STAR BIGG - Green Growth Programme in EU Report

EIT (European Institute of Innovation and Technology), an independent European Union body established to increase Europe's innovation capacity and ensure its global competitiveness, published the Regional Innovation Programme Annual Report. In the report, which includes information on start-ups and innovators who have achieved significant success in the field of innovation and sustainable development all over Europe, YTÜ Yıldız Technopark took part with the STAR BIGG-Green Growth Programme implemented in partnership with EIT InnoEnergy Hub Turkey. The programme enables entrepreneurs to transform their technology and innovation-oriented business ideas into qualified business plans and establish companies with grant support.

“We Will Continue to Support Environmental Initiatives”

YTU Yıldız Technopark Deputy General Manager İsa Turgut İnci said that they commercialise business ideas with the STAR BIGG-Green Growth programme as Teknopark and added: "With these programmes, we commercialise business ideas and ensure their incorporation in TDZ regions. In other words, we collect ideas, train them, commercialise them and bring them into the ecosystem. With EIT InnoEnergy Hub Turkey, we are working to support innovation in the field of energy and sustainability, and to contribute to Turkey's transformation in the energy sector. We will continue to support our young entrepreneurs to ensure the integration of environmentally friendly and innovative technologies into business models by supporting initiatives in the field of sustainability."

STAR BIGG-Green Growth Programme

In addition to the comprehensive changes envisaged in EU policies with the European Green Deal, in the face of the transformation in the international economy and trade, ensuring transformation to support the transition to a sustainable, resource-efficient and green economy in line with the 2023 and development targets is of great importance in terms of preserving Turkey's post-1980 export-led growth strategy and the integration with the global economy. In this context, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals and the "Green Consensus Action Plan" published by the Ministry of Trade, the 2022-2 BiGG Green Growth call is being launched. BiGG Implementing Organisations selected to carry out Phase 1 activities accept business idea applications with the announcement they announced on their web pages within the scope of this call. Within the scope of Phase 1, the Implementing Organisations carry out the activities of collecting and evaluating the business ideas of entrepreneurs, validating the selected business ideas within an accelerator programme and determining the business plans that will apply to TUBİTAK for Phase 2. In the accelerator programme, which includes the process of technical and commercial validation of the business idea, Implementing Organisations provide services such as mentoring, use of cooperation networks, business plan preparation support, etc. to entrepreneurs. At the end of Phase 1, entrepreneurs whose business plan is approved by the BIGG Implementing Organisation submit their Phase 2 application to TUBİTAK. Business plans are evaluated in the Phase 2 panels conducted by TUBITAK. Entrepreneurs who are found eligible for Stage 2 support are asked to establish a company.

About EIT InnoEnergy Hub Turkey

EIT InnoEnergy Hub Turkey is a Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) supported by EIT and focussed on promoting sustainability and innovation in the field of energy. EIT InnoEnergy collaborates with universities, research institutions, companies and entrepreneurs in Turkey and across Europe to develop and implement sustainable solutions in the energy sector. The EIT establishes thematic networks called KIC (Knowledge and Innovation Communities) to promote the exchange of knowledge and skills across Europe. KICs are established through partnerships between businesses, research organisations and higher education institutions and focus on specific areas such as energy, climate change, health and technology. By bringing together different stakeholders, the EIT aims to stimulate innovation, develop new products and services and create sustainable growth and quality jobs within the European Union.