ANKARA

The EU Commission is giving backing to a number of Turkish firms' tech-related projects, said the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) on Friday.

The commission will grant a total of €4.4 million ($4.94 million) to Turkish companies with projects in the fields of nanotechnology, advanced materials, biotechnology, advanced manufacturing, and processing technologies, said a TUBITAK statement.

Under the industrial leadership and competition component of Horizon 2020, an EU program promoting research and innovation, a total of eight projects at 11 companies (some done in collaboration with each other) will be supported by the EU.

The 11 Turkish firms selected for the grants include energy giant Tupras, major appliances producer Arcelik, and cement producer Cimsa.