Biography: 

Since July 2023, Ümmühan Eker has assumed the role of R&D Director at DowAksa, overseeing the R&D, quality, and sustainability functions. Her journey began in 2006 as a process engineer at Aksa Acrylic, where she actively contributed to the design and production of various carbon fiber products and derivatives within the Carbon Fiber Development Project. Over the years, Ümmühan has held key positions at DowAksa, including R&D Deputy Manager, Product Development Manager, New Product and Process Development Manager, and Deputy R&D Group Director. Ümmühan holds a B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering from Ege University and an M.S. degree in the Department of Applied Chemistry and Biochemistry from Kumamoto University. She is fluent in English and owns a moderate knowledge of Japanese. She is married and is the mother of two children.

About DowAksa : 

DowAksa, Turkey’s only carbon fiber manufacturer, was formed in 2012, combining the strengths of two world-class companies, Dow, a global leader in providing materials science solutions, and Aksa, the number one producer of acrylic fibers. The 50:50 joint venture provides fully integrated solutions including product (from precursor to carbon fiber to resin), engineering, technology, and knowledge to carbon fiber and carbon fiber intermediates needs of industrial markets. The company’s world-class manufacturing plant equipped with advanced technology is located in Yalova, Turkey, within a 4-hour flight radius of Europe, MENA, and Central Asia. Very strong and lightweight, carbon-fiber-based materials are used in a variety of applications where weight savings, emissions reduction, durability, and energy efficiency are key performance factors. Bringing the benefits of carbon fiber to the industrial marketplace, DowAksa offers this enabling technology for transportation, energy, defense, and infrastructure markets with a product portfolio covering a wide range of solutions.