The Grand Black Sea Forum, organised within the “Transnational Technology Transfer Network for the Black Sea Basin (T3N-BSB)” project, was successfully held on 10-12 December 2025 at Karadeniz Technical University (KTU). The project is funded under the Interreg NEXT Black Sea Basin Programme and implemented under the leadership of the Karadeniz Technical University Technology Transfer Application and Research Center (KTU TTC), in partnership with CERTH (Greece), BATTI (Bulgaria), and Dunarea de Jos University of Galati – UDJG (Romania).
Over three days, the Forum brought together academics, students, entrepreneurs, business representatives, and public institutions at national and international levels, strengthening regional cooperation and offering a rich, practice-oriented programme focused on technology transfer, innovation, and sustainable development. With activities attracting approximately 800 attendees, the Forum became a strong meeting point for collaboration across the Black Sea Basin and beyond.
Day 1: Project results, workshops, and B2B cooperation
The Forum opened with remarks by KTU Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Ömer Faruk Ursavaş, followed by a presentation from Lect. Emrah Ayvaz, Director of KTU TTC, shared key activities and outputs achieved within the T3N-BSB project.
Day 1 featured parallel sessions, including:
-
Business Idea Evaluation & Mentorship Workshop
-
Patent Research Workshop
-
B2B Innovation & Cooperation Meetings
-
Seminars on Sustainable Living to Reduce Carbon and Water Footprints in Combating the Impacts of Climate Change and EU Union Programmes
Participants exchanged insights on topics such as the blue economy, climate action, clean energy, and regional cooperation, while the B2B meetings and mentorship activities supported new partnerships between entrepreneurs, researchers, and industry representatives.
A major highlight was the Project Competition, which welcomed around 60 projects from five countries and various cities across Türkiye. The showcased initiatives ranged from innovative products and sustainability solutions to digital technologies and projects supporting regional development, generating strong interest among visitors.
Day 2: Emerging technologies, IP protection, and hands-on collaboration
The second day attracted strong engagement through expert seminars, workshops, and the open project exhibition. Under the theme “Emerging and Mature Technologies,” speakers presented international case studies:
-
Türkiye – AI-supported Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) systems for early damage detection
-
Greece – Intensified CO₂ capture and utilisation using rotating packed bed reactors
-
Bulgaria – Design and development of energy-efficient automobile prototypes – the experience of the HydRU and ElectRU student racing teams from the University of Ruse in Bulgaria.
-
Romania – A microplastics collector and sorting device for aquatic environments
A dedicated seminar, “Why and How Should I Protect My Idea?”, provided practical guidance on intellectual property rights and protection processes.
Three parallel activities further deepened collaboration:
-
International Project Development and Consortium Building Workshop (25 participants), from aligning ideas with calls to building strong, sustainable consortia
-
University-Industry Cooperation Development Workshop, 10 targeted one-to-one meetings between university researchers and R&D-centre companies
-
Smart Innovation Ideathon (31 participants), from identifying user needs to ideation, prioritisation, prototyping, and mentor feedback
Day 3: Final pitches, good practices, and awards
Day 3 began with the final presentations of the Smart Innovation Ideathon, where teams pitched their solutions to the jury for evaluation. The programme continued with a panel on “Success Stories and Good Practices Implemented by Institutions of Different Statuses,” moderated by Lect. Emrah Ayvaz and featuring:
-
Prof. Dr. Fatma Telli Karakoç (Karadeniz Technical University)
-
Mehmet Bozdoğan (Eastern Black Sea Development Agency)
-
Nazlı Genç (Trabzon Commodity Exchange)
-
Talha Altun (Politek Aquaculture)
The Forum concluded with award ceremonies for the top-ranked projects in both the Smart Innovation Ideathon and the Project Competition, celebrating outstanding ideas and strengthening motivation for continued cross-border cooperation.
A strong step forward for technology transfer in the Black Sea Basin
With participants from five countries, a vibrant programme, and strong engagement across academia, industry, and public institutions, the Grand Black Sea Forum delivered meaningful outcomes for the innovation ecosystem and the sustainable support of technology transfer across the region.
