Polish Market No.12 (291)/2019

CULTURE

PU B LISHED SIncE 199 6 No. 12 (291) /2019 :: www.polishmarket.com.pl

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“

We

bring a new distinctive quality of doing business and innovative products into each new market we venture into.”

MIKOŁAJ

PLACEK

President, OKnOPLAst GrOuP 102 polish market

Pearls of the Polish economy ........................

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THE RISE OF CYBERSECURITY

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FUTURE REgIOnal aIRpORT HUB

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ONTENT

6 FROM THE PRESIDENT’S PRESS OFFICE 7 FROM THE GOVERNMENT INFORMATION CENTRE

POLAND - T ‌ HE CENTENARY OF REGAINING INDEPENDENCE

8 SPORTS CHAMPIONS FOR A FREE POLAND 10 LOTOS SUPPORTS POLISH SPORTS PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY

32 TEAM EFFORT 34 THE CHALLENGE COMPANIES HAVE TO FACE IS IMPLEMENTATION OF LOGISTICS 4.0 IDEA KAROLINA TOKARZ, PRESIDENT, PROMAG SA.

36 SBS GROUP - POLISH CAPITAL WITH GROWING POTENTIAL

SCIENCE

38 POLAND’S BEST RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES 40 SCIENCE FOR INNOVATIVE BUSINESS 42 ETHOS AND INTERNATIONAL

13 JADWIGA EMILEWICZ, MINISTER FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE - IWONA THOMAS, FOUNDER AND BUSINESS DIRECTOR, BRITISH SCHOOL IN WARSAW

14 WOJCIECH KAMIENIECKI, D.SC., PH.D.,

44 ROBOTISED PARCEL TERMINALS -

DIRECTOR, NATIONAL CENTRE FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

THE FUTURE OF THE E-COMMERCE AND E-GROCERY SECTOR

15 PROF. ELŻBIETA MĄCZYŃSKA, PRESIDENT, POLISH ECONOMIC SOCIETY

16 INTO THE FUTURE - PROF. LESZEK RAFALSKI, PRESIDENT OF THE MAIN COUNCIL OF RESEARCH INSTITUTES (RGIB)

17 COMPETITIVE EDGE - PROF. MICHAŁ

TRANSPORT

46 PORT OF GDYNIA GROWING IN SIZE 49 ELECTRIC RALLYCROSS CARS 50 FUTURE REGIONAL AIRPORT HUB –

PROGRESS REPORT - PIOTR MALEPSZAK, ACTING CEO, SOLIDARITY TRANSPORT HUB

KLEIBER, FORMER MINISTER OF SCIENCE AND DIGITAL AFFAIRS, VICE-PRESIDENT, EUROPEAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES AND ARTS , PRESIDENT, EUROPEAN COMMUNITY OF COMPUTATIONAL METHODS IN APPLIED SCIENCES

55 THE FUTURE OF RAILWAYS STARTS IN

18 ON RANKINGS AND RATINGS -

PRUSZKÓW MAYOR

PROF. TOMASZ SZAPIRO, SGH WARSAW SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS

19 PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY RANKING 22 SZYMBARK CASTLE GETS A NEW LEASE OF LIFE - GRZEGORZ SŁYSZYK, FOUNDER, SZYMBARK CASTLE FOUNDATION, PRESIDENT, IBC INVESTMENTS AND EXPO XXI IN WARSAW

24 CUTTING-EDGE OFFICE SPACE - AGATA SITKO, PRESIDENT, AV GROUP

25 TOUGH CHALLENGES TURN US ON - ROBERT WOLTER, VICE-PRESIDENT, WIZJA MULTIMEDIA

26 WINNING RESPONSIBLY - RAFAŁ HĘDRZAK, BOARD MEMBER, NOVOMATIC TECHNOLOGIES POLAND

28 WINDOW TO THE WORLD - MIKOŁAJ

PLACEK, PRESIDENT, OKNOPLAST GROUP

POLAND

56 GREENER DEVELOPMENT - PAWEŁ MAKUCH, MEDICINE

60 MEDICINE, SCIENCE, CARDIOLOGY -

FUTURE CHALLENGES - PROF. KRZYSZTOF J. FILIPIAK, FORMER DEPUTY RECTOR, MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF WARSAW FOR INTERNATIONALISATION, PROMOTION AND DEVELOPMENT, PRESIDENT, POLISH HYPERTENSION SOCIETY

