I always believe that the success not only in defence but also in all other sectors is directly linked with close cooperation, collabration and coordination among the stake holders such as need’s owner, industry and academia. I spent almost all of my career up to now as a need owner or an anaylst for need owner. After my retirement from Turkish Armed Forces, I was on the other side, so it was time for me to look from university window which is really different from the need owner’s persepective. I became aware of strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats of different perspectives.

ATILIM University dedicates itself to being one of the leading institutions of higher education through excellence in education, research, and public service. Yalç?n Zaim who is the Chairman of Board of Trustees, organized a meeting to understand capabilities and competencies of our university in order to accomplish some research and development activities in Defence Industries. All participants decided that to establish a center for defence studies will be very benficial for all stakeholders. Defence Technologies Applications and Research Center (DETARC) of Atilim University was established on 10th of January in 2011 by Turkey’s Board of Higher Education.

The mission of Defence Technologies Applications and Research Center of Atilim University is to perform the required operational and technological analysis, develop, demonstrate and use of defence technologiesin order to provide the technological infrastructure without being subject to restrictions of any foreign country. The vision of DETARC is to become a leading research center in the analysis, modeling and simulation, technology and development of monitoring and assessment for defence.

As a Defence Technologies Applications Research Center, we would like to support Defence Planning Proceses of Turkish Armed Forces. Becuse we believe that as a result of system engineering, the needs or requirements are being transormed to systems in this cycle. In this cycle; modeling, analysis, simulation, design, production, technology assessment and evaluation, technlogy forecast, feasibility studies, project management, systems engineering, life cycle costing, cost benefit analysis techniques will be heaviliy used. The DETARC is also planning to develop basic research and technological infrastructure projects for defence systems.

The main functions of DETARC are analysis, modeling and simulation, technology assessment and forcecast, development and demonstration of basic and technological infrastructure techno
The organizational structure of DETARC, as it is shown in Figure – 2, was developed based on project-type organization. Our center is directly linked to university’s rector. Board of Directors is in charge of management. There is also Advisory Board which consists of members from Turkish General Staff Headquarters, Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Science Industry and Technology, Undersecretariat for Defence Industries, Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation, The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey, Defence Industries Manufacturing Assosication, Middle East Technical University, Gazi Univeristy, B?LKENT University, Aselsan, Havelsan, Roketsan, TAI, FNSS, TEKIM, OST?M and different department from Engineering Faculty of At?l?m Üniversity. We have close coordination with other centers in At?l?m Universit

DETARC planned to organize some meetings in university to increase information and awareness level on defence issues. Some conferences, seminars and visits to different stakeholders of defence will be organized. Defence Planning, Undersecretariat for Defence Industries, Future Technologies in the Field of Operations, Methods Tools and Techniques for Technology Foresight and Forecast, NATO Reserach and Technology Organization, NATO Industry Advisory Group and Industries Manufacturing Assosication will be some of the topics to be covered.

We are planning to monitor and evaluate defense technologies regularly. Technology foresight and forecast on defense technologies will be one of the main area that DETARC is going to be busy. Because this is a really big problem for all stakeholders. Because Armed Forces, Undersecretariat for Defence Industries, universities and firms need to know maturity and readiness level of technology. Of course people, who have enough information, may have an idea about maturity and readiness level of technology, but it is important to have these information by using scientific techniques and methodology. DETARC is planning to do that and also prepare a document that consists of defense technologies especially military critical technologies. For this reason, It was decided that DETARC needs to have a decision support system that will monitor, foresight, forecast, evaluate and find maturity and readiness level of defense technologies. One PhD thesis which is “Development of Decision Support Toolkit for Technology Management in System Design Studies” and one MSc thesis which is “Development of Skeleton Application and Framework for Decision Support System : Application in Defense Technologies” were directly linked with DETARC’s studies on this issue.

At?l?m University, in accordance with its strategic plan, developed Undergraduate Research Project (LAP) Program to improve research capabality of university and to encourage interdisciplinary work, to create a common culture of undergraduate research. DETARC proposed a LAP Project which is “Defense Technologies Interests and Skills Inventory Management System Development of At?l?m University”. Our aim is to match interests and skills of our academic personnel with the taxonomy of Defense Technologies. This system will also provide a baseline to send defence information and news form different defence portals and groups to the academic personnel of At?l?m University with respect to skills and interests. 11 students from different departments of Engineering Faculty will work in this project.

As all we remember, the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey’s Vision 2023 Project was covering assessment of current status of Turkey in the field of science and technology, assessment of the long termed scientific and technological developments in the world, identification of the strategic technologies required for achievement of said targets and recommendation of policies aiming at development and/or acquisition of said technologies . In this project thematic panels in 12 socio-economic areas were established. They began to work in July 2002 and completed their conclusion reports in July 2003. The conclusion reports were synthesized and 8 strategic technological areas, on which all panels have focused, were determined by June 2004. One of the panels is Defence Aviation and Space Industry Panel. We as Scientific Decision Support Center of Turkish General Staff Headquarters organized and supported all activites in this area. I believe there is need to evalaute and review this document. Seven years have already passed, so we should check how good our foresight is and there is also need to extent the duration of this foresight from 2023 to 2030. This idea made DETARC began to develop a project named “Update of Defence Aviation and Space Industry Panel Studies of Vision 2023”. All stakeholders on Defence Technologies will be invited and technology foresight studies will be completed by close coordination with Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey.

A protocol for close cooperation between At?l?m University and Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation was signed. Also a protocol between Defence Sciences Institute of Turkish Military Academy and At?l?m University is about to be signed. DETARC is eager to develop defense projects with stakeholders form defence industry. We have some businness with Roketsan and GATE Electronic Corporation to develop some defence projects.

Finally I was appointed as Panel Member for Studies Analysis and Simulation (SAS) Panel of NATO Research Technology Organization. For this reason, DETARC will heavily involve in SAS Panel activities and will do its best for promotion of these activities among Turkish universites and industries.