The Electric Vehicle Maintenance Simulator Project Laboratory, supported by the Ankara Development Agency in partnership with OSTİM Technical University and in collaboration with the Automotive Engineers Association (OTOMDER), has been opened.
The opening ceremony was attended by Orhan Aydın, Chairman of the OSTİM Board of Directors and Chairman of the OSTİM Technical University Board of Trustees; Prof. Dr. Murat Yülek, Rector of OSTİM Technical University; Abbas Sarwar Qureshi, Counselor of the Pakistani Embassy; Emine Doğrukök, Acting General Secretary of Ankara Development Agency; Fatih Doğan, Chairman of the OTOMDER Board of Directors; academics; and students.
The Electric Vehicle Maintenance Simulator Project, coordinated by Dr. Nida Birgül, Assistant Professor in the Hybrid and Electric Vehicles Technology Program at the Department of Electrical and Energy Engineering, OSTİM Technical University, aims to utilize simulation technology, an innovative training model, to prevent a shortage of qualified personnel in electric vehicle maintenance in Turkey, to develop a training infrastructure that can meet the needs of the automotive sector, and to facilitate the employability of individuals in the region by improving their professional technical knowledge and skills.
The project, to be carried out in cooperation with OTOMDER, aims to train qualified personnel by providing simulation-based electric vehicle maintenance training to 500 people. The project expects that new generation training technologies will improve the quality of vocational education instead of traditional training methods. Through this training, some members of the target group will acquire a new profession, while others will be able to continue their current profession with a different set of skills.
Electric vehicle technology is on the world's agenda.
OSTİM Technical University Rector Prof. Dr. Murat Yülek stated that they are proud to produce work that adds value to our country and future under the umbrella of an innovative and entrepreneurial university model. Emphasizing that electric vehicles are one of the most talked-about topics in the world of technology, Yülek stated that the Electric Vehicle Maintenance Simulator Project will provide simulation-based electric vehicle maintenance training to 500 people, thus training qualified human resources. Expressing their expectation that new generation educational technologies will improve the quality of vocational education instead of traditional training methods, Yülek noted that some of the target group will acquire a new profession, while others will continue their current profession with a different set of skills.
Orhan Aydın, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of OSTİM Technical University and Chairman of the Board of Directors of OSTİM Organized Industrial Zone, stated that the sector and technology are changing very rapidly, and that unless those working in this sector update their knowledge, their skills will become obsolete due to the rise of electric vehicles. Aydın emphasized that providing training in this new technology, which comes with electric vehicles, is a fitting role for OSTİM Technical University, established within the industrial zone.
The project will address the shortage of qualified personnel in the electric vehicle industry.
Dr. Nida Birgül, Assistant Professor in the Hybrid and Electric Vehicles Technology Program at the Department of Electrical and Energy at the Vocational School, stated that in the Electric Vehicle Maintenance Simulator Project, which is coordinated by her, they aim to prevent the shortage of qualified personnel in the maintenance of electric vehicles in Turkey by utilizing simulation technology, which is among the innovative training models in university-industry cooperation, to meet the need for qualified personnel by developing a training infrastructure that can meet the needs of the automotive sector, and to facilitate the employability of individuals in the region by improving their professional technical knowledge and skills.
Maintenance and repair services should be ready for the transformation.
In a project carried out in collaboration with OTOMDER (Automotive Engineering Association), OTOMDER Chairman Fatih Doğan stated that electric vehicle sales, which totaled 8210 units in 2022, reached 10,028 units between January and June 2023, and that this figure is expected to reach 20,000 by the end of the year. Doğan noted that Turkey will soon become one of the world's leading electric vehicle production centers, emphasizing that maintenance and repair services must also be prepared for this transformation as the number of electric vehicles increases. He added that this preparedness can only be achieved through education.
Emine Doğrukök, Acting Secretary General of the Ankara Development Agency, stated the following regarding the project supported by the Social Economy Financial Support Program focused on Sustainable Development Goals: "As an agency, our focus is on innovation and sustainability. We can solve our existing problems with innovations. Economic growth does not equal development; environmental development is also very important. Today, institutions and practices that adapt to innovation can survive. Our duty as an agency is to support this ecosystem. The most valuable aspect of this project is the collaboration between the university and civil society organizations."
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