Kastamonu University Daday Nafi and Ümit Çeri Vocational School of Horse Riding and Coaching Program, and the academy company Prolonging Technology A.Ş., operating in Kastamonu Technopolis, have qualified for support from TÜBİTAK through the EQUINNO Project, which aims to drive digital transformation in the equestrian sector.  The project, led by Instructor Ayhan Şanlı, will be supported under the TÜBİTAK 1501 Industrial R&D Projects Support Program.   

The EQUINNO Project aims to comprehensively monitor the training and health processes of horses through AI-supported digital systems. Thanks to the system to be developed within the scope of the project, performance data can be compared and recorded sustainably, and training processes can be monitored in real time. Additionally, by detecting fatigue and injury risks early, it will be possible to develop data-driven, scientifically based training programs.

The project, implemented with the understanding of university-industry collaboration, aims to transfer academic knowledge to practical fields.  

The project is being carried out under the leadership of Prolunging Teknoloji A.Ş. and in partnership with MTM Biotechnology. An interdisciplinary research and engineering team, including Dr. Fatih Altındiş and Dr. Oğuzhan Ayyıldız from Abdullah Gül University and Dr. Osman Gökhan Uyan from Kayseri University, is involved in the project.  

Providing evaluations regarding the project, our Rector Prof. Dr. Ahmet Hamdi Topal emphasized the importance our University places on applied sciences and industry collaborations, stating the following: 

“We find it extremely valuable to bring a traditional field like horsemanship together with artificial intelligence and digital technologies. The EQUINNO Project is a qualified study that demonstrates the reflection of the knowledge produced at our university in the field and the industry. The contribution of project manager Ayhan Şanlı, both as an academician and the owner of a Teknokent company, constitutes a concrete example of university-industry collaboration. I congratulate our academics and stakeholders who contributed to the project, and I hope the work will benefit the equestrian sector and our country's R&D ecosystem.

Our rector also thanked the President of YÖK, Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar, and YÖK members for their support of research-focused work in higher education, and Prof. Dr. Orhan Aydın, the President of TÜBİTAK, for the support provided to university projects.