What Is TEKMER (Technology Development Centre)?
A TEKMER is a technology development centre set up with KOSGEB inside a university or research institution, providing incubation space, mentoring and access to support programmes for technology-based start-ups.
TEKMERs are created under cooperation protocols between KOSGEB (Small and Medium Enterprises Development Organisation) and universities or research institutions, with the aim of putting academic knowledge and entrepreneurship in the same building.
A centre offers early-stage technology ventures workspace, laboratory and shared infrastructure, mentoring, and a route into KOSGEB support programmes. In the Turkish innovation landscape it sits one step before the technopark, which tends to host more mature companies.
Admission is based on an assessment of the venture and its project. The business is expected to be technology-driven, to have a defined product or solution, and to fit the centre's programme of work.
For founders the practical effect is twofold: lower operating costs, and an institutional reference point when applying for grants. In return, companies based in a centre carry reporting and record-keeping obligations of their own.