Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality wishes to participate in international consortia as a partner under “Topic 2 – Diverse, sustainable and circular food processing systems” within the scope of the FutureFoodS Second Joint International Co-Funding Call.
The municipality offers pilot areas for sustainable food systems, including post-harvest processing, circular economy, processing of medicinal and aromatic plants, soilless farming technologies, smart greenhouse applications, digital farming systems, rural development data, local food value chains, and living labs.
Our institution aims to make a significant contribution to the consortium by providing
• experimental areas (modern greenhouses, R&D greenhouses, contract production areas) where new technologies can be applied,
• processing infrastructure (extraction facility),
• an extensive network of farmers and a robust rural development database,
• established cooperation models with universities and public institutions,
• and many years of management experience in large-scale agricultural support programs.
to provide significant contributions to the consortium.
In this context, we are seeking collaboration in the following areas:
• Sustainable and circular food processing systems
• Evaluation of new plant-based ingredients, extracts, and by-products
• Soilless agriculture, hydroponic systems, and smart greenhouse technologies
• Digital agriculture, data integration, and traceability models
• Development of food value chains and cooperation with producer organizations
• Pilot applications in a living lab environment
• Impact assessment, consumer research, and socio-economic analysis
Thanks to its high applicability, strong local capacity, and multi-stakeholder management models, Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality is ready to make a strong operational and institutional contribution to international projects.

The Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality is a local government that provides comprehensive public services in the fields of agriculture, food systems, rural development, and sustainable production in Kocaeli, one of Turkey's most dynamic industrial and logistics centers. The municipality has developed an exemplary municipal approach with farmer support programs, modern agricultural practices, innovative production techniques, and development models aimed at strengthening local food value chains.

A total of 1.45 billion TL in support was provided to producers under 92 agricultural projects carried out between 2019 and 2025. These projects cover a wide range of areas, including fertilizer, diesel fuel, fodder crops, seedlings, beekeeping, animal husbandry, cooperative support, modern greenhouse installation, and irrigation infrastructure. The municipality also has strong capacity in innovative and sustainable agricultural technologies. High-tech production systems are being promoted through soil-free agriculture R&D greenhouses, modern greenhouse complexes, smart irrigation infrastructure, and agricultural digitalization efforts.

The extraction facility established within the scope of medicinal and aromatic plants (MAP) has transformed plant raw materials into essential oils and value-added products, making the municipality a key player in circular food processing and bio-based product development. Additionally, the Rural Development Management System contributes to transparency and data-driven management processes by enabling the digital tracking of agricultural subsidies and producer data.
The municipality has strong pilot implementation and dissemination capacity in areas such as sustainable and circular food processing, plant-based products and post-harvest technologies, modern and smart greenhouse systems, digital agriculture, cooperative-based producer models, and multi-stakeholder rural development, in line with the FutureFoodS call.

Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality is also an experienced partner in international projects.
• FLEXSHIP (2023–2026) – Consortium partner on energy-efficient transportation technologies under Horizon Europe IA.
• KIDEP (2017–2018) – Implemented an EU-supported greenhouse gas inventory and climate adaptation project.
• SUMP Kocaeli (2022–2024) – Developed the city's sustainable transportation plan with IPA funds.
• East Basin Sludge Project (2023–2028) – Carries out large-scale environmental restoration work in the Gulf of Izmit.
• WASTEnet (2013–2015) – Played an active role in a project developing natural wastewater treatment solutions under the EU Black Sea Basin Program.

Thanks to its extensive field infrastructure, strong technical staff, stakeholder network, and international project experience, the municipality has the capacity to make a high contribution to consortia as a reliable and effective partner in R&D and innovation projects.