VIRTUAL TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT ZONE MODEL PROPOSAL FOR TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT ZONES IN THE INDUSTRY 5.0 PROCESS

Abstract

The digital transformation process of enterprises, which accelerated with the Industry 4.0 process, has turned into a process that includes the issues of employees and society, environmental sustainability, and resilience of enterprises with the Industry 5.0 process. In this process, businesses apply their working models face-to-face in physical environments, online in virtual environments or by choosing one of the hybrid models where both models are applied. One of the places where different working models are applied and businesses are gathered together to carry out research and development (R&D) activities is Technology Development Zones (TDZ). TDZs were established in Turkey with the law numbered 4691. Some exemptions are granted to enterprises working in TDZs within the scope of R&D activities. In order to work in TDZs, enterprises must submit an R&D project to the TDZ management. TDZs are declared as physical area. For enterprises that want to work in TDZs, physical buildings with physical work offices are constructed. Within the scope of this study, a virtual TDZ model, which can be considered the digital twin of physical TDZs, will be proposed. This model proposes virtual work offices instead of physical TDZ buildings, and businesses can carry out their R&D activities wherever they want. In this context, the construction costs, water, carbon and energy footprints of TDZ buildings can be reduced, contributing to environmental sustainability.