SUIMC

What SUIMC does

SUIMC (Sabancı University Integrated Manufacturing Technologies Research and Application Center) is an industry-scale applied research center housed within Sabancı University at Teknopark Istanbul, founded in 2015. It operates laboratories in advanced composite materials, additive manufacturing, and digital/process automation, delivering design, analysis, prototyping, low-volume manufacturing, and certified materials testing (aligned with ASTM and EN standards) to industrial clients. Its technology stack spans preforming, out-of-autoclave curing, robotics-based automation, sensor and signal processing, computational mechanics and simulation, and AI-assisted computer vision for process control.

The center serves 67 industrial partners across aerospace, defense, automotive, energy, medical devices, and sports equipment — including Boeing, TUSAŞ, Aselsan, Baykar, TEI, Ford, Arçelik, GE Aviation, and Kordsa. It commercializes through contracted R&D projects, joint innovation centers, and professional training, anchored by two flagship co-investments: the Composite Technologies Center of Excellence (CTCE) with Kordsa and the Digital Manufacturing Innovation Center (DMIC) with TWI Ltd. Revenue is generated from a mix of competitively won public grants (TÜBİTAK, EU Horizon 2020, EUREKA) and fee-based industrial collaborations.

SUIMC has completed 151 research projects, holds 16 patents, and employs 16 core researchers embedded in a broader 51–100-person operating base that draws on Sabancı University faculty and graduate students. Strategic priorities visible in recent activity include qualifying into global aerospace supply chains (Boeing, TEI), scaling digital manufacturing via DMIC/DIMAP, and deepening Turkey's domestic defense-industrial base through SAHA Istanbul cluster engagement.

Name

SUIMC

Legal name

Sabancı University Integrated Manufacturing Technologies Research And Application Center

Website

https://suimc.sabanciuniv.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

SUIMC is a Sabancı University research center in Istanbul providing design, prototyping, certified testing, and digital manufacturing services in advanced composites and additive manufacturing to aerospace, defense, and industrial partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Pendik

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Research and Application Services: Industrial-scale research and technology development services including design, analysis, simulation, process development, and prototype manufacturing for industrial partners
2. Manufacturing and Test Services: Advanced manufacturing services and certified material characterization, mechanical testing, flammability testing, and wet chemistry testing services
3. Professional Training: Professional courses teaching all aspects of advanced composite materials and additive manufacturing including chemistry, design, machining, manufacturing and testing

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

SUIMC is an industrial-scale research and technology development center that provides design, analysis, simulation, process development, prototype manufacturing, and product development services in advanced composite materials, additive manufacturing, and digital manufacturing technologies. The center operates specialized laboratories offering manufacturing services, certified material and mechanical testing, flammability testing, and professional training courses for industrial partners in aerospace, automotive, defense, energy, and medical sectors.

Product overview

SUIMC (Sabancı University Integrated Manufacturing Technologies Research and Application Center) is an industrial-scale research and technology development center providing integrated manufacturing and testing services. The center operates as a platform of specialized laboratories and innovation centers offering: (1) Manufacturing services including Advanced Composite Manufacturing, Additive Manufacturing, Polymer Processing, and Design & Analysis; (2) Testing services including Material Characterization, Mechanical Testing with Structural Health Monitoring, Flammability Testing, and Wet Chemistry; (3) Professional Training courses on composites and additive manufacturing; (4) Innovation Centers (CTCE with Kordsa, DMIC with TWI) for collaborative R&D. DIMAP, a separate EU-funded direct digital manufacturing platform project, provides additional specialized equipment access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Composite Technologies Center of Excellence (CTCE): Innovation center established in collaboration with Kordsa, focusing on composite materials research and technology development for aviation, automotive, sports equipment, wind turbines and marine industries.
• Digital Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Center (DMIC)
• DIMAP - Doğrudan Dijital Üretim Platformu (Direct Digital Manufacturing Platform)

Products and services

• Advanced Composite Manufacturing Industrial-scale advanced composite manufacturing services including robotic Automated Fiber Placement (AFP), resin transfer molding (RTM), vacuum infusion, prepreg processing, and hot press/autoclave curing for aerospace, automotive, and defense applications.
• Additive Manufacturing Metal and polymer additive manufacturing services including selective laser melting (SLM), electron beam melting, robotic large-area composite-polymer systems, and hybrid manufacturing combining additive and subtractive processes for industrial clients.
• Design and Analysis (Computational Mechanics) Simulation services including mechanical design, strength and fatigue analysis, motion simulations, acoustic analysis, computational fluid dynamics, optimization, and tolerance analysis using High Performance Computing infrastructure for industrial partners.
• Material Characterization Laboratory Thermal, thermomechanical, rheological, and structural characterization of composite materials and components including DSC, TGA, DMA, HPLC, GPC, FT-IR, thermal conductivity, and HDT/Vicat testing for industrial clients.
• Mechanical Test and Structural Health Monitoring Laboratory Static and dynamic mechanical testing services including tensile, bending, compression, shear, fatigue, impact, and non-destructive examination (thermography, acoustic emission) for metals, plastics, and composites.
• Flammability Testing Laboratory Flammability testing according to aerospace (Boeing BSS, FAR PART 25, AITM) and railway (EN 45545-2) standards including heat release rate, smoke density, oxygen index, and vertical/horizontal burning tests.
• Wet Chemistry Laboratory Synthesis and characterization laboratory for new monomers and nanomaterials including sol-gel, electrospinning, graphene/CNT synthesis, ceramic materials production, and testing services for composites and plastics.
• Polymer Processing Laboratory Thermoplastic polymer compounding, masterbatch preparation, and production process development including twin-screw extrusion, injection molding, film blowing, and reactor-based monomer synthesis for aerospace thermoplastics.
• Control, Vision and Robotics Laboratory Robotics systems integration with machine learning for visual servo control, computer vision, UAVs, cooperative control, autonomous robots, and real-time control algorithms for industrial applications.
• Professional Training Courses Professional courses covering all aspects of advanced composite materials and additive manufacturing including chemistry, design and modeling, machining, manufacturing, and testing with hands-on experiments. Courses include Composite Materials, Design Principles, RTM, Vacuum Infusion, Additive Manufacturing, and Automated Fiber Placement.
• Composite Technologies Center of Excellence (CTCE) Innovation center established with Kordsa and Sabancı University for developing innovative composite technologies, producing thermoset prepregs, fabrics, and sandwich panels for aviation, automotive, energy, sports equipment, and medical industries.
• Digital Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Center (DMIC) Innovation center established with TWI Ltd and Sabancı University focusing on digital manufacturing technologies, advanced composites, additive manufacturing of metals and composites, and high value-added integrated production technologies.

