The BEST for Energy Project Starts with a Kickoff Meeting!

The BEST For Energy (Boosting Effective and Sustainable Transformation for Energy) Project, developed by our Agency and granted support by the Ministry of Industry and Technology within the Competitiveness and Innovation Operational Program conducted, has officially started with the kick-off meeting on 21 July 2020.

The Project led by our Agency, has been designed with the aim of developing a competitive cluster in production of clean energy equipment, environmental technologies and service sector in İzmir region and its periphery; increasing green jobs and added value in the sector; and transforming İzmir into a clean energy region.

The Project, with the partnership of Energy Industrialist and Businessmen Association (ENSIA), will last for 36 months, and activities will be conducted in the axis of “Value Chain and Cluster Analysis for Clean Energy”, “Preparation of Development Strategies and Action Plan”, “Cluster Promotion and Internationalization”. The activities of the Project, with an approximate 2.89 Million Euro budget, will be carried out with the technical support of a consortium under the leadership of “DAI Human Dynamics”.

In line with the COVID-19 measures, the online kick-off meeting of the BEST for Energy Project was attended by the representatives of our Agency, EU Delegation (EUD) to Türkiye, the Ministry of Industry and Technology, ENSIA, the Consortium Leader -DAI Human Dynamics, Consortium Partners- AF Mercados/MRC Türkiye, Frankfurt School of Finance and Management; and the supporting institution- European Foundation for Cluster Excellence.

İzmir – An International Center in Clean Energy

During the meeting, Dr. Mehmet Yavuz, our Secretary-General stated, “ İzmir has currently become a center in clean energy production, and the BEST for Energy Project will contribute İzmir to become an international hub where the equipment and technologies are produced; and professional service providers are developed in the field. Our Project aims to bring relevant companies, entrepreneurs, academics, public institutions and NGOs in the region and around Türkiye together, and to initiate a process of specialization in production.”

In the meeting where the success factors of the Project as well as the necessary measures to be taken in order to minimize the effects of COVID-19 were discussed, Mr. Özgür Öcal, from EUD, emphasized that the BEST for Energy Project will have a great contribution to the clean energy sector, and also underlined its importance of being  in line with the targets of European Green Deal.

The BEST For Energy Project will continue with stakeholder interviews and field work following the inception phase.