In this episode of Buluttan Small Talks, we are with Umur. Let’s hear from Umur himself about the areas he worked in as a meteorological engineer, what he does at Buluttan as one of its former members, and how he envisions the future of Buluttan.
Gökmen: Yes, welcome Umur Bey.
Umur: Thank you.
Gökmen: How are you?
Umur: I’m good, how about you?
Gökmen: Well, a bit tired. We just came back from Geneva together, you know, we’ve been at the world’s largest meteorology fair for a week. But it was really good, in my opinion. What do you think? How was it for you?
Umur: I think it was a pretty good fair. We saw many solutions that we can use, especially to enhance our consistency. So, I believe it was beneficial, it was good.
Gökmen: It seems like we’re on the right path, doing the right job at the right time. At least, I had the opportunity to confirm it from certain perspectives. I don’t know if you felt the same way. There weren’t many weather intelligence companies like us; there were more hardware-focused companies, different types of companies. It seems like the wind is at our back.
Umur: Yes, and it showed how global and future-oriented our vision is. I see that we are on the right track.
Gökmen: Your perspective is even more important because you look at it from a meteorological standpoint. Through various occasions, you now also look at statistical models from a technological perspective. Nice, good to hear. So, who is Umur Dinç? Let’s start from there.
Umur: Who is Umur Dinç? Umur Dinç is a meteorological engineer.
Gökmen: More than just a meteorological engineer.
Umur: Yes, he is. He did his bachelor’s in meteorological engineering and his master’s in atmospheric sciences. He worked on atmospheric modeling, entered into energy and machine learning in certain aspects. He also delved into air pollution from certain perspectives.
But especially, his main area of expertise has been atmospheric modeling. Apart from that, as a hobby, he enjoys camping. He particularly loves traveling, going out, exploring new cultures, and seeking new experiences. That’s the kind of person he is.
Gökmen: Without further third person perspective, turning back to the “you and me” mode as if he wasn’t here. So, I remember Umur’s journey quite well; if I’m not mistaken, it was in March. It’s been about a year and a half since we started working together.
Umur: Yes, on my birthday.
Gökmen: Yes, it was your birthday, correct. I’m curious about your perspective, not necessarily how it started or what you do, because the intersection of a meteorological engineer, especially someone with a master’s in atmospheric sciences and experience in energy, with Buluttan is not very surprising.
When considering alternative energy companies, Buluttan is one of the few options. But I’m wondering, how do you see it? It feels like we’ve come a long way in a year and a half when I look back. The strength of the team, the individual development of everyone, how do you see the progress in the past year and a half?
Umur: I see significant progress, actually. We were quite a small company back then. Now, we are about to open up to the world, and as we produce more, the company is becoming more developed, enhancing its vision and achieving important milestones. I envision the company being in a different and much more significant place in two years.
Gökmen: Hopefully, the wind is at our back, doing the right thing at the right time with the right people, trying to do something with good intentions. Our biggest goal here is to contribute to the weather-wise transformation. In essence, our goal is to add value.
You are particularly contributing to many areas that you are intensively involved in, especially in the modeling aspect. Buluttan is on the verge of reaching an important point in terms of physical dynamic models, and I feel that it’s largely due to your significant effort. Don’t you agree? Especially the things we’re working on have grown significantly.
Umur: I do agree. I think, in 1-2 years, especially in terms of consistency and in many other aspects, we will surpass many companies, if not all. I believe we will be among the top 3 companies globally in terms of being the best and most consistent.
Gökmen: Of course, considering that meteorology and technology, statistical and physical models are now intertwined, and the weight of statistical models is increasing every day, there is a technological side as well. It’s not just data science; it has a product-oriented side.
It’s about transforming meteorological input into actionable insights, making it something companies can make decisions based on. For example, if there is a warning that will affect a company’s operation in a certain location in short-term nowcasting, being able to make decisions based on that warning. If there is a long-term or mid-term plan, developing the infrastructure for that plan. If a long-term feasibility study is to be conducted, designing a product accordingly.
And, of course, it’s not just about producing the most accurate and precise meteorological output; it’s also about making the product side more sectoral. I think we are not doing too bad compared to other companies when we see them globally. Energy is one of the areas you are currently focusing on. What do you think about this work?
Umur: There are especially planned improvements ahead. I believe we are planning to become the world’s largest, unparalleled company very soon. I’m looking forward to it, honestly.
Gökmen: It wouldn’t be a surprise, right? To become the world’s most accurate energy forecasting company very soon.
Umur: I don’t think so. I think we have an advantage in a couple of important aspects, especially in my mind. I believe that when we fully activate these two advantages, we will become the best and unbeatable in energy.
Gökmen: Now, you have a background in both meteorology and technology, having done both your bachelor’s and master’s in meteorology and atmospheric sciences. There are very limited job opportunities in Turkey, and there are very few educational opportunities related to this topic. What would you like to say to new meteorological engineers or experienced meteorological engineers who are curious about Buluttan? Now, you are a person who comes from the kitchen of this business.
Umur: Currently, in Turkey, there is no other company in the private sector that focuses on meteorology as much as Buluttan does. There is no other company that conducts research and development, delving into the details of meteorology. So, if I were a new graduate, working at Buluttan would be very good for both the individual and Buluttan itself.
Gökmen: We invite all atmospheric scientists, whether they are new graduates or experienced, who want to add value to themselves and the work they do, to apply to Buluttan. Let’s invite them to apply, to test themselves. Shall we say, “May your atmosphere be in place” again? We invite everyone to apply to Buluttan!
