2019 SUSTAINABILITY REPORT
Our R&D management proceeds based on our strategy to become a global, competitive product and technology development center, which internalizes existing technologies in accordance with the needs and which rapidly implements new technologies. While adapting this strategy to our products, we aim to develop new product projects for the market needs, offer such products on the market and improve our existing products in line with expectations.
In the Tofaş R&D Center, where one can see many reflections of our sustainability culture, we attach importance to making progress in an expanded R&D network, which includes universities, co-designer suppliers and engineering companies, keeping in mind that cooperation will strengthen R&D. We consider strengthening our competencies as a priority for becoming a center where global advanced engineering studies of FCA are carried out. In this context, we continued our research projects in technology fields, to which we give strategic priority, in 2019, both within the company and within the framework of university-industry collaborations.
Within the scope of 2023 targets, TÜBİTAK made a call for 2244 - Industry Doctorate Program for the raising of qualified human resources with a doctorate degree, as required by the industry and under the university-industry cooperation, with the aim of promoting the employment of researchers with a doctoral degree in the industry and improving the cooperation between universities/research infrastructure and industry. Tofaş R&D planned to employ 18 doctoral students to work in the following projects covered under the 2244 - Industry Doctorate Program.
In addition, Tofaş worked with seven supplier companies in 2019 on design development projects supported by TÜBİTAK and H2020.
Our studies in the R&D center progress around three main components: environmental sustainability, social sustainability, and competence. We follow our works through long-term and short-term goals that serve as milestones.
We recognize that being able to produce information in today’s world is one of the most important factors for development, and we aim to contribute to the national economy accordingly. In this context, we closely follow the technological developments around the world and contribute directly to the development of these technologies. By integrating design processes into R&D studies, we are working on developing passenger and commercial vehicles which stand out with their innovative engineering design details as well as technological superiorities. In 2019, we worked extensively on the improvement and development of the Fiorino, Doblò, Egea models, and we also supported the R&D projects of FCA. We also started the R&D activities related to the development (MCA) project of the new Egea model.
The total investments for the design and test infrastructure made at Tofaş R&D center until 2019 in the areas of vehicle concept, style, body, interior design, suspension, engine, emission, vibration and acoustics exceeded 58 million Euros. The new testing fields, in which we have invested 10 million Euros, and which we commissioned in 2019, increased the capability of our R&D Center to develop more competitive products.
With its infrastructure that can compete with Europe in the field of vehicle development, Tofaş R&D Center is located on a total space of 20,110 m² and employs approximately 700 personnel in its laboratories and offices. Tofaş R&D Center, with its various laboratories equipped with high technology, is one of FCA’s largest R&D centers in Europe. When recruiting personnel to Tofaş R&D Center, we give priority to those who have a master’s or doctoral degree.
Among the personnel working in the R&D Center, 64 were holding a master’s or doctoral degree 2008, while this number increased to 150 in 2019. In the recruitments to be made for the R&D Center, priority is given to the employment of those who have a master’s or doctoral degree. As of 2019, 13 of the Tofaş R&D employees are studying in doctoral programs, whereas 28 others are studying in master’s programs.
One of the prerequisites for Turkey to increase its international recognition and develop itself, as a product development center, is to address all elements of the R&D value chain in a holistic approach. Tofaş attaches special importance to such issues as joint design development, organization of local engineering companies, and collaborations with universities. Carrying out university-industry collaboration projects in parallel with its technology development studies, Tofaş R&D Center has been involved in 137 projects with 18 different universities in the last 15 years.
In many research projects carried out at Tofaş R&D Center with the support of TÜBİTAK and the European Union, we cooperate with FCA Research Center and foreign design centers as well as faculty members of various universities. Tofaş R&D Center has increased the number of its EU supported research projects to 23 and has worked with more than 200 international project partners within the scope of these projects.
Tofaş R&D Center aims to increase the number of patent applications every year with new projects and innovative ideas that provide added value. As a result of its innovative studies, Tofaş R&D Center made 106 patent applications within the country and 17 patent applications in the international arena.
