Dr. Mehmet Akif Nacar, who graduated from Trakya University’s Department of Computer Engineering in 1995, completed his master’s degree in Electronics-Computer Education at Gazi University in 1998. In 2000, he completed another master’s degree in the Department of Computer Science at Syracuse University. He earned his PhD from Indiana University in 2008, where he was awarded a Research Fellowship. Returning to Turkey the same year, Nacar began his academic career as an Assistant Professor at Harran University. His research focused on Grid Computing, Cloud Computing, and High-Performance Computing. Dr. Nacar led and completed high-budget projects supported by organizations such as the Ministry of Development, TÜBİTAK, and GAP Regional Development Administration, related to his academic field. Between 2009 and 2010, he served as the Head of the Electrical-Electronics Engineering Department at Harran University, followed by the Industrial Engineering Department from 2010 to 2011, and then the Computer Engineering Department from 2010 to 2014. From 2009 to 2013, he was the Director of the Information Processing Research and Application Center, and from 2013 to 2016, he served as the Director of the Information Technologies Application and Research Center at Harran University. He also held the positions of Secretary General (2016–2017) and Rector’s Advisor (2015–2017). On May 16, 2017, Dr. Nacar was appointed Deputy General Manager of Training and Simulation Technologies at HAVELSAN. In 2018, he chaired the Board of Directors of EHSİM (Electronic Warfare Systems Engineering Trade Inc.). He also served as a Board Member in 2019 at Cornea Aviation Systems Industry and Trade Inc., established in 2018 through a partnership between HAVELSAN and Turkish Technic, focusing on in-flight entertainment systems. Appointed as General Manager of HAVELSAN in 2020, Dr. Nacar served as a Board Member from 2022 to 2023 and continues to serve as the General Manager. Since 2017, he has been a Board Member of Quantum3D, HAVELSAN’s technology company located in Silicon Valley, USA, and has been Chairman of the Board since 2020. In 2025, he began serving as a Board Member of ULAK Communication Inc. Within University-Industry Collaboration efforts, Nacar has been a founding member and Board Member of Şanlıurfa Technopark, a member of the KOSGEB R&D Board, Provincial Representative for the Ministry of Industry and Technology’s Public-University-Industry Cooperation (KÜSİ), and University Representative for the Turkish Patent Institute’s Intellectual and Industrial Property Rights Project. He has also served as an R&D Project Consultant for KOSGEB, reviewer and monitor for TÜBİTAK TEYDEB, panelist and monitor for TÜBİTAK KAMAG, and panelist for Ministry of Development research projects. Dr. Nacar has contributed as a panelist, reviewer, monitor, and consultant in numerous national projects related to R&D and entrepreneurship, including TEYDEB, Santez, and Teknogirişim. He has served on the TÜBİTAK Ulakbim TRUBA Advisory Board and the TÜBİTAK TEYDEB Cloud Computing Advisory Board. Married and father of three children, he has participated in seven different national and international projects.

Prof. Dr. İsmail Lazoğlu completed his undergraduate education in Mechanical Engineering at Istanbul Technical University in 1989. He obtained his master's and doctoral degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1992 and 1997, respectively. He conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Illinois and later served as a postdoctoral research associate at the University of British Columbia between 1997 and 2000. Since 2000, he has been a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Koç University, where he is also the founder and director of the Manufacturing and Automation Research Center. His research and expertise lie in advanced manufacturing, mechatronics/automation/robotics, and medical systems/artificial organs/implants/biomechanics. His current medical research interests include biomechanics, artificial heart pumps, cardiovascular system modeling, spinal system modeling, 3D tissue printing, bionic limbs, and the development of novel spinal implants. Prof. Lazoğlu is a member of the International Academy for Production Engineering (CIRP – College International pour la Recherche en Productique), a member of the European Society for Artificial Organs, and a founding and executive board member of the Turkish Society for Artificial Organs and Support Systems (TUYOD).