Tomasz Wysocki: In December, Wroclaw Research Centre EIT+ (Wrocławskie Centrum Badań EIT+, WCB) dissolved a contract with Wrobis, which started to build one of the objects of the Centre. Has WCB already found a company that will continue this investment?
Tomasz Gondek, the Vice President of Wroclaw Research Centre EIT+ board: "At the moment we are preparing the tender, the objective of which will be selecting the next contractor for building 9A, the one that Wrobis has started. We have time until mid-2015 to settle accounts of the project financing the investment. In our opinion, taking into consideration the progress of the construction and all works, it's a very possible deadline. We are also waiting for reliable contractors."
How advanced are the works there?
"The inventory is about to end, but even if I knew how advanced the works were, I couldn't tell you, because it is a part of the forthcoming tendering procedure. I can only say that the contract with Wrobis amounted to 72.5 million zlotys gross."
How are the works in other parts of Pracze Campus?
"The building number 1, part B and C, is ready. This stage is completed and 10 bio- and nano-technological laboratories are ready to use. Today all of them can provide commercial services. At the moment we are working on the offer for entrepreneurs. Of course, we have been building relations with the industry for a long time, but now these initial ideas have to be transformed into real actions that will satisfy our partners. This will allow us to sign binding contracts. Besides, all the time we are trying to get new donations and grants for research and development, which could be realised in our laboratories. This way we also defined the specializations which are our distinctive feature, for example the deposits of alternative energy. To make it work, we are trying to build a competent team of professionals first, and then to establish contacts with this sector of the industry. I believe that we will succeed. Besides, the works in the buildings number 7 and 9 are still in progress, and when they are completed, we will have a huge field for research. Both buildings should be completed by the end of this year."
Do you mean shale gas while talking about alternative energy?
"Yes, we prepared a proposal on the research on shale gas. We launched, among others, a new Geological Materials Research Lab (Laboratorium Badań Materiałów Geologicznych), which specializes in the wide range studies of geological samples. The laboratory is focused primarily on comprehensive customer service due to the availability of diverse, professional and very often unique research equipment in one place. We want to make the entire group of business partners interested, and Lower Silesia seems to be extremely important when it comes to this field."
The Ministry of Science (Ministerstwo Nauki) implements "Top 500 Innovators" programme, which will enable the young scientists to go to the USA and see how to reconcile science and business.
"Yes, I do know about this programme, as many of its participants work at EIT+, even more than from AGH University of Science and Technology (Akademia Górniczo-Hutnicza, AGH)."
How are they doing with the implementation of the ideas on the cooperation of the scientists and the company which they saw in the USA?
"The majority of them says that the model that we implement in EIT+ is a solution that they saw in the USA. Therefore they don't experience such a big cognitive shock. In Poland, the cooperation between scientific institutions and enterprises was rare. It needs to be created. We need to start building a culture model based on cooperation and trust. It does not only relate to Wroclaw Research Centre EIT+, but to the whole country. However, my opinion is that Poland is going in the right direction. The new EU funds oriented towards innovation and activities to strengthen the cooperation between the scientific and economic environment are of great importance. New programmes such as the Applied Research Programmes, InnoTech, InnoLot, BlueGas or PatentPlus are the research and development projects that will enable raising funds for industrial research, development work focused on the creation and implementation of innovative technologies, products or services. Companies, consortia and scientific and industrial centres may apply for the programmes. I am therefore convinced that we chose the right time for Wroclaw Research Centre EIT+. In addition, the forecasted actions of Polish government shall make the entrepreneurs more courageous when it comes to contacts with scientific institutions. They will begin to move in the direction of innovation. If this happens, Poland will be a different country after seven years."
Interview by Tomasz Wysocki