62 HOLISTIC APROACH - IRENA REJ, PRESIDENT, PHARMACEUTICAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

64 PHARMA 360⁰PLANET FORUM 66 INNOVATIVE REHABILITATION - JACEK

SIWULSKI, M.D. PH.D., MIRAI REHABILITATION INSTITUTE IN WARSAW

67 AI IN HEALTH CARE - MARCIN

FIEDZIUKIEWICZ, PRESIDENT, TOURMEDICA.PL

EDITORIAL

"Polish Market", a monthly magazine, which has for almost 24 years served Poland by promoting its economic accomplishments, successful entrepreneurs and splendid culture, wishes You a happy Holiday Season and a prosperous New Year.

I

wonder how patient you are as a reader.

Time and again, we seem carry the same message - the global economy is slowing down, conflicts among world leaders add to the uncertainty, more and more countries are facing recession, Brexit remains an enigma. And yet the Polish economy remains on a record growth path. Sounds familiar? Of course, black clouds are gathering over the global economy. The latest IMF World Economic Outlook expects slower economic growth in almost 90% of countries, which it describes as a synchronised slowdown. It is set to lower global GDP by 0.8%, that is by around USD 700 billion dollars by next year. These are the effects of the eye-for-an-eye approach to world trade.

The European Commission autumn economic forecast speaks of a - 0.2% slowdown in Europe next year, which will depend on the strength of sectors geared toward the development of domestic markets. Trade conflicts between the US and its major trading partners are likely to intensify, disrupting supply chains and further undermining business confidence, investment levels and GDP growth. Question marks still hover around Brexit. There are also geopolitical risks, especially in the Middle East and parts of Asia, financial instability, cybersecurity threats, and the impact of climate change. So nothing’s new. Why? In his book “Narrative Economics,” the 2013 economic Nobel Prize winner Robert J. Shiller writes that everyone is talking about the recession, and the more they talk about it, the less money they see in circulation, because everyone is getting ready for it. So recession is coming. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. This view is disputed by the winners of this year’s Nobel Prize Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo and Michael Kramer. They deal with development economics.

They explain why economies grow at a different pace, why some are more productive than others, and why in some cases income inequalities are rising, and in others they are decreasing. This kind of thinking is crucial for countries like Poland, which are looking for ways to maintain high economic growth, while trying to bridge the development gap in relation to Western European economies. A remedy is needed right

now, because the Polish economy is beginning to slow down. This is confirmed by Statistics Poland and National Bank of Poland data. According to the latest OECD forecast, this year Poland will be the fourth fastest growing country in the world next to India (7.16%), China (6.2%) and Indonesia (5.07%). The latest European Commission forecast sets Poland’s GDP growth this year at 4.1%, and next year’s at 3.6%. Only Malta (4.2%) and Romania (3.6%) are expected to grow faster. But Poland must say goodbye to the over 5% economic growth rate it has got used to. For how long? Is it going to carry on a strategy based on consumption growth and public investment? Can private investment be boosted? Can foreign investors be encouraged to come in? Is Poland going to seize considerable export opportunities, and tap the potential of the domestic R&D sector? Managers of Polish companies appear afraid of the impending economic slowdown. In October PMI dropped to the lowest point since 2009.

