Ercan Oztemel is a Professor of Industrial Engineering. His main areas of interest include artificial intelligence, smart manufacturing systems, simulation and modelling, knowledge-based systems, management information systems, business intelligence, quality management, strategic management as well as business process management etc. Throughout his academic career, he has been actively involved in teaching, research, and the development and implementation of innovative technologies across a broad range of application domains including these areas.

He has led and participated in numerous national and international projects spanning diverse sectors, including defense, healthcare, public services, manufacturing, transportation, and education. Between 1993 and 2010, he served as a senior researcher at the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK) BİLGEM. During this period, he also contributed to the governance of research and innovation by serving on the Decision Board of Information Technology Research Institute from 1997 to 2001. He subsequently served on the Scientific Steering Committee of TÜBİTAK's Public Research Group from 2012 to 2017, contributing to the evaluation and funding of research projects conducted by public institutions.

Professor Oztemel has held several distinguished international positions. From 2001 to 2006, he served as a scientific panel member of NATO's System Analysis and Simulation Panel. He was also a member of the Steering Committee of the Western European Armaments Group (WEAG) Research Cell, contributing to Common European Priority Area (CEPA) 11 from 1997 to 2005 and CEPA 15 from 2002 to 2005. In recognition of his contributions to engineering and research, he received the James Withworth Award from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in 1996. He has also received project-of-the-year awards on several occasions in TUBİTAK BİLGEM and Marmara Research Center.

In 2006, Professor Oztemel joined Marmara University, where he served as Chair of the Department of Industrial Engineering from 2008 to 2010. Between 2010 and 2015, he served as Vice President of Türkiye's Measurement, Selection and Placement Center (ÖSYM), based in Ankara.

His academic contributions extend beyond teaching and research. He has served on the editorial and scientific committees of numerous scholarly journals and has acted as a guest editor, scientific committee member, and peer reviewer. He has authored and co-edited a substantial body of scholarly work, including books, journal articles, and conference proceedings, particularly in artificial intelligence and business quality management. Among his major publications include books on “total Quality Management in municipalities”,  ”Intelligent Quality Systems”, “Neural Networks”, “Introduction to Industrial Engineering”, “Change Management in Manufacturing”, “Modern Industrial Engineering  Method”,  “Clear Understanding of Digital Transformation”

He has also served as an evaluator and assessor for research funding programs and as an assessment team leader for the Institutional Accreditation Programmed of the Turkish Higher Education Quality Council of Türkiye (YOKAK), contributing to the evaluation and accreditation of universities.

Professor Öztemel has a longstanding record of developing pioneering artificial intelligence applications. Between 1993 and 2010, he led several projects that were among the first of their kind in their respective application areas. These included an generating Artificial F-16 Pilot  in 1997, a developing the first flight simulator in 2000, a team flight simulator in 2005, and a robotic nurse in 2010 as well as the first Train Simulator of Turkish Railway in 2010.  These projects demonstrate his sustained commitment to translating artificial intelligence research into practical applications

Currently, Professor Oztemel continues his academic carrier at Marmara University, where he leads the Industrial Engineering Division. He is also an active member of the Turkish Academy of Sciences' research group investigating the societal impacts of artificial intelligence. In addition to teaching and supervising postgraduate research, he also leads a range of AI-driven projects in both the public and private sectors. These include an AI-enabled educational system for the Justice Academy, an intelligent assistant for smart agriculture, and AI-based exam security systems for online tests.

Furthermore, Professor Oztemel provides mentorship to companies located in Türkiye's Informatics Valley (Bilişim Vadisi), supporting innovation, technological development, and entrepreneurship in the information technology sector as well as consultancy to companies. Through his academic leadership, research, public service, and industry engagement, he continues to contribute to the advancement of artificial intelligence, industrial engineering, and technological innovation.