The award ceremony for the Concrete Ideas Project Design Contest, held by Turkey’s leader construction materials company Akçansa with the motto”Raise Awareness in Concrete, Add Color to Life” this year, was held at the Sabancı Center on May 12.

150 students from more than 25 universities attended to the fifth Concrete Ideas Project Design Contest and the winner of the contest is announced as Grup Concreate. Grup Betopya ranked second in the contest, while Grup Betopya and Grup İkiartıbir ranked third in the contest with the same score for the first time.

Results of the fifth Concrete Ideas Project Design Contest, held by Turkey’s leader construction materials company Akçansa for allowing the university students to generate solutions which will make the people buying a new house or workplace to question the brand of concrete, as well as to increase consciousness and raise awareness, are announced during the award ceremony held at the Sabancı Center on May 12 Monday.

Sabancı Holding Cement Group Chairman and Akçansa Board Chairman Mehmet Göçmen, Akçansa General Manager Hakan Gürdal, and Sabancı Holding HR Group Chairman Neriman Ülsever, as well as the jury members of the Concrete Ideas Project Design Contest and the students making it to the finale have attended to the ceremony.

Concrete Ideas broke a record in 2014 with the attendance of 150 students from more than 25 universities
150 students from more than 25 universities have registered to the contest, where university students from entire Turkey are allowed. Competing in groups, the students developed projects for generating solutions that will make the people buying a new house or workplace to question the brand of concrete, as well as to increase consciousness and raise awareness in accordance with this year’s theme.

Projects submitted to the contest are evaluated by Prof. Dr. Mehmet Ali Taşdemir from the Istanbul Technical University, Executive Development Unit Director Dr. T. Cüneyt Evirgen from the Sabancı University, Brand Consultant Temel Aksoy, and Marketing Turkey Chied Editor Günseli Özen Ocakoğlu.

As a result of a difficult jury process, winner of the 5th Concrete Ideas Contest is announced as Grup Concreate from the Istanbul Technical University. The group members Ezgi Kızıl and Hazal Çetin received their first place awards from the Sabancı Holding Cement Group Chairman and Akçansa Board Chairman Mehmet Göçmen.

Grup Betopya from the Yıldız Technical University and the Istanbul Technical University ranked second in the contest, while Grup Betonyum and Grup İki Artı Bir from the Istanbul Technical University and the Boğaziçi University ranked third.

Grup Concreate members both received iPad and the opportunity to intern in Turkey’s leader construction materials company Akçansa. The groups ranking second and third received iPad mini as an award.

Göçmen: Industry-university cooperation is an important part of the national innovation
Giving a speech during the award ceremony, Sabancı Holding Cement Group Chairman and Akçansa Board Chairman Mehmet Göçmen stated that he is pleased with the interest of the young people, who are the architects of the future, to the Concrete Ideas Contest, and pointed out the importance of the cooperation between the industry and the universities: “With the Concrete Ideas Project Design Contest, Akçansa emphasizes the importance of cement and concrete for a sustainable future, and also supports the education of our young people. Therefore, the cooperation between the industry and the universities is of vital importance for the companies, and this association becomes an important part of the national innovation system. So, the Concrete Ideas will continue to contribute to our young people and our industry every year.“

Sabancı Holding HR Group Chairman Neriman Ülsever said, “I believe the entire business world should support innovative projects for a more livable world.  Therefore, I am very glad that Concrete Ideas Contest, launched by Akçansa five years ago, will contribute to a sustainable future. Unfolding the importance of the university-industry cooperation once again, the Concrete Ideas host projects that make all of us excited. Thus, I would like to tell once again that I am really pleased and proud to take place in such an important organization together with the bright young people of the future.“

Akçansa General Manager Hakan Gürdal said, “The 5th Concrete Ideas contest, which we launched with the motto”Raise Awareness in Concrete, Add Color to Life“, has received a high attendance thanks to our young fellows who want to work for a sustainable future. Approximately 150 students from more than 25 universities have attended to the contest, and for the first time in the history of the contest, two groups received the same score and shared the third place. Thanks to these creative ideas that do not see cement and concrete only as an intermediate product, we are aiming to continue with our contribution to our young people and our industry.“