Teknokent Defence Industry Cluster – TSSK
In the light of SSM’s (Undersecretariat for Defence Industries, Turkey) new strategic plan for 2012-2016, one of the primary strategic goals is to provide high level competency in defence and security technologies to Turkish Armed Forces that will enable the forces to be ready for battlefield conditions of the future. In order to achieve this strategic purpose, it is imperative that we should focus on establishing and expanding a high technology base to generate added value in high technology for Turkish defence sector. Another strategic goal of the new strategy is to increase the level of contribution of SMEs, R&D institutions and universities to Turkish defence industry to achieve a sustainably spread technological base spread. To this end, SSM and Turkish Armed Forces have initiated various native product development and modernization programs defence sectors.
These efforts expand the existing defence industry capabilities in Turkey. Yet, much more synergy, cooperation on both vertical and horizontal integration is needed between SMEs that are doing research and development, the R&D institutions, universities and the major contractors in Turkish defence industry to achieve the above mentioned strategic goals. Clustering among these SMEs and R&D institutions is an important vehicle to integrate them into the Turkish defence sector.
Middle East Technical University (METU) technology and science park, ODTÜ Teknokent, of Ankara, Turkey is one of the leading technoparks in the country and has initiated the defence industry cluster, namely Teknokent Defence Industry Cluster, as of the end of 2010. ODTÜ Teknokent holds more than 70 defence industry companies doing R&D. These companies have complementary vertical expertise that provide added value to each other’s capability and are developing new products and services for defence and security.
The cluster’s mission is to provide added value to generate more synergy and cooperation among its members, with universities for applied research in defence sector, and with major contractors. The ultimate goal is to position Turkish defence industry as a significant player in the world market through high technology solutions, products and services that are presented to international market.
Teknokent Defence Industry Cluster entails companies operating in the fields of manned and unmanned vehicles; advanced materials, CBRN technologies, protective vehicle and material technologies; human-machine interface; cryptography, coding and encryption, electronic intelligence systems; modeling and simulation, simulation systems; communication, electronic and information systems; sensors and electronic systems, dataLink technologies as well as the various related engineering services such as testing, calibration, modeling and maintenance.
Offset is a powerful tool for establishing international cooperation. The companies that produce high value added solutions, products and services with high technology are considered to be the most efficient options for cooperation through offset. Owing to the merits that are mentioned about Teknokent Defence Industry Cluster (TSSK) companies, and
the fact that ODTÜ Teknokent is one of the key actors of technological development in our nation, TSSK cluster is considered to be one of the most significant strategic partners of SSM.
