Global competition among US, Japan and Europe along with the emerging players like China and India has brought new challenges for Europe. In this regard, research and innovation are of the key concepts to cope with the changes faced in every walk of life and trans-national partnerships among Industry-Academia is the underlying engine of the necessary transformation.

European Research Community has witnessed an historic event in the year 2007 which has been marked with the launching of the FP7 that of the most prominent research collaboration instrument of the EC. New programme containing 54 million € of funding for 7 years brings 37 nations together with the new features such as EIT, ERC, EIB guarantee facility, including social sciences in the programme as well as new Agencies. Notably, in addition to the EU members, Israel, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Turkey, Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia, Albania and Montenegro are also parts of the FP7.

In response to those global challenges and new developments, Turkey has focused its efforts to boost its Science and Research activities via allocating additional funding and restructuring its research infrastructure while paying due attention to benefit from FP7 at full scale.

As the saying goes “Need is the mother of innovation”. TUR&BO fulfils the requirement to have a bridge between Turkey and Europe on the research and technological development (RTD) ground with an establishment of Public Private Partnership among the four prominent institutions of Turkey: TOBB, TÜBÝTAK, KOSGEB, and TESK.

In this context, TUR&BO aims to help Turkey to attain maximum success in the EU’s research and technological development RTD and private sector oriented programmes within the framework of the Lisbon Strategy.

Numerous challenges still remain however the midterm review of the FP7 will show the growing participation of Turkey. TUR&BO shares the common will with its founders: building a society based on knowledge and innovation.

F. Mehmet Gokgoz

TUR&BO Director