With the amendment it made to the YÖK Technology Transfer Office Regulations, technology transfer offices were granted the authority to establish production facilities, open branches, take over and operate existing facilities; and become partners in these facilities.

A new regulation designed to support the transformation of scientific research conducted at higher education institutions into production and economic value has entered into force. The “Regulation Amending the Regulation on Technology Transfer Offices at Higher Education Institutions,” published in the Official Gazette on October 13, 2026, has expanded the scope of activities of technology transfer offices.

Under the regulation, technology transfer offices have been granted the authority to establish, open branches of, acquire, and operate industrial and commercial production facilities for the purpose of scaling up, mass-producing, or commercializing the knowledge, inventions, and technologies resulting from research and development activities conducted at universities. Subject to the provisions of relevant legislation, these offices may become partners in such facilities.

The scope of technology transfer offices’ activities has been expanded

A provision added to Article 6 of the regulation expands the role that technology transfer offices can play in transferring research outputs to production. The new regulation enables the creation of a production infrastructure to scale up and prepare for mass production of knowledge, inventions, and technologies developed at universities.

“We prioritize the transformation of scientific research into economic value”

Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar, President of the Council of Higher Education (YÖK), emphasized in his statement regarding the regulation amendment the importance of transforming scientific research conducted at universities into tangible technologies and economic value.

Özvar noted that the regulation will enable technology transfer offices to play a more active role in the production and commercialization processes of inventions and technologies developed at universities. He stated that the amendment represents a new step in supporting the translation of scientific research outcomes into practical applications.

The goal is to increase the contribution of university research to industry

The regulation aims to expand opportunities for transferring knowledge and technologies developed at universities into production and commercialization processes. Technology transfer offices will be able to establish and operate production facilities, creating new areas of application in the processes of scaling up research outputs and preparing them for mass production. The amendment to the regulation entered into force on October 13, 2026, the date it was published in the Official Gazette.