In partnership with leading research teams - currently the Department of Decision Support and Decision Analysis at the Institute of Econometrics of the SGH Warsaw School of Economics - for 17 years “Polish Market” has been organising a ranking of the effectiveness of Polish companies according to a set of four criteria. These are financial liquidity, efficiency, profitability and debt. Their choice makes it possible to examine a company’s current performance (static analysis), its development capacity in the near future (dynamic analysis), and the use of available resources. The best companies receive certificates and titles of Pearls of the Polish Economy at a gala event at the Royal Castle in Warsaw. For the past 13 years, Honorary Pearl awards have also been presented to the most outstanding personalities and institutions in the field of economy, science, culture and the promotion of patriotic and social values, whose achievements, experience, prestige, and integrity make them ambassadors of supreme Polish values. In this way, we want to express our conviction that the economy can only develop in conjunction with other areas of public life, thus increasing the well-being of Polish society.

Krystyna Woźniak-Trzosek Editor-in-Chief President of Rynek Polski Publishers Co. Ltd.

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CYBERSECURITY

68 THE RISE OF CYBERSECURITY 69 HOW TO PROTECT CRITICAL

INFRASTRUCTURE - ROBERT KOŚLA, DIRECTOR OF THE CYBERSECURITY DEPARTMENT, MINISTRY OF DIGITAL AFFAIRS

71 WE PROVIDE KNOW-HOW - KRZYSZTOF

MALESA, PHD, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, GOVERNMENT CENTRE FOR SECURITY (RCB)

73 CYBERSECURITY ACT – AN OPPORTUNITY,

NOT A HURDLE - INDEPENDENT CYBERSECURITY AND FORENSIC EXPERT ŁUKASZ KISTER, BEZPIECZNEINFORMACJE.PL

74 EARLY DETECTION - ROMAN MARZEC,

ENG.D., DIRECTOR FOR SECURITY AND INTERNAL CONTROL, CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTION OFFICER, CLASSIFIED INFORMATION PROTECTION OFFICER, LOTOS GROUP

CULTURE

76 CULTURAL MONITOR 78 FRAGILE SCORES - KRZESIMIR DĘBSKI,

COMPOSER, ARRANGER, CONDUCTOR AND JAZZ VIOLINIST, WINNER OF THE 2019 “POLISH MARKET”

12 (291)/2019

HONORARY PEARL AWARD IN THE FIELD OF CULTURE

80 SPACE DIMENSION JANUSZ STROBEL - POLISH

COMPOSER, ARRANGER, CLASSICAL GUITAR VIRTUOSO, WINNER OF THE POLISH MARKET HONORARY PEARL 2019 IN THE FIELD OF CULTURE

82 SPOTLIGHT ON THE VASA DYNASTY 83 MAESTRO REMEMBERED - 6TH IGNACY JAN PADEREWSKI INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL

84 SZCZAWNICA GETS ITS SHINE BACK -

HELENA MAŃKOWSKA, VICE-PRESIDENT, THERMALEO GROUP AND NICOLAS MAŃKOWSKI, PRESIDENT,THERMALEO GROUP

ORGANIC FOOD

90 WONDERFUL WORLD OF COFFEE - TOMASZ

OBRACAJ, PRESIDENT, APRO TRADE AND OWNER, TOM CAFFÈ® BRAND

92 WE ARE 135 YEARS OLD 93 FOOD YOU CAN TRUST 97 JAN MAZUREK, MICHAEL STRÖM ‌ ECONOMIC MONITOR

PUBLISHER: Oficyna Wydawnicza RYNEK POLSKI Sp. z o.o.

(RYNEK POLSKI Publishers Co. Ltd.)

CONTRIBUTORS: Miłosz Dorsz, Agnieszka Turakiewicz, Mirosław Wdzięczkowski

PRESIDENT: Krystyna Woźniak-Trzosek

GRAPHIC DESIGN: Agnieszka Charuba, Joanna Wiktoria Grabowska

Polish Market :: 12 (291) /2019

VICE ‌PRESIDENTS: Błażej Grabowski, Grażyna Jaskuła

PU B LISHED SIncE 199 6 No. 12 (291) /2019 :: www.polishmarket.com.pl

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bring a new distinctive quality of doing business and innovative products into each new market we venture into.”

