The "Capacity Building for the Development and Implementation of Smart Specialization Strategies in Turkey" workshop, financed by the European Union and the Republic of Turkey, conducted by the Ministry of Industry and Technology, and supported within the scope of the Competitive Sectors Program, which selected three regions in Turkey, one of which is Antalya – Burdur -Isparta, was organized hosted by Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University.
At the event held at Lavanta Tepesi Hotel, topics on the development of the region and the development of sectoral innovative strategies were discussed.
Experts Discussed Smart Food and Smart Tourism Topics
At the opening of the workshop organized under the chairmanship of Isparta Süleyman Demirel University Faculty Member Prof. Dr. Murat Ali Dulupçu, BAKA Secretary General Volkan Güler and Chamber of Commerce President Ömer Faruk Gündüzalp also made speeches expressing their belief that innovative ideas will be developed for the region.
Rector Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Dalgar also emphasized the specialization process in livestock in Burdur in his speech, stating the importance of focusing on breeding animals with high genetic characteristics rather than just increasing milk production. In this context, he shared his expectations regarding the promotion of investments in breeding heifer production centers produced with embryo technology.
Steps in Smart Specialization in Food and Tourism
Presenting examples of projects carried out by the university on smart food, Rector Dalgar introduced the microalgae-based "MAKÜ Spirulina" product, known as astronaut food. He also emphasized the geographical and agricultural advantages of Burdur, stating the necessity of focusing on the development of niche products specific to the region. He shared the suggestion of turning the goat tulum cheese produced at MAKÜ into a high value-added product for the region.
In the field of tourism, the potential of the region for sports and science tourism was highlighted. He stated that efforts are ongoing to turn Burdur into a camp center with its proximity to Antalya and altitude advantage in sports tourism. In the context of science tourism, he mentioned that they established the Salda Science Center to transform Salda Lake, which is on UNESCO's geological heritage list and noted for its similarity to craters on Mars by NASA, into a more qualified tourism area supported by science centers and academic camps; “Our Science Center is in a beautiful scenic place made by our Ministry of Environment and Urbanization. We want to create a tourism package where people from all over the world will come for science camps.” he said.
Sessions Where Innovative Ideas Were Discussed Were Held
Following the opening speeches, the workshop continued with sessions attended by experts in smart food and smart tourism. Participants exchanged ideas to develop innovative strategies to support the economic development of the region. The workshop ended with the aim of implementing concrete projects that will increase the region's competitiveness.
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