Quantifiable outcome

• 67 industrial partners served
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• TEI (TUSAŞ Engine Industries)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 October 2022Sabancı University signed agreement with TEI to develop composite engine parts. Agreement signed by TEI General Manager Prof. Dr. Mahmut F.
• BoeingmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 July 2022Collaboration between The Boeing Company and Sabancı University Integrated Manufacturing Technologies Research and Application Center (SU IMC) to develop advanced aerospace composite technologies.
• SAHA IstanbulmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 November 2021Sabancı University, SUNUM and SU-IMC attended SAHA EXPO (biggest defense, aviation and space industries expo in Turkey) organized with participation of Presidency of Defense Industries, Ministry of National Defense. Strategic cooperation agreements signed with various defense and aviation companies.
• KordsacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCTCE (Composite Technologies Center of Excellence) established with Kordsa collaboration as one of the most important research and technology development centers globally in composite materials. Produces thermoset prepregs, fabrics, and sandwich panels for aviation, automotive, energy, sports equipment and medical industries. Combines industry and academia under same roof with researchers, designers, engineers, PhD students, postdoctoral fellows, faculty members and entrepreneurs.
• TWI LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDMIC (Digital Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Center) established with TWI Ltd and Sabanci University IMC collaboration. Engages with wider innovation community to develop research portfolio comprising new collaborative projects for digital manufacturing technologies, advanced composites, additive manufacturing of metals and composites, and high value-added integrated production technologies.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• RISE Research Institutes of Sweden: RISE is Sweden's state research institute offering industrial R&D, certified testing, and pilot manufacturing in composites, polymers, and additive manufacturing — a strong European analog to SUIMC's integrated manufacturing and test services model.
• Sirris: Sirris is the Belgian collective center for the technological industry providing applied R&D, testing, and innovation services in composites, additive manufacturing, and digital production — an established European peer center with a comparable operating model.
• Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials (IFAM): Fraunhofer IFAM runs industrial-scale R&D in adhesive bonding, surface technology, composites, and metal additive manufacturing with certified test facilities — directly comparable to SUIMC's composite manufacturing, characterization, and flammability testing service portfolio.
• National Composites Centre (NCC): NCC is a UK Catapult focused on advanced composites R&D, digital manufacturing, and certification for aerospace, automotive, and energy — a direct peer to SUIMC/CTCE in industrial-scale composite manufacturing and testing services.
• Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC): MTC is a UK Catapult center delivering applied R&D in additive manufacturing, composites, and digital factory technologies to aerospace, automotive, and defense primes — closely mirroring SUIMC's industrial-scale research and testing model.
• TWI Ltd: TWI Ltd is a UK-based industrial R&D and technology center specializing in welding, joining, composites, and additive manufacturing — a direct DMIC co-founder with SUIMC and a near-exact operational counterpart offering research, testing, and certification services to aerospace, automotive, and energy sectors.

Broad incumbents

• Kordsa: Kordsa is the CTCE co-founder operating at industrial scale in tire reinforcement, composite technologies, and prepreg/sandwich-panel production for aviation and automotive — a broader incumbent partner whose commercial-scale production complements SUIMC's pilot-scale R&D.

Regional players

• CIRA (Italian Aerospace Research Centre): CIRA is an Italian aerospace research center providing experimental testing, computational simulation, and advanced manufacturing for aircraft and propulsion systems — structurally analogous to SUIMC's aerospace-focused R&D and certification services.

Emerging players

• TUSAS Turkish Aerospace Industries: TUSAŞ is Turkey's flagship aerospace OEM and a close SUIMC industrial partner for defense and aviation composites — an emerging prime contractor whose growing orderbook directly drives sustained demand for SUIMC's composite R&D and certification services.
• Tusas Engine Industries (TEI): TEI is a Turkish aerospace engine OEM and a current SUIMC partner for composite engine parts development — an emerging player deepening composites capabilities that complements, and partially competes for, the same aerospace engineering talent pool.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/su-imc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SUIMC