Hanife Sönmez
Innovation and R&D Center Consultant, Trainer, Entrepreneur
I have 15 years of leadership experience in R&D/Innovation Centers. I am a professional who establishes and manages R&D/Design Centers, transforms corporate culture through innovation strategy and process design, and provides consulting in IP rights and open innovation.
Hanife Sönmez is an innovation and R&D leader who believes that innovation is not merely about generating ideas, but about establishing the systems that will sustainably bring these ideas to life. Throughout her nearly 15 years of experience, she has built systems that develop the innovation capabilities of organizations, strengthened R&D structures, and led the sustainable integration of innovative cultures into organizational structures.
Starting her professional career in 2011 at Eczacıbaşı Holding / VitrA Innovation Center, Sönmez took an active role in numerous projects aimed at developing innovation and R&D capacity, structuring processes, and transforming corporate culture over 13 years. During this period, she gained comprehensive experience in innovation management, open innovation, intellectual property strategies, and the systematization of R&D processes.
Between 2024 and 2025, she carried out operations within Hayat Holding / Kastamonu Entegre in the areas of R&D center management, intellectual and industrial property strategies, internal innovation programs, and startup collaborations, contributing to the strengthening of the innovation ecosystem.
Throughout her career, she has led numerous national and international funded projects, managed an extensive portfolio consisting of 450 patents, and taken an active role in developing strategic collaborations in multi-stakeholder R&D projects. She specializes particularly in integrating innovation strategy with corporate culture and embedding it into organizational structures.
Today, she continues her work as a consultant and trainer under the umbrella of ASD Consulting and Training; supporting organizations in establishing innovation systems, developing their R&D capabilities, and creating sustainable innovation cultures.
Areas of Contribution
Innovation strategy creation and innovation culture transformation
Establishment of internal innovation systems
R&D and design center establishment and management
R&D center processes and audit preparations under Law No. 5746
TS EN ISO 56002 Innovation Management System establishment and certification preparations
Design and implementation of open innovation programs
Startup-corporate collaborations and innovation ecosystem development
Intellectual and industrial property rights (IPR) strategies
Patent and utility model portfolio management
Employee invention systems and process design
Multi-stakeholder R&D project management
Competency development of innovation and R&D teams
Training and Workshop Areas
Innovation strategy and implementation workshops
Design Thinking trainings
Innovation management trainings
R&D center establishment and management trainings
Patent literacy and IPR awareness trainings
Problem discovery and research methods trainings
Information confidentiality and collaboration management trainings
TS EN ISO 56002 preparation programs
Areas of Expertise
Innovation Management | R&D Management | Open Innovation | Patent Strategy | IPR | R&D Centers | Design Thinking | Innovation Culture | ISO 56002