Pearls of the Polish economy ........................

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THE RISE OF CYBERSECURITY

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ADDRESS: ul. Elektoralna 13, 00-137 Warszawa, Poland Phone (+48 22) 620 31 42, 652 95 77 Fax (+48 22) 620 31 37 E-mail: info@polishmarket.com.pl EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Krystyna Woźniak-Trzosek

FUTURE REgIOnal aIRpORT HUB

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MIKOŁAJ

PLACEK President, OKnOPLAst GrOuP

Cover: MIKOŁAJ PLACEK, President, OKNOPLAST Group Photo source: www.shutterstock.com, www.commons.wikimedia.org unless otherwise stated

DEPUTY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Jerzy Mosoń j.moson@polishmarket.com.pl ENGLISH EDITOR: Rafał Kiepuszewski WRITERS/EDITORS: Danuta Bierzańska, Jan Sosna, Maciej Proliński, Jerzy Bojanowicz, Jan Mazurek, Andrzej Kazimierski, Janusz Turakiewicz, Janusz Korzeń TRANSLATION: Sylwia Wesołowska-Betkier, Agit

ARTISTIC PHOTOGRAPHER: Bartosz Maciejewski SALES: Phone (+48 22) 620 38 34, 654 95 77 Marketing Manager: Magdalena Koprowicz m.koprowicz@polishmarket.com.pl DTP: Lili Projekt www.liliprojekt.pl PRINTING: Zakłady Graficzne TAURUS – Roszkowscy Sp. z o. o., www.drukarniataurus.pl Oficyna Wydawnicza RYNEK POLSKI Sp. z o.o.

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PRESIDENT

PRESIDENT ADDRESSES NEW PARLIAMENT

I

n an address to lawmakers at the inaugural meeting of the Lower House of Parliament on Noveber 12, President Andrzej Duda thanked Polish voters for their strong participation in the October general elections. He noted that the turnout was the highest since 1989 when Poland overthrew communism in the first partly free vote after decades of communist rule.

He pointed to the fact that candidates of all national election committees are represented in Parliament. "In my view, this is extremely important. Almost all citizens who took part in the elections have their representatives with whom they agreed during the election campaign, when they heard about their vision of Poland's further development, what future they see for this country," Andrzej Duda said. He noted that the higher the turnout, the stronger the mandate of those who were elected. The president appealed to the newly-elected parliamentarians to seek consensus. He decided to lead by example, stretching out his hand to MPs from various political camps. In the Lower House, the ruling coservative coalition led by the Law and Justice party holds a majority. Opposition groupings include the Civic Platform, the

Left alliance, the Polish People’s PartyKukiz alliance, and the Confederation.

President Andrzej Duda also delivered an inaugural speech in the Upper House, the Senate, expressing satisfaction with

"THERE IS ONE POLAND”

(president.pl, PAP, polskieradio.pl, tvp.pl)

“

Historians say that today's Poland is the most independent, wealthiest and safest Poland since the 17th century,” President Andrzej Duda said in Warsaw on Independence Day November 11. He was speaking at a commemorative ceremony which took place in a square bearing the name of Marshal Jozef Pilsudski, the father of independent statehood. The ceremonies started with the singing of the national anthem. It was sung simultaneously in several hundred locations throughout Poland and by groups of expatriate Polish communities in other countries. President Duda said that entire generations of Poles “were not as lucky to live in a free Poland as those young people born after 1989 who do not remember the times when the country was not fully independent."

Recalling November 11, 1918, when Poland returned to the map of the world, President Duda noted that present and future generations should learn a lesson from the fact that Poland develops the fastest and is the strongest when its citizens realise they need to pool together and overcome differences. "There is one Poland, and there is only going to be one Poland, with all of us serving it. And I deeply believe that we will continue serving it in the next generation," he said.

President Duda also spoke about Poland's successes of the last three decades, with special emphasis on economic growth and membership of the EU and NATO.

