ODTÜ TEKNOKENT Yönetim A.Ş., the management company of ODTÜ TEKNOKENT, can meet, when deemed to be necessary, the companies and entrepreneurs that are interested in incorporating their companies in ODTÜ TEKNOKENT after they have submitted their applications in order to get further information about their request and projects. In these meetings, points to be taken into consideration in online applications are highlighted, after which the application to ODTÜ TEKNOKENT takes place under the other information mentioned on the Application Form.
The applications submitted to ODTÜ TEKNOKENT are evaluated by an arbitral committee that is established according to the field of the project intended to be carried out within the zone. The evaluation committee consists of two academicians specialised in their respective fields and one expert from the relevant sector. During the evaluation process, the arbitral committee hold on-line or face-to-face talks with the applicants. The decision of the committee is submitted to the Management Board of ODTÜ TEKNOKENT Yönetim A.Ş. for approval, which, based on the evaluation of the committee, can accept or reject the application of the company to participate in the technology zone. The nature of the projects in respect of research and development and the dimension of university-industry cooperation are the primary factors that play a key role in the acceptance of companies to the technology park.
The arbitral committee consists of experts specialised in the activity field of the relevant company, having speciality in particular in respect of the R&D, software or design projects in question. Faculty members of ODTÜ enjoy priority for membership in the arbitral committee. Companies are not informed about the member structure of the committee.
Companies that have received a decision of rejection from the ODTU TEKNOKENT Board of Directors can make their second application 6 months later at the earliest, provided that the reasons for the rejection are corrected.
Companies that have received a decision of rejection from the ODTU TEKNOKENT Board of Directors can make their second application 6 months later at the earliest, provided that the reasons for the rejection are corrected.
Office spaces cannot be pre-reserved before the application. Spaces can only be allocated to those whose applications have been approved after the evaluation and acceptance processes.
The space allocation to the involved companies is based on several criteria such as the R&D quality of the project put forward by the company, the added value it can provide and the dimension of university-industry cooperation. Apart from these, factors such as the equipment and the conditions required for the projects to be executed within ODTÜ TEKNOKENT are also taken into consideration in this respect.
The companies that are accepted to ODTU TEKNOKENT, are provided with office space equipped with all communication, Internet, and electrical infrastructures. Should the company wish, internal furbishing can be done upon receiving permission and on condition that the company will return the office to its original state when leaving. The furbishing request should be submitted as a project to ODTU TEKNOKENT for approval.
The rental cost of R&D offices at ODTU TEKNOKENT is XX TL/m2 excluding VAT. The operating cost per month is approximately XX TL/m2 and is recalculated at the beginning of each year depending on the changes in the costs incurred. The entrepreneurs and companies that rent offices in the zone shall contribute to these operating costs. The operating costs include office space climatization (a factor of building conditions), environmental planning, common spaces’ climatization and cleaning, building security services, common electrical and water expenditures. The electric and water – if any -consumption of the office space itself as well as other costs such as telephone and data connection are not included in the operating cost.
In cases when office spaces cannot be allocated to an applicant company immediately after its application has been approved, the request of the company will be placed on a list in line with ODTÜ TEKNOKENT’s evaluation criteria, and office spaces will be allocated when one is available that is appropriate for the relevant company. The priority criteria taken into consideration in this respect are, in order of importance, the R&D quality of the relevant project, possibility of university-industry cooperation during the execution of the project, cooperation on international level and inter-company cooperation within ODTÜ TEKNOKENT.
The rental contracts are drawn up for a period of one year, provided that the company brings forward an effective R&D project to be executed within the zone. Such contracts are renewed for one further year under the relevant condition included in the contract.
Companies allowed to operate in the zone can benefit from tax exemptions under the relevant provisions in force in the Law for Technology Development Zones. (i) Revenues which the income and corporate taxpayers operating in the zone generate from their software, design and R&D operations they carry out exclusively in the zone are exempted from income and corporate tax until 31.12.2028. (ii) The pays of the personnel which they receive for their duties that they carry out in the zone in the fields of R&D, design and support services are exempted from any taxes until 31.12.2028. (iii) The product deliveries and services of the entrepreneurs operating in the zone concerning system management, data management, business applications, application software for the purposes of sectoral, internet, mobile and military command control operations are exempted from value added tax within the period in which their revenues are exempted from tax or corporate taxes.
