A production facility for a domestically developed nanotechnology product that can lower water consumption in agriculture by up to 50% while boosting crop yields by as much as 25% has been recently inaugurated in Türkiye.
The nanomaterial technology developed by ANT Systems, following 15 years of scientific research at Sabancı University's Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, has entered serial production at a newly established domestic facility in Istanbul with an annual capacity of 3,000 tons.
The company’s flagship product, NANOTERN, is a biodegradable nanomaterial designed to retain water in soil for longer periods and release it to plants in a controlled manner when needed.
The technology can hold up to 1,800 times its own weight in water, reducing irrigation water use by up to 50% and increasing agricultural productivity by as much as 25%.
It also improves the efficiency of fertilizers and other agricultural inputs, helping lower production costs.
NANOTERN is actively used not only in Türkiye but also in the U.S., South America, Gulf countries and Africa. The global patent portfolio of the technology is held in Türkiye.
Example of the transition from academia to industry
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Agriculture and Rural Development Support Institution (TKDK) President Ahmet Antalyalı said the initiative represents a tangible example of Türkiye’s goal of producing high technology in the agricultural sector.
Antalyalı emphasized that the project shows the transition from academia to industry can be successfully achieved, describing it as a development model in its own right.
Sabancı University Rector Yusuf Leblebici said that behind such ventures lies a strong vision and many years of dedicated effort, adding that Sakıp Sabancı's support and the founding philosophy of the university made a meaningful contribution to the process.
Leblebici also stressed that work on technology has continued determinedly throughout the various periods of crisis the world has gone through.
ANT Systems Vice Chairperson and CEO Can Yurdakul warned that land can be lost not only through war, but also due to water scarcity, inefficiency and unsustainable production models.
"Energy, water and agriculture are now among the world's greatest issues," Yurdakul said.
"The agricultural sector uses roughly 70% of the world's freshwater resources. One of the most critical questions for the future is therefore how to produce more sustainably with existing resources,” he added.
He said much of the technology globally remains at the research and development stage, while Türkiye is among the few countries producing it at an industrial scale with proven field applications.
"The issue is no longer to produce more - it is to produce more intelligently with limited resources," he noted.
"We have built a system that does not simply use water; it manages water. Today we are talking about a Turkish technology that is in the field across five continents, from the U.S. to Africa,” he said.
Yurdakul said the company aims to transform ANT Systems from a Türkiye-based technology firm into a global standard-setting structure.
'Technology is the only thing we can rely on against water stress'
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA) after the ceremony, Parliament's Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Affairs Committee Chairperson Vahit Kirişci highlighted the increasing average age of workers in the agricultural sector, saying technology use in farming is critical to attracting younger generations.
He said that integrating technology at every level, including nanotechnology, would make the sector more appealing to young people.
"If we make a specific assessment here, we should note that we are not a water-rich country. In a country whose water stress is no longer in doubt, we must use water in the most effective and efficient way possible,” Kirişci said.
He stressed that technological solutions are essential to ensuring efficient and loss-free use of water in agriculture.
Güler Sabancı, chair of the founding board of trustees of Sabancı University and investor in ANT Systems, said water stress caused by the climate crisis is becoming increasingly visible both globally and in Türkiye.
"In facing the climate crisis, the major disasters we are already experiencing and will experience, and the water stress we are living through – the only thing we can rely on for the future is technology, science-based research, and the successful ventures that emerge from such research. This is also what the world trusts and expects," Sabancı said.
Sabancı said entrepreneurship and technology-focused initiatives supported at Sabancı University since 2007 have, in nearly 15 years, turned into tangible results aimed at addressing global problems.
She added that the first production facility has now moved beyond the laboratory stage and will play a key role in combating climate change.
Nanotechnology products deliver more effective results
ANT Systems Chairperson and CTO Yusuf Ziya Menceloğlu said the concept of sustainability began gaining prominence around 15 years ago, as rapid population growth accelerated resource consumption and carbon emissions, contributing to global warming and water scarcity.
"In agriculture, there is in fact a water crisis, a chemical input crisis – particularly the pesticide problem – and post-harvest storage problems," he said.
"Today, our food losses amount to almost 5% of Türkiye's gross national product. Food preservation and post-harvest protection are therefore very important," he added.
Menceloğlu said the company has developed nanotechnology products for these sectors because nanomaterials allow for more effective results with less material use.
"It is for this reason – because of their high effectiveness – that they are widely accepted," he added.