Visit of Our Rector Prof. Dr. Nihat İnanç to Istanbul Technical University

Rector Prof. Dr. Nihat İnanç visited the Aviation and Space Technologies Application and Research Center at Istanbul Technical University (ITU). During the visit, Prof. Dr. İnanç closely examined the laboratory facilities of the research center.

He was accompanied by Prof. Dr. Zahit Mecitoğlu, Dean of ITU’s Faculty of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Detailed information was provided about the technical specifications of the laboratories and ongoing projects. The laboratory infrastructure, including units such as the Artificial Intelligence-Guided Navigation and Control Laboratory, Propulsion Technologies Laboratory, and Small Satellite Communication and Reverse Engineering Laboratory, was inspected.

Speaking about the visit, Prof. Dr. İnanç said, “I believe that such visits are important to enhance academic collaborations and to offer more opportunities to our students and faculty members. I believe these visits will inspire new projects and collaborative efforts.”

The ITU Aviation and Space Technologies Application and Research Center is distinguished by its focus on integrating advanced technologies into aerospace engineering. The center conducts research in areas such as GPS-independent visual navigation, target detection and tracking, artificial intelligence, deep learning, air traffic management, and vehicle control. It also undertakes hardware and software development for swarm unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) communication systems.

A strong research ecosystem is supported through rapid prototyping with 3D printing technologies and application-based studies conducted in both closed and open test fields. The center offers students valuable academic and industrial experience through projects supported by government institutions, the European Union, and industry collaborations.

Research activities at the center are organized under two main focus areas: control and avionics, and nanomaterials and advanced textiles. Innovative efforts are directed towards enhancing the durability and performance of aerospace materials. In this regard, the center holds a leading position in Türkiye in the field of aerospace and space technologies.