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its political diversity. Opposition parties hold a slim majority in the house. "I am pleased that such a broad political spectrum is represented in the Senate today," Andrzej Duda said.

THE WALL AND THE IRON CURTAIN

P

resident Andrzej Duda took part in events in the German capital marking the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9.

Andrzej Duda said that the world should remember the Iron Curtain which, in a symbolic way, fell with the collapse of the Berlin Wall. "Berlin, Europe and the world had been divided into an eastern part and a western part, and we Poles found ourselves as a nation and state in the Soviet sphere of influence, behind the Iron Curtain," he said. After the ceremony, Andrzej Duda and the presidents of the Visegrad (V4) Group countries - Czech Republic's Milos Zeman, Slovakia's Zuzana Caputova and Hungary's Janos Ader- laid a wreath at a monument commemorating the Visegrad Group countries' merits in overcoming communism.

This was followed by talks at the German President's residence in Bellevue Castle.

PRIME MINISTER

“OUR INTERESTS ARE SECURED”

NEW CABINET IS APPOINTED

P

resident Andrzej Duda appointed a new Polish cabinet under Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in a ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Warsaw on November 15. He said that most of the cabinet ministers, including the PM, had served in the previous cabinet “where they proved their credentials in public service.” Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said his cabinet’s main goal was to make Poland "the best country to live in in Europe," and to encourage those Poles who had migrated to other countries in search of jobs, to come back home. He thanked voters for their support in last month’s parliamentary elections, which he said "confirmed the direction of change."

In the new cabinet, the deputy prime ministers’ posts will be held by Piotr Gliński, who will also serve as the minister of culture and national heritage, Jarosław Gowin, who will remain as minister of science and higher education, and Jacek Sasin, who will serve as minister of state assets. The new cabinet has no Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Technology, and

Ministry of Investment and Development.

Their responsibilities will be taken over by the Ministry for Economic Development, to be headed by Jadwiga Emilewicz. Two new ministries have been set up, of EU funds management and regional policy, headed by Małgorzata Jarosińska-Jedynak, and of state assets. The former Ministry of Environment has been split into two separate ministries, the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Climate. Tadeusz Kościński was appointed the minister of finance, Marlena Maląg the minister of family, labour and social policy, Michał Kurtyka the minister of climate and the minister of EU funds management and regional policy. Michał Woś is to hold the environment ministry portfolio. Jacek Czaputowicz stays on as foreign minister, Andrzej Adamczyk as minister of infrastructure, Jan Krzysztof Ardanowski as minister of agriculture and rural development, Marek Zagórski as minister of digital affairs and Marek Gróbarczyk as minister of maritime economy and inland waterways. Mariusz Błaszczak retains the defence ministry portfolio, Mariusz Kamiński that of minister of interior and administration, Zbigniew Ziobro will stay on as justice minister, Łukasz Szumowski as minister of health and Dariusz Piontkowski as minister of education.

a parallel development, the PM took part in a summit of the Friends of Cohesion Group, which brings together 17 countries which support the maintenance of resources for cohesion in infrastructure and agriculture at existing levels. Mateusz Morawiecki said that more resources should be channelled into the Fair Transition Fund, as the entire Visegrad Group (which includes Poland, Czechia, Slovakia and Hungary) holds a similar position. Under earlier proposals by the European Commission and the Finnish Presidency, resources for cohesion and agricultural policy are to be reduced to enable greater financing of other objectives.

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Photo. Enzo Zucchi / European Union

Photo. Adam Guz / KPRM

“

Financing is guaranteed for all EU projects, and the rights of our citizens and Polish companies are secured despite Brexit,” Prime Minister told the European Council Summit on October 17.

