Science and technology policy issues are high in the agenda of many countries. The popularity of the terms such as R&D and innovation makes the topic central both for academicians and policymakers. However, this popularity might be ominous and cause many to load spurious meanings to these concepts. As a national hub and the first and foremost research center in the area in Turkey, METU-TEKPOL provides opportunities for scholars to analyze these topics thoroughly since its foundation in 1997. In this attempt to deal with societal challenges, I would like to pay tribute to the contributions of the previous directors of METU-TEKPOL, Prof. Dr. Yakup Kepenek, Prof. Dr. Metin Durgut and Prof. Dr. Erkan Erdil. I am confident that METU-TEKPOL will remain a hub of competitive and excellent research in the field of science, technology and innovation policy studies in the future.

Prof. Dr. Mehmet Teoman Pamukçu