A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed at the TÜBİTAK MAM Gebze Campus with the participation of representatives from DeFacto and Prof. Dr. Burcu Özsoy, President of the TÜBİTAK Marmara Research Center (MAM). Under this agreement, cooperation is planned to develop the clothing intended for use during the National Arctic Scientific Research Expeditions (TASE), determining the content of research and development activities to be conducted for the Arctic region and joint events to be organized, as well as identifying the topics of joint projects to be developed and the models of cooperation regarding the implementation of these projects.

The first prototype of the garments to be developed under the TASE project was provided by DeFacto and used during this year’s expedition, yielding preliminary results in many areas, including textile technology, monitoring of vital functions, durability, thermal comfort, and more. These details were discussed at the meeting, and views were exchanged regarding the development stages.

In the textile sector—one of our country’s strongest industries—we have collaborated with TÜBİTAK MAM as part of our polar research efforts, and clothing (smart textile products) manufactured by our national brands is being used on our polar expeditions. At the conclusion of the meeting, it was decided that efforts to further develop this encouraging situation would continue at an accelerated pace.