Companies that received awards in Our Dreams Are Similar Collaboration Program were announced

With Our Dreams Are Similar Collaboration Program, which we set out in 2019 with the message ‘Our responsibilities for our future are common, our dreams are similar’, this year, we brought together again more than 500 customers and more than 20 thousand suppliers from different industries in the call inviting them to take their responsibilities for a sustainable future. As a result of 44 project applications that answered our call, award receiving 7 companies were identified.

Tekfen Agricultural Research and Eczacıbaşı Building Materials were awarded in the application category of our Dream Similar Collaboration Program, and ISS Facility and Management Services and Ankyra Reklam’s projects in the idea category. Akplas Plastik and the projects of Yemekhane and Parıltım, operating in the catering industry, received the incentive award.

Projects ranging from sustainable agriculture to recycling of advertising materials
The projects aiming to protect the environment and natural resources and change the way of life in this direction focus on many different areas from sustainable agriculture to energy saving, from recycling to raising consciousness of environmental awareness.

Tekfen Agricultural Research, which received an award in the application category, promotes sustainable agriculture by monitoring humidity, temperature and autonomous fertilization remotely with digital tools. Eczacıbaşı Building Materials, on the other hand, recycles the waste heat from ceramic furnaces during production with its innovative solution and uses it for water heating needs.

ISS Facility and Management Services, which received an award in the idea category, aims to offer its customers a service that will allow more companies to save energy thanks to digital energy tracking systems. Ankyra Reklam, operating in Ankara, aims to recycle printed fabrics used in outdoor advertisements and to involve the female workforce in this transformation with the 'Cheerful Rugs and Bags' project. 

Projects were evaluated on four criteria
Within the scope of Our Dreams Are Similar Collaboration Program, where companies were able to apply with their ideas or already actualized projects, 17 ideas and 27 implementation project applications were evaluated by the Selection Committee.

The Selection Committee, which was formed by Vahap Munyar, the General Coordinator of Dünya Newspaper, Olcay Silahlı, the Founding Partner & CEO of Fazla Gıda, Ebru Tüzecan, the Sustainability Coordinator of Koç Holding, Kerem Okumuş, the Founding Partner & CEO of S360, and Mehmet Apak, the General Manager of Zer A.Ş., scrutinized the applications in terms of impact potential, applicability, sustainability and efficiency.

Grand prize to support the education of female students
The progress of the awarded projects will be monitored by volunteer project ambassadors composed of Zer's employees for a year, and at the end of the year, the project owner company, which has the greatest impact, will be presented with a grand award. Project ambassadors to be selected from among the generation Y employees by the award-winning companies will work in coordination with Zer ambassadors to contribute to the development of projects.

As Zer, we chose to contribute to the society on behalf of the companies that were awarded great prizes at the end of the one-year follow-up process. We will undertake the education expenses of three high school girls by making a donation to the Mustafa V. Koç Scholarship Fund established within the Turkish Education Foundation (TEV) on behalf of the winning company.

2020 is declared the Year of Solar Power
Due to the intensity of the number of projects targeting the transition to solar energy in the applications made to the program, the Selection Committee decided to declare this year "Solar Power Year". Four companies that applied in this field were awarded with recognition awards. Mars Logistics, which has implemented solar energy systems that can meet the needs of the company and can be distributed in its facility located in Hadımköy, and Beyçelik Gestamp, Desi Kimya and Kafa Radyo, which offers idea projects for transition to solar energy, were deemed worthy of appreciation.

Thanks to the appreciation program, we aimed to create a platform where companies who want to use solar energy can benefit from the experience and guidance of companies which have already switched to using solar energy practices and a common mind can be created.