Ekol keeps on the same speed for its leading implementations in the sector along with a remarkable achievement of growth rate in both Turkey and Europe. The application process initiated by Ekol in last January for an R&D Center was positively concluded by the Ministry of Science, Industry and Technology in June. This initiative of Ekol has been recorded as the first one in the logistics sector.

Ekol Logistics, one of the largest integrated logistics company in Turkey, has once again been registered with its innovative vision and creative capacity. The application process, carried out by Ekol since January 2012 for an R&D Center (Research and Development Center) has been approved by the Ministry of Science, Industry and Technology. The initiative of Ekol has been recorded as the first one in the logistics sector. Ekol had formerly been approved for two projects within a project by TEYDEB (Office of Technology and Innovation Support Programs) of TUBITAK.

Offical application for the R&D center was done on 26^th March and the process of project evaluation and assignment of arbiters continued until May 15^th. During the period between 18^th May and 4^th June, professors who were assigned as arbiters for the project from three different universities and two members of the evaluation committee visited the R&D Center in the Kardelen Facility of Ekol for their inspections. Upon inspections were completed, Ministry of Science, Industry and Technology certified the Ekol Logistics R&D Center on June 13^th.

According to the regulation of the Ministry of Science, Industry and Technology who has been conducting certification processes in R&D centers since 2008, an R&D Center must have at least 50 full time in-house employees working in closed area in a single center. At the moment, there are 61 employees working full time in the certified Ekol R&D Center.

Ekol R&D Center has been structured for carrying out studies for increasing productivity, developing new business models, establishing R&D culture as a corporate behaviour within the whole organization and ensuring progress and sustainability of the same, creating competent business sources in the logistics industry and bringing out an element of incentive for all other esteemed companies in the Turkish logistics sector.

Ekol has been spending 1% of its budget on R&D studies for the last 3 years. The rate of spending on R&D studies is expected to increase in the coming years. In parallel to environments conditions within the ongoing competition ground, Ekol will keep on investing R&D studies with the same speed for improving scientific and innovative work and innovative applications, exploring new markets and developing cooperative solutions that conform to its business expertise.

Ekol R&D Center will crate a ground for realization projects of SAN-TEZ (Thesis Studies Supported by Industry) and give opportunity of implementation to masters and doctorate students during which the ongoing cooperation of Ekol with academics will increase and publications of sector specific studies and case studies will have vast chances.