He stressed that Poland is ready to carry on negotiations about the climate policy and the EU budget for 2021–2027. “I am glad that we managed to find a constructive solution with the participation of the UK Prime Minister,” Mateusz Morawiecki said, noting that the agreement was negotiated with Poland’s significant participation. “Through this compromise, we will be able to ensure to our entrepreneurs the best possible business and investment conditions in relations with the UK,” he said. Regarding the climate policy, Mateusz Morawiecki pointed out that “all new agreements which may lead to climate neutrality must safeguard the interests of Polish citizens and entrepreneurs.” In

POLAND THE CENTENARY OF REGAINING INDEPENDENCE

SPORTS CHAMPIONS FOR A FREE POLAND

On the 101st anniversary of Poland’s rebirth as an independent state, and on the 80th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II, the thoughts of the people of Poland are with those who fought for the country’s freedom. In addition to political leaders, military commanders and artists who did so much to keep the national spirit alive, Polish athletes also played their part. Another book in the "Athletes for Independence" series by Magdalena Stokłosa and Aleksandra Wójcik, which was published by the Łukasiewicz Institute last month, focuses on the role of Polish sports people in the independence struggle. The first book in the series was brought out last year. The publication was financed by the Ministry of Sport and Tourism in partnership with the national postal service company Poczta Polska.

Maciej Proliński

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P

atriotism is strongly linked with the sporting spirit. At the time when Poland was occupied by three neighbouring powers: Russia, Prussia and Austria, sports activities pursued by the Sokół Gymnastic Society, prepared young Poles to fight for an independent state. Following the regaining of independence in 1918, Polish athletes raised national spirits high on a number of occasions. The young Polish state may have struggled with many problems, but it had great ambitions and the will to develop, also in the field of sports. Numerous sports associations and clubs were established and revived. Their goal was to prepare athletes to compete in international events. At that time, Poles excelled in archery, they also scored successes in horse riding and fencing, which sport historians described as Polish specialties. Olympic medals were won by Polish athletes in track and field, rowing, ice hockey, skiing, fencing, cycling and horse riding. Polish sports people also specialised in nonOlympic sports such as aviation, gliding and ballooning.

They did very well in football, tennis, boxing and chess championships. Following the outbreak of WWII in 1939, many Polish sports champions exchanged their sports outfits for military uniforms. Some of them became professional soldiers. Athletes such as horse riders, swordsmen, rowers and others fought in the September 1939 campaign against

the invading Nazi and Soviet troops. Many of them lost their lives. Some ended up in POW camps, sharing the fate of ordinary Polish soldiers. Those who did not serve in the army joined the Resistance, or organised support for Polish underground organisations in countries they emigrated to during the war. “In the new publication, we pay tribute to all those athletes who valued their honour, freedom and dignity so much that they were ready to sacrifice their own lives in the struggle for a free Poland,” the book’s authors say. The aim of the publication is to present those outstanding Polish sportsmen and sportswomen whose names have unjustly been forgotten. Magdalena Stokłosa points out that during work on the first part of the book, “each time we delved into press archives, we discovered that there were many more characters worthy of note, and so the idea to write the second part of the book to carry on the narrative, was born." Both parts of the publication possess a high educational value.

They feature a wealth of colourised archive photographs, which the authors believe bring the characters described in the books even closer to present-day readers.

The second part features profiles of such sports champions as Olympic horse riding medallist Henryk Leliwa-Roycewicz (1898-1990), gliding pioneer Janina Lewandowska (19081940) and swimming champion Roman Kazimierz Bocheński (1910-1940).

POLAND THE CENTENARY OF REGAINING INDEPENDENCE

Next to athlete Janusz Kusociński (1907-1940) and skier Bronisław Czech (1908-1944), captain Henryk LeliwaRoycewicz was one of the most outstanding figures in Polish sports. The best Polish horse rider in the period between the two world wars, he competed in versatile horse riding events. He was the Olympic runner-up in 1936. During the war he served as a resistance Home Army fighter, and commander of the legendary Kiliński battalion.

During the anti-Nazi Warsaw Rising of 1944, his battalion stormed the Prudential building which housed post office headquarters. After WWII he was branded an enemy of the communist state. He was sentenced to six years in prison for his resistance activities. Released in 1956, he returned to his beloved sport to work as a coach, despite his warand prison-inflicted disabilities. In 1990, shortly before his death, he was promoted to the rank of colonel.

