Born in 1987 in Istanbul, he graduated from Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University majoring in Chemistry in English. During the last two years of university, his focus shifted towards the synthesis of heterocyclic compounds, and successfully completed his dissertation in this field.

He began graduate studies at Gebze Technical University in 2010, taking part in numerous scholarship-funded projects. His research centered on “Effect of Electro-activated water on poly-β-hydroxy butyrate (PHB) production” For more details, click here…

He also took part in many projects as a project assistant at Gebze Technical University. These projects are related to the creation of R&D products of established companies in industrial zones or the solutions of process problems experienced in departments such as production/quality/R&D.

• Selection of feasible process for treatment and recycling of waste oils by the bleaching earth and some chemicals,
• Recycling of used bleaching earth on the process of animal fats,
• Enrichment of betaine from aqueous vinasse,
• Purification and decolorization of waste oils,
• Extraction of some vegetables with novel methods,
• Decreasing of acidity of olive-oil and sunflower-oil by thin layer distillation method,
• Purification of dioctyl phthalate washing waste water and recycling of DOP,
• Purification of polyphenols from vegetables and fruits with resin purification and comparison with other methods,
• Recycling of used bleaching earth (for oil decolorization) and performance evaluation for reusing processes,
• Producing of mono and diacyl glycerol(fatty acids) from some oils by Thin-Layer Distillation method,
• Recycling of Polystyrene(PS) foams,
• Production of biodegradable plastics (PHB) from some microorganisms by using waste as a substrate,
• Production of some value-added fatty acids by some yeasts and fungi.

In addition to these projects, Gebze Technical University has taken an active role in the “Biotechnological Treatment of Biowastes for the Production of High-Added Value Products” project supported by the European Union with the status of General Secretariat for Research and Technology (GSRT). In this project, many different studies have been carried out between Greece (University of Patras) and Turkey (Gebze Technical University) on the transformation of agricultural wastes into high value-added products.

In 2013, he engaged in business development projects featuring innovative DSM brand products. In 2014, he joined Endemix Natural Ingredients as an “R&D Specialist.” There, he excelled not only in research and development but also in process development, quality control, production, and purchasing.

His outstanding performance led to promotions, becoming “R&D Supervisor” in 2016 and “R&D Manager” in 2018. Throughout his tenure, he drove innovation, significantly contributing to the company’s growth. Additionally, he adeptly managed the production team, directed shift systems, and ensured high-quality standards.

In 2019, he worked as the Technical Manager at “PICTA Natural Ingredients”. In the first 6 months, by enabling the company to develop from scratch;

• Established the departments by creating the organization from scratch.
• Established the production infrastructure (building, machinery and equipment).
• Ensured that the building structure was designed and constructed in accordance with food safety (especially FSSC 22000).
• Established the spray dryer line and ensured optimum efficiency.
• Established the liquid filling line and ensured optimum efficiency.
• Provided the installation of the cold storage.
• Established the quality laboratory (infrastructure research, device purchase and installation of devices).
• It enabled the company to obtain the FSSC 22000 certificate after the infrastructure works were completed. In this process, he started the establishment of the quality system from scratch, making it suitable for FSSC 22000.

After 6 months of fulfilling these duties, he transitioned to sales at the company. He conducted meetings with numerous domestic and international companies. In December 2019, the company set up a stand at Fi-Paris and successfully promoted its products.

In 2020, they started from scratch and managed to achieve a turnover income of € 500,000. They served 33 different customers, primarily corporate clients, through 41 product development projects. The company also expanded its international presence by exporting to 8 countries, including China, Korea, Italy, Germany, and Spain, which accounted for 40% of its total turnover.

He left the company in June 2021 after the company’s shareholders wanted to run the company without him. PICTA Natural Ingredients had to close in September 2021 (3 months later) as it could not keep the business running.

PICTA Natural Ingredients caught the attention of many investors in the same year and was included in the category of top emerging start-ups in the herbal extract and colorant fields by research institutions in recent years:

Picta Natural Ingredients aims high in food colorant segment in Turkey – Food Turkey

https://serhansen.com/picta-natural-ingredients/

Future Food Colorants: The 20 companies mixing up novel food dyes | FoodHack

About PICTA NATURAL INGREDIENTS. (ingredientsnetwork.com)

5 Top Startups advancing Food Coloring | StartUs Insights (startus-insights.com),

Serhan Şen – Values Of Türkiye (voturkey.com)

Unique Turkish Technology in Natural Colorants – News | Technopark Istanbul (teknoparkistanbul.com.tr)

From agricultural products to materials with high added value

Since November 2021, he has been working in the Production and Quality Department at “Yener Gıda“. Established in 2003 as a family business, Yener Gıda ve Endüstri Kimya provides supply and technical support services to domestic and international aroma producers. The company offers fragrances, coloring agents, yeast extract, sweeteners, vitamin and mineral premixes used in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries, along with tea and coffee extract, lactose, stabilizer systems, and more. Most of the company’s business has been conducted under the Firmenich brand since 2003. His current focus is on the aroma production project, planned for implementation in 2022, developed in collaboration with Firmenich.

In the project developed jointly with Firmenich;

• Transformed a section of the existing storage area into a dedicated production facility.
• Installed ex-proof infrastructure to meet safety requirements at the facility.
• Developed and implemented electrical installations based on industry standards.
• Devised and executed a comprehensive production scenario to optimize efficiency.
• Oversaw the design and assembly of cutting-edge machinery and equipment.
• Ensured the production area and facility complied with FSSC certification standards.
• Integrated the FSSC system seamlessly into the existing ISO 9001:2015 quality management system.
• Orchestrated the preparation and setup of the infrastructure facility.
• Revised and updated the documentation within the quality system to align with current standards.