Istanbul Okan University  became the first university in Turkey to establish a smart and connected vehicles research group, and has pioneered the country's first autonomous vehicle OKANOM since then. The university launched the   Transportation Technologies and Intelligent Automotive Systems Application and Research Center  (TTIS), one of 12 research centers, in 2009, and has since qualified for multiple grants from the European Union and TÜBİTAK (Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey).

Supported by the Technology Transfer Office (TTO), TTIS conducts research in the fields of smart vehicles, unmanned vehicles, robots, robot groups, advanced automotive technologies, electric transportation technologies, ITS, smart energy, and battery management systems by carrying out many national and international strategic partnerships to commercialize technological developments.

TTIS is a member of EGVIA (European Green Vehicles Initiative Association), ASAM (Association for Standardization of Automation and Measuring Systems), AUTOSAR (Automotive Open System Architecture), and is the only academic member of ERTICO-ITS (European Intelligent Transport Systems) from Turkey. In addition, TTIS is one of the founding members of ITS-Turkey.

TTIS organized its first two workshops with the Ministry of Transport in June and December of 2011 to prepare Turkey's Strategic Plan, and has continued to organize international workshops biennially since then.

In 2014 and 2015, in partnership with TESID (Turkish Electronic Industrialists Association) and YASAD (Software Industrialists Association) and with the support of ISTKA (Istanbul Development Agency), TTIS established two clusters:

  • E-HIKE (Innovative and Sustainable Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Technology Development and Clustering Center), established in 2014, and
  • E-HIKE Link  (Innovative Smart and Connected Vehicles Technology Development and Clustering Center), funded by ISTKA in 2015.

In the TTIS-E-HIKE-E-HIKE Link workshops in 2018 and 2019, studies were carried out to evaluate the needs, problems, and solutions of the CCAM sector and to develop the technology roadmap and the Connected, Autonomous, Electric Vehicle Technologies and Services Strategy Plan. These efforts resulted in the development of CAEVS-INNOHUB and OPINA.

The Open Innovation Autonomous Vehicle Development and Testing Platform Project, shortly "OPINA", is being implemented in 2020 under the Competitive Sectors Program by the Ministry of Industry and Technology with the co-financing of the European Union and the Republic of Turkey, and is carried out by the Transportation Technologies and Intelligent Automotive Systems Application and Research Center (TTIS) at Istanbul Okan University. In this context, it was planned to significantly improve the services provided by combining the E-Hike and E-Hike Link clusters under the OPINA. The goal of OPINA is to become one of Europe's leading CCAM Centers of Excellence.

Click here for information about Istanbul Okan University Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences.


About OPINA Project

The OPINA Project is financed under the EU Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) II budget Theme 2: Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Activity, Theme 2.1: Research and Development item by the European Union and the Republic of Turkey; it is implemented under the Competitive Sectors Program by the Ministry of Industry and Technology, and carried out by the Transportation Technologies and Intelligent Automotive Systems Application and Research Center (TTIS) at Istanbul Okan University.

Target of the OPINA Project; for start-ups, SMEs, universities, and industry, it is the creation of a science, technology, and innovation ecosystem that can encourage the development of advanced technology and high value-added products that will support the economic and social development of the region and the European Union by increasing the overall knowledge level and competitiveness of innovators.

The operational objective of the project is to create a dynamic industry-university-SME innovation and cooperation ecosystem through the Innovative Autonomous and Connected Vehicle Technology Development Center and the BOA Cluster. This collaborative environment will provide resources, support, and relevant equipment to contribute to the formation of new autonomous vehicle (AV)-focused companies and start-ups, increasing the global market competitiveness of BOA members.


Okan OPINA Tekno R&D Inc.

Okan OPINA Tekno R&D Inc.  is a technology development and research company established to ensure the sustainable implementation and growth of the OPINA Project developed within Istanbul Okan University, and to generate research outputs that can be commercialized at national and international levels. With a structure centered on university–industry–public sector collaboration, the company operates in strategic areas such as connected and autonomous vehicle technologies, intelligent transportation systems, V2X communication infrastructures, and test and validation platforms.

Okan OPINA Tekno R&D Inc. aims to transform the scientific knowledge emerging from the OPINA ecosystem into engineering solutions, mature these solutions through pilot implementations and field tests, and make the resulting outputs available to the industry. In this context, the company conducts activities including the execution of research projects, prototype development, support for testing and certification processes, application of digital twin and simulation-based validation methods, and project development for national and European Union–focused R&D programs.

Its founding vision is to become a reference R&D and innovation company in Türkiye in the field of connected and autonomous mobility, distinguished by high-technology testing infrastructures and multi-stakeholder collaborations. Through strategic partnerships with public institutions, industrial organizations, technology companies, and research centers, the company aims to contribute to the development of next-generation mobility solutions and the widespread adoption of safe and sustainable transportation systems.

Okan OPINA Tekno R&D Inc. conducts its activities in line with the principles of transparency, scientific competence, engineering excellence, and sustainable value creation, and positions itself as an implementation and commercialization interface serving the long-term objectives of the OPINA Project.