Associate Professor Dr Cetin Karakaya

About

An Associate Professor and engineer with 25+ years of experience across academia and industry in advanced manufacturing, materials and strategic R&D management. He has managed 300+ industrial R&D projects, provided technical consultancy to 100+ industrial and public organisations, and coordinated ~30 R&D Project Markets along the idea-to-product innovation path. He has lived in the UK for 10+ years.

Engineering Logic – analytical · calculable · solvable

Impact in Numbers

25+

Years Univ.–Industry

300+

Industrial R&D Projects

100+

Organisations Advised

~30

R&D Project Markets

3,000+

Entrepreneurs Trained

100+

Patent Applications

150+

Trademark Registrations

Books

Patents

Software

Core Expertise

Innovation & StrategyR&D & Project ManagementUniversity–Industry CollaborationTechnology TransferEntrepreneurship EcosystemPatents & Intellectual PropertyAI-Driven Business ModelsStrategic Problem SolvingFinite Element Analysis (FEA/CAE)Composite & Sandwich StructuresHydrogen StorageWelding TechnologiesAdvanced ManufacturingMaterials Science

Experience

Founder

Jan 2026 – Present

B2Verify · London, England

The UK's first "deep-link" business verification / trust-scoring engine; surfacing risk by cross-analysing the ownership and director networks of millions of companies.

Founder · Business Strategy & Immigration Compliance Adviser

Feb 2022 – Aug 2025

Black Rock Immigration Ltd · East Sussex, England

Strategic market-entry and UKVI compliance advisory for investors and tech founders (Innovator Founder, Global Talent, ECAA Turkish Businessperson).

Founder · Consultant

Sep 2012 – Dec 2022

Ahir R&D Consultancy Inc. · Sakarya, Turkey

R&D roadmaps and high-budget manufacturing projects (concept to mass production) for 100+ industrial firms; securing funding from TÜBİTAK, KOSGEB, the Ministry of Industry and Development Agencies; R&D Centre establishment, patent/trademark/quality management.

Founder · Consultant

May 2016 – Feb 2022

Let's Go To UK Consulting Ltd. · Hastings, England

A strategic bridge for SMEs in UK–Turkey trade; import-export compliance and B2B matchmaking.

Assistant Professor – Mechatronics Engineering

Jan 2012 – Sep 2014

Istanbul Commerce University · Istanbul, Turkey

Entrepreneurship & Project Management courses; mentoring students from prototype to commercialisation; industry-focused curriculum development.

Lecturer & Head of Department

Jan 2009 – Dec 2011

Sakarya Univ. Karasu Vocational School · Sakarya, Turkey

Head of the Machinery and Metal Technologies Department; industrial internship/placement programmes; vocational curriculum renewal.

Research Assistant – Advanced Manufacturing

Dec 2002 – Dec 2008

Sakarya University · Sakarya, Turkey

Industrial projects in manufacturing technologies, welding and materials science; TÜBİTAK-supported research and scientific publications.

Education

2011

PhD – Mechanical Engineering

Sakarya Univ. · UK NARIC equivalence RQF-8

Thesis: High-pressure composite hydrogen storage tanks (SAN-TEZ supported).

2005

MSc – Mechanical Eng. (Welding Tech.)

Sakarya Univ.

Roll-Bond heat exchanger (KOSGEB-supported university–industry).

2002

BSc – Mechanical Engineering

Sakarya Univ. · Top of Department (Valedictorian), High Honours

Completed the programme one semester early by taking advanced courses.

Publications & Patents

Books

• The Baird Effect: Reinventing Start-ups in the Age of AI (2025, 205 pp. · available in all Amazon stores)
• Girişimcilik Rüyası (The Entrepreneurship Dream) (2016)
• R&D and Innovation Supports (2010)
• 1st R&D Project Market (2010)

The Baird Effect · Amazon

Patents

• High-Pressure-Resistant Composite Hydrogen Storage Tank (2012)
• Mis-fuelling Warning and Control System (2009)
• Mobile-Phone Presence Detection Device (2008)

Publications

16 papers (8 Web of Science) · 42 conference papers

Achievements

Notable Firsts & Success Story

★Through the Industrial R&D Support Unit he founded at the Sakarya Chamber of Commerce and Industry, he raised the province to 1st among all provinces (from 38th) in KOSGEB applications, and from 24th to 8th in TÜBİTAK TEYDEB. (2010–2011)
★At Istanbul Commerce University he created Turkey's first accredited entrepreneurship curriculum for engineers, equivalent to the KOSGEB Entrepreneurship Programme; over 1,000 students earned the Applied Entrepreneurship certificate. (2012–2014)
★He pioneered the establishment of a KOSGEB-TEKMER (Technology Centre) at Istanbul Commerce University, creating an ecosystem for academics and entrepreneurs to realise R&D projects. (2012–2014)
★He pioneered the founding of an incubation centre at Sakarya Technopark and mentored dozens of student/academic projects from idea to commercialisation. (2011–2013)
★As founding honorary advisor of the Sakarya Machinery Manufacturers' Association, he provided R&D support to regional industry and prepared the feasibility study for the Machinery Specialised Organised Industrial Zone. (2010–2014)
★He voluntarily managed Sakarya's first geographical-indication registrations (Islama Köfte and Dartılı Keşkek) and secured their international registration. (2011)
★B2Verify – founder of the UK's first true "deep-link" business verification engine. (2026)

Leadership · Board Memberships · Mentorship · Awards

~30 R&D Project Market coordinations (2009–2018) – Exporters' Associations (İKMİB, AKİB, OAİB), Chambers of Commerce and Industry, NGOs, universities and technoparks.
Applied training for 3,000+ engineers and entrepreneurs; seminars and project mentoring.
TÜBİTAK BİGG – innovation mentor and project-evaluation juror (2014–2021); one-to-one mentoring of 50+ entrepreneurs.
Member of the ISTKA Project Evaluation Board; member of the Rural Development Projects Evaluation Board, Sakarya Provincial Directorate of Agriculture.
SAN-TEZ doctoral research grant (2009) – resulted in a patent and commercialisation.
KOSGEB R&D Innovation grant (2003) through industry collaboration within his MSc thesis; Top of Department, BSc (2002).