Evaluating the transformation in the understanding of entrepreneurship on the occasion of February 16 Innovation Day, Occupational Health and Safety Specialist and Director of R&D and Innovative Policies Assoc. Prof. Müge Ensari Özay stated that entrepreneurship in the 21st century has been reshaped around speed, flexibility, and uncertainty management.
Emphasizing that R&D and innovation have become a necessity rather than a choice, Assoc. Prof. Özay said, “Institutions now compete not only through their production capacity but through their ability to generate knowledge and transform that knowledge into products.”
She underlined that it is no longer sufficient for a 21st century entrepreneur to merely have a business idea. “Today’s entrepreneur must go beyond having a business idea and possess competencies such as writing projects, accessing funding sources, managing national and international support programs, understanding intellectual property processes, and establishing multi stakeholder collaborations,” she said.
Assoc. Prof. Müge Ensari Özay, Deputy Head of the Department of Occupational Health and Safety and Director of R&D and Innovative Policies at Üsküdar University, evaluated the transformation of entrepreneurship and innovation within the scope of February 16 Innovation Day.
New generation ventures embrace the “validate first, then scale” approach
Assoc. Prof. Özay stated that entrepreneurship in the 21st century differs significantly from traditional models in terms of speed, flexibility, and uncertainty management.
“In the past, entrepreneurship was largely based on capital, physical investment, and long term planning. Today, thanks to digital infrastructures, agile structures that enable low cost rapid trial and error stand out. New generation ventures adopt the approach of ‘validate first, then scale’ instead of ‘establish first, then grow.’ This transformation has turned universities from institutions that only provide education into active components of the entrepreneurial ecosystem. The work carried out within Üsküdar University’s BrainPark Technology Transfer Office constitutes concrete examples of this new approach in terms of commercializing academic knowledge and transforming it into social benefit,” she said.
Competition is now measured by knowledge production capacity
Stating that R&D and innovation are no longer optional, Assoc. Prof. Özay said, “Institutions now compete not only in terms of production capacity but in their ability to generate knowledge and convert that knowledge into products. At this point, technology transfer offices establish bridges between academic research and industry, ensuring that knowledge is transformed into economic value. Managing intellectual property processes, patenting, licensing, and company formation of projects developed within universities become possible through systematic support mechanisms. These processes aim to transform R&D from a theoretical activity into a direct driver of economic development.”
Digitalization fundamentally transforms entrepreneurial ideas
Assoc. Prof. Özay stated that digitalization, artificial intelligence, and data driven technologies are transforming the understanding of entrepreneurship.
“While digitalization, artificial intelligence, and data driven technologies radically reshape entrepreneurial ideas, they also transform the working models of technology transfer structures. Mentorship programs, project development trainings, university industry collaboration organizations, and acceleration activities conducted by the BrainPark Technology Transfer Office enable researchers and young entrepreneurs to develop digitally based business models. Projects developed at Üsküdar University in areas such as data analytics, health technologies, artificial intelligence applications, occupational health and safety, and neurotechnology demonstrate the decisive role of interdisciplinary work in entrepreneurship,” she said.
Entrepreneurial identity requires multidimensional competence
Emphasizing that it is not enough for a 21st century entrepreneur to simply have a business idea, Assoc. Prof. Özay stated, “The core competencies required of a 21st century entrepreneur demand the integration of technical expertise with innovative thinking skills. Today’s entrepreneur must not only have a business idea but also possess the ability to write projects, access funding sources, manage national and international support programs, understand intellectual property processes, and establish multi stakeholder collaborations. The training, consultancy, and incubation supports provided by technology transfer offices help develop these competencies and strengthen researchers with an entrepreneurial identity.”
Innovation must also generate social impact
Assoc. Prof. Özay noted that sustainability and green innovation have come to the forefront.
“The prominence of sustainability, green innovation, and social impact shows that entrepreneurship carries not only economic but also environmental and social value production responsibilities. Today, support programs and investment mechanisms prioritize projects aligned with sustainable development goals. University based entrepreneurship structures also promote the understanding of ‘social impact-oriented innovation’ by supporting solutions aimed at improving health, the environment, social welfare, and quality of life,” she said.
Universities are becoming strategic centers for commercialization of knowledge
Stating that R&D based entrepreneurship in Türkiye has gained momentum through developing technoparks, increasing public support, and university industry collaborations, Assoc. Prof. Özay concluded her remarks as follows: “Technology development zones and technology transfer offices accelerate the commercialization process of research by bringing together academics, students, and industry representatives within the same ecosystem. In the coming period, with strengthened international collaborations and increased investments in deep technology fields, universities are evolving into strategic centers that not only produce knowledge but also support the commercialization of that knowledge.”