Contribution to sustainable future by the youth

23.11.2016

Turkey’s leader construction materials company Akçansa organized the “Biodiversity Project Contest”, aiming to increase the biological values of the mine sites, for the second time in Turkey.

In the contest where approximately total 30 projects from Turkey are competed, students and academicians from the Istanbul Technical University ranked first, while the Gazi University ranked second and Çanakkale 18 March University ranked third.

The Biodiversity Project Contest organized by Akçansa with the aim of allowing the university students to generate projects increasing the biological values of the mine sites and increase the awareness on this matter is held for the second time.

Results of this year’s Biodiversity Project Contest, which is held for the second time in Turkey, are announced with a ceremony at the Conrad Hotel.

Approximately 30 projects from all around Turkey have participated to the contest, and 3 projects made it to the finale.

First place award is set as € 5.000

Winners of the Biodiversity Project Contest featuring innovative and creative ideas have been Berke Olcaysoy, Galip Can Güçlü and Nedim Hacıosmanoğlu from the Istanbul Technical University. The students received the first place check of € 5.000 from Akçansa Purchasing and Logistics Vice General Manager Ozan Erinçkan.

Sena Kurtulmuş, Ezgi Okumuş and Dr. Nurcan Uzel from the Gazi University received the second place check of € 3.000, while Mustafa Eray Bozyel, Prof. Dr. Sezginer Tuncer and Prof. Dr. Ahmet Gönüz from the Çanakkale 18 March University received the third place check of € 1.500.

In the second stage of the contest, the contestants succeeded in the international area will receive a money prize of € 10.000.

Akçansa General Manager Umut Zaner stated that they, as Akçansa, consider sustainability with social, environmental and economical aspects, and said, “We are trying to integrate sustainability into our management understanding and our work culture. Preserving biological diversity and managing the ecosystem has a great part in the existence of our sector in long term.  Working on this strategy at Akçansa, we set biodiversity management as one of six prioritized topics within the scope of our sustainability strategy, and we have taken it among our sustainability targets for the year 2020.”

Zenar highlighted that they are a company always attaching importance to the ideas and perspectives of the youth, and said, “We are a company listening to the youth, hearing what they say, and supporting their creativity. With this contest we have organized for increasing the biological values of the mine sites, we believe a significant contribution will be provided for the sustainable future.”