TÜBİTAK has decided to support the new generation flame detection system developed in collaboration with Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University Nuclear Radiation Detectors Application and Research Center (NÜRDAM) and YAFE Technology, a company operating in Diyarbakır Dicle Technopark. This project, considered a significant advancement in preventing forest and factory fires and enhancing fire safety in Turkey and globally, has received substantial contributions from BAİBÜ NÜRDAM. The locally developed flame detector will have superior features compared to its imported counterparts. With a 360-degree detection angle, the detector can sense a flame from over 100 meters away at the spark stage and alert the necessary units within milliseconds. Due to its low energy consumption, it can operate on solar power, making it suitable for use in open fields and forests.
Reports prepared by relevant institutions indicate that more than 80% of forest fires start in areas where residential zones intersect with forest land. The detectors placed in these intersection areas aim to enable earlier intervention in fires, thereby preventing significant losses. The domestic technology, designed to prevent fires in fuel, paper, paint, and chemical factories and warehouses, is also noted for its high export potential.
In the aftermath of the "disaster of the century" earthquakes, efforts were initiated to support 11 cities to sustain the regional entrepreneurship ecosystem. TÜBİTAK supported project-based research, technology development, and innovation activities of SME-scale organizations in Adana, Adıyaman, Diyarbakır, Elazığ, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kahramanmaraş, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, and Şanlıurfa affected by the earthquakes. Within this scope, under the Technology and Innovation Support Programs Directorate (TEYDEB), special calls were prepared under the "TEKNOÇABA" slogan and "2023-Earthquake Region" call for the 1501 Industrial R&D Support Program and 1507 SME R&D Start Support Program. Within this call, TÜBİTAK decided to support the project titled "Development and Commercialization of New Generation Flame Detection System," proposed by YAFE Technology, a partner of NÜRDAM, to the 1507 SME R&D Start Support Program.
Dr. Fuat YETİŞSİN, manager of YAFE Technology, stated, "We thank TÜBİTAK for deciding to support our project, which we proposed to develop such a domestic technology that could be a solution for one of the most current problems, forest and factory fires, with many superior features compared to its imported counterparts. We also extend our gratitude to Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University and its Nuclear Radiation Detectors Application and Research Center for their support during the project preparation phase and their valuable collaboration planned for R&D and success tests. We are grateful for the support provided under the adverse conditions created by the earthquakes that occurred during the initial stages of our venture."
Dr. Yalçın KALKAN, Director of NÜRDAM, commented, "I congratulate our partner YAFE Technology for the support of their project. NÜRDAM will be beside the entrepreneurial firm in all their R&D and success tests to be carried out within the project prepared in response to this call provided by TÜBİTAK to keep the entrepreneurship ecosystem alive in the region under the adverse conditions of the earthquake. The support given by TÜBİTAK and the initiatives of YAFE Technology for the commercialization of the technology I invented are invaluable. We hope this project will contribute to our country's economy and be a beneficial project. In the meantime, I would like to emphasize the necessity of establishing a domestic certification institution in our country to eliminate the dependency on foreign countries for the certification processes of such detectors and, thus, prevent unnecessary foreign exchange loss."
