery of the ASELFLIR-500 system was made. Pointing out that the studies carried out with universities show how the sub-components that increase the technological depth in ASELSAN’s products and systems are developed, Görgün stated that they also carried out the 150th symbolic delivery of the ASELFLIR-500 system, as an important symbol of this strong production chain. Görgün said, “ASELFLIR-500 is a very important success that emerged with its high-tech subsystems, strong engineering approach and the joint effort of our ecosystem.
“This delivery represents the combination of academic knowledge with industrial power and the reflection of industrial power as high capability on the field.” made his assessment. Haluk Görgün also gave information about ASELSAN Academy, which was established in 2017 with the participation of Middle East Technical University (METU), Istanbul Technical University (ITU), Gebze Technical University, Gazi University and Hacettepe University under the auspices of the Council of Higher Education (YÖK).
“We delivered 286 thousand products in 2025” ASELSAN General Manager Ahmet Akyol explained that they have implemented “ASELABS” laboratories in addition to the existing “ASELSAN Academy” model. Akyol stated that 30 million dollars have been invested in these laboratories so far and that the game-changing technologies of the future will be studied here. Stating that the defense industry has entered a period of mass production mobilization, Akyol shared current data on ASELSAN’s production capacity.
Stating that they delivered 286 thousand products in 2025, Akyol stated that the production and delivery process of more than 400 thousand products, including more than 150 ÇELİKKUBBE components, continues. Akyol said that an investment move of more than 3 billion dollars is continuing throughout the company, especially in the Oğulbey Facility, for capacity increase. Emphasizing that many stakeholders, from academics to SMEs, from venture companies to ASELSAN subsidiaries, have signed this technology, Akyol said, “ASELSAN is the visible face of a large ecosystem extending from SMEs to entrepreneurs, from universities to academics.
If we compare this ecosystem to a wheel with different gears, ASELSAN is like the engine at the center of this wheel.” he said. “By far the most valuable company in Borsa Istanbul” Referring to the data regarding the economic size of the company, Ahmet Akyol stated that ASELSAN is “by far the most valuable company in Borsa Istanbul”. Akyol said: “ASELSAN broke a new record yesterday. For the first time in the history of our Republic, we managed to reach a market value of 37 billion dollars as a company.” “We will continue to be the first and only Turkish company to reach this value in the history of our Republic and to move forward with firm steps.” Akyol also added that ASELSAN will continue to be a key actor for Turkey’s economic and social welfare, with its export value rising to 2,200 dollars per kilogram and an annual resource of 4 billion dollars transferred to SMEs.
Graduation joy at ASELSAN Academy. Within the scope of the ceremony, the “University-Defense Industry Cooperation Awards” were presented to the academicians and the “ASELSAN Academy Graduation Ceremony” was also held. To date, a total of 556 employees, 536 of whom have master’s degrees and 20 of whom have doctoral degrees, have received graduation degrees from ASELSAN Academy. This year, a total of 95 more ASELSAN personnel, including 86 master’s and 9 doctoral students, successfully completed their training and graduated.
Within the scope of the program, a total of 1001 employees continue their education, 876 of whom have master’s degrees and 125 of whom have doctoral degrees. A total of 165 thousand dollars of support was provided to 4 students who graduated in the 2024-2025 academic year within the scope of Seed Project Support. In the same period, 27 articles and 60 papers were produced from the graduates’ thesis studies. 6 new ASELABS laboratories were opened.
Additionally, 6 ASELABS laboratories established in 3 different universities were opened via remote connection. Thanks to ASELABS laboratories, which were implemented for the first time in Turkey, academicians and ASELSAN engineers will be able to work together on technology development projects. In this context, “New Generation Communication and Sensing Technologies Laboratory”, “Optomechanics and Photonics Advanced Material Technologies Laboratory” and “MEMS Inertial Sensor Technologies Laboratory” were established at METU.
“RF Microwave Innovative Material Technologies Laboratory” and “Underwater, Above Water and Autonomy Technologies Laboratory” at ITU; “Artificial Intelligence Technologies Laboratory” was put into operation at Hacettepe University. Undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students who will conduct research in these laboratories will have the opportunity to compete at the global level by developing new generation technologies.
Source: AA
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