Asst. Prof. YELDA ERDEN TOPAL

Yelda Erden Topal studied economics at Hacettepe University and Middle East Technical University (METU) and earned her PhD degree from Science and Technology Policy Studies at METU (2016) with the PhD Dissertation titled as “A Policy Design Model For Market Formation of Solar and Wind Electricity Generation in Turkey”. As TUBITAK 2219-International Postdoctoral Research Fellow, she has completed her one-year postdoctoral research in Madrid (Spain) between 2020-2021 on policymaking for the development and diffusion of renewable energy technologies in Innovation, Industrial Property and Technology Policy Research Group (INNOPRO), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and Renewable Energy Unit, CIEMAT.

As of May 2025, Yelda has joined the Department of Business Administration as an Assistant Professor. Since 2009, she has been working as a researcher at the Science and Technology Policy Research Centre (TEKPOL) of Middle East Technical University (METU). Between 2012 and 2025, she served as a Research Assistant and later as a Dr. Research Assistant in the Department of Economics at METU.

Yelda’s research focuses on technology, innovation, and organisation, with a particular emphasis on technology and innovation management, as well as sustainability transitions. She actively contributes to European solar energy research networks through her involvement in the H2020 Solar-Twins Project, H2020 Horizon STE Project, Horizon Europe CST4ALL Project, Horizon Europe Solarize Project, the EUSOLARIS ERIC Initiative, EERA CSP Joint Programme, e3S Joint Programme, and the ODAKTR Initiative.