An important step for international entrepreneurship and technology transfer from MAKÜ

Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University (MAKÜ) participated in the Balkan Business Forum 2026 organized by the Albania-Turkey Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ATTSO) in Tirana, the capital of Albania. Over 400 companies and more than 1500 visitors attended the forum, which featured 53 stands from 5 different countries: Turkey, Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Montenegro. The business forum, which brought together representatives of the business world, discussed regional cooperation opportunities in trade, investment, and production.

As part of the Balkan Business Forum 2026, a cooperation protocol was signed between MAKÜ-BAKA Technology Development Zone Burdur Technopark Management Inc. and the Albania-Turkey Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ATTSO) for the establishment of a liaison office in Tirana. The protocol was signed by ATTSO Chairman Kenan Sevinç and our university's Vice Rector and Burdur Technopark Board Member Prof. Dr. Oğuz Gürsoy. The Burdur Technopark Tirana Liaison Office, which is planned to be established in ATTSO's service building in Tirana, aims to support the access of entrepreneurs and companies within Burdur Technopark to the Albanian and Western Balkan markets, while also supporting Albanian entrepreneurs and companies in accessing the Turkish market. The cooperation protocol aims to carry out joint entrepreneurship and acceleration programs, entrepreneur and investor meetings, training and mentoring activities, technology transfer, commercialization, and joint project development activities for international funds; and to develop collaborations between institutions and companies in areas such as food technologies, agricultural and livestock technologies, software, artificial intelligence, digital transformation, and sustainability.

During the “DuranaTech Park – Albania Investment Development Agency (AIDA) – MAKÜ BAKA Technopark” panel held as part of the forum, state supports in the technology field in Albania and Turkey's technology and innovation ecosystem were discussed. Prof. Dr. Oğuz Gürsoy, our university's Vice Rector and Burdur Technopark Board Member, explained Turkey's technology and innovation ecosystem and MAKÜ's contributions to this ecosystem. Prof. Dr. Gürsoy, who introduced the activities of Burdur Technopark and MAKÜ Technology Transfer Office, invited participants to develop joint projects and evaluate technology-focused collaboration opportunities.

MAKÜ TTO representatives, in bilateral meetings with officials from Durana Technology Park (Durana Tech Park), Albania's first technology and science park, at the Balkan Business Forum, received information about the establishment process of the park and the supports provided to technology companies and initiatives. The information obtained is expected to guide future technology and entrepreneurship investments. The TTO's discussions focused on the commercialization of academic knowledge and research results, strengthening university-industry collaboration, and joint project opportunities. 

At the stand opened with the participation of MAKÜ, Burdur Technopark, and MAKÜ TTO, R&D activities, supports offered to entrepreneurs, and commercialized products were introduced. Business representatives were informed about the university's efforts to transform its academic accumulation into production and economic value.