Tolga Sönmez

Dr. Tolga Sönmez completed his high school education at TED Ankara College and received his B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from Bilkent University in 1995, specializing in control engineering. He pursued graduate studies at the University of Maryland, College Park, where he obtained an M.Sc. in Electrical and Computer Engineering in 1998 and a Ph.D. in 2003, specializing in target tracking and sensor fusion.

Dr. Sönmez began his professional career at Advanced Acoustic Concepts in Maryland, USA, working on target tracking for underwater platforms. In 2003, he returned to Türkiye to join TÜBİTAK SAGE, where he focused on advanced navigation systems, integrating INS sensors and GNSS receivers.

In 2010, he transitioned to Karel Electronics, where he developed AHRS (Attitude and Heading Reference System) algorithms. From 2012 to 2021, he worked at HAVELSAN, leading multiple R&D projects funded by TÜBİTAK. Between 2018 and 2021, he played a key role in organizing EU Horizon project proposals, all of which were evaluated above the threshold by the European Commission. Notably, the TeamAware proposal, submitted under the Horizon 2020 DRS call, ranked first among 95 projects, and Dr. Sönmez served as its first coordinator until his departure from HAVELSAN.

Following this, he joined ASELSAN in 2021, where he focused on advanced navigation systems, particularly in anti-jamming and anti-spoofing technologies.

Alongside his industrial work, Dr. Sönmez has remained active in academia, publishing numerous papers in scientific journals and conference proceedings. He has also served as a part-time lecturer at Atılım University and TOBB University. He is also holding several patents from the projects he completed.

In 2025, he founded NavAware, a company specializing in sensor fusion systems. His work at NavAware integrates AI algorithms with analytical methods, aiming to develop innovative applications. He also plans to lead international R&D projects in collaboration with government and industry partners.