The responsibility for the auditing of the tax exemptions provided to the companies operating in the zone lies with the Ministry of Finance and the relevant Tax Office. The general rules concerning tax auditing also apply to the activities carried out in the zone.
The main purpose of establishment of the zone is to enhance the university-industry cooperation in projects intended for research and technology improvement; it is therefore expected that companies should cooperate with the university.
ODTÜ is one of the universities in Turkey which can offer wide-ranging possibilities with respect to laboratory and research centre facilities. ODTÜ TEKNOKENT companies are eligible to make use of the laboratories, almost 420 in number, and over 40 research centres under special conditions. Companies that wish to benefit from the services provided by the laboratories and/or research centres should contact the administration of the relevant department or the directorate of the relevant research centre. Upon request, the Management of ODTÜ TEKNOKENT can also help the companies in this respect.
The companies willing to cooperate with academicianss should contact the administration of the relevant department to get information about the faculty member working in their respective fields. Any cooperation of ODTÜ TEKNOKENT companies with academicians in projects requires the prior approval of the university’s management board. The forms regarding the university personnel to be engaged and a copy of the contract concluded between the company and the academic has to be submitted to the administration of the relevant department, which will then present it to the approval of the university. The Technology Transfer Office (ODTU TTO) also supports and directs the companies regarding this process.
It is not required that companies should move their head office to the zone. However, their office where they carry out R&D, software and design activities in the zone must have the status of ‘’a workplace’’ under the Turkish Commercial Law. The zone offices of the companies with head office outside the province of Ankara must have the status of a branch to meet this requirement.
A company approved to operate within ODTÜ TEKNOKENT has to fill in the relevant fields in the portal of ODTÜ TEKNOKENT and upload the required documents into the system not later than 10 days after it has moved to the office spaces allocated to it to be able to perform it activities under the Law No. 4691 on Technology Development Zones.
Companies are obligated to upload into the portal the information about newly employed personnel who benefit from the exemptions provided under the Law No. 4691 and information about those not included in the scope of this law. The entry and exit of personnel are controlled on the basis of a barcode system. Personnel newly employed in the zone receive an e-mail message to be registered in the barcode system for monitoring their entries to and exits from the zone. After the registration in the system has been completed, one can report the time he/she remains in the zone by reading the QR-code created in the application at the QR-code reader devices when he/she enters to and exits from the zone. The time period read in the system are shown at the segment ‘’My Entries/Exits’’ in the application.
Employees who cease employment or those who are dismissed have to be notified to the Management of ODTÜ TEKNOKENT within ten days after the respective circumstance, and smart ID card/vehicle card have to be returned to the Management of ODTÜ TEKNOKENT. Companies have to get the Forms for Exempted Personnel regarding their R&D employees employed by them in their unit in the zone under the Law No. 4691 on Technology Development Zones regularly approved every month by the Management of ODTÜ TEKNOKENT and keep them to submit to auditors. Besides, the companies has also to do the Periodic Reporting every year under the form set by the Ministry of Industry and Technology.
A one of the exemplary campuses in Turkey, the special care that ODTU Campus gives to design principles and environmental harmony is as well sustained within the borders of ODTU TEKNOKENT, and “living and natural spaces” are created to provide the employees with a pleasant working ambience. At ODTÜ TEKNOKENT, “life and human” are as priorities as “technology”, and to improve social life, various activities are organized. New Year Parties, summer welcoming parties are organized to facilitate the integration of business and social life. Within the scope of these activities, to boost communion among employees, activities such as karaoke contests and games are set up. ODTÜ TEKNOKENT employees can benefit from many social opportunities that the University offers. Moreover, within 5 km of radius, at easy access of the employees are shopping malls, cinemas, concert and theater halls, restaurants, sports facilities, educational institutes, accommodation and lodgings.