Janina Lewandowska is another exceptional figure featured in the publication. She was educated in the city of Poznań - first as a student of the Zamoyski secondary school and then of the Music Conservatory. She was a talented singer, but ultimately she decided not to pursue a singing career. Instead, she found a new passion - aviation.

She loved gliding and parachuting. In 1930, she was the first European to jump from a height of over 5,000 metres. Six years later she graduated from a prestigious flying college at the Ławica airfield in Poznań. At the same time, she was a member of the city’s Aero Club. Janina Lewandowska did not serve as a soldier, but she was nevertheless keen to do her bit for the war effort. In September 1939, she took part in the defensive campaign. Together with other members of the Aero Club she tried to get to Warsaw, and eventually joined Air Base No. 3. Some of its pilots managed to cross the border into Romania and Hungary, while others were taken prisoner by the Soviets. Lewandowska was most likely captured by the Red Army in the area of Husiatyn (Gusyatin) on September 22. She was held there until November. On December 6, 1939, she was transferred to the notorious Kozelsk internment camp. For the last time she was seen by other inmates on April 20, 1940, when she was taken away in an unknown direction. She was executed in Katyn Forest two days later on April 22, her 32nd birthday. At the time of her death she had the rank of second lieutenant. Her stay in Soviet captivity is confirmed by notes found in the mass graves of other Polish officers executed in the Katyn Forest massacre.

Roman Kazimierz Bocheński was Poland’s most famous swimmer of the inter-war period. He was a 17time champion and 18-time Polish record holder (in 50, 100, 200 and 400 m freestyle). In August 1939, he competed in the Academic World Championships in Monaco. When the war started, he tried to return to Poland via Yugoslavia and Romania. On September 2, 1939, he crossed the PolishRomanian border, and it is not known what happened to him after that date. He is believed to have perished in the Katyn Forest massacre, although his name does not figure on the POW list.

"The outbreak of the war interrupted preparations for Olympic Games which were to take place in Helsinki in 1940.

It could have been our best games, but those plans were

ruined by the Nazis and the Soviets. Polish athletes proved their worth as patriots - first at sports stadiums, and then on the fronts of World War II. I’m very happy that another publication has come out, devoted to great Polish athletes who moved from sports competitions to the battlegrounds.

Dressed in white-and-red uniforms, bearing the white eagle emblem on their chests, they won medals for Poland, became soldiers of the Polish armed forces and of the Polish underground state," said MEP Ryszard Czarnecki, member of the presidium of the Polish Olympic Committee, at a press conference promoting the book. The committee assumed the honorary patronage over the publication. Czarnecki emphasised that it is necessary to commemorate those who never asked what Poland could give them, but who asked themselves what they could offer Poland as athletes and soldiers. "I think this publication is important for the building of patriotic attitudes in Polish society. It is also a way of reminding Polish readers that wars still plague parts of the world, that many countries suffer a fate just as tragic as Poland’s during WWII. Such publications give us food for thought, in the hope that this never happens again in Poland," said Grzegorz Kurdziel, vice-president for sales of the Poczta Polska board.

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SCIENCE

LOTOS

SUPPORTS POLISH SPORTS

G

rupa LOTOS has been a recognised sports sponsor for many years. In sports, you can clearly see how the successes of Polish athletes translate into a sense of togetherness among supporters, and pride in the whiteand-red national colours. Thanks to long-term, carefully planned sponsorship activities, the Group is building the strength of its brand, and strengthening relations with its partners, clients and the rest of society.

As a fuel company, LOTOS is intuitively associated with motor sports. This is primarily thanks to the LOTOS Rally Team, which has often made it to the podium. This year, Kajetan Kajetanowicz and Maciej Szczepaniak have become the favourites of rally fans. In the general classification of the World Rally Championships 2019 they won second place in the WRC2 category.

“Car rallies are a natural sponsorship target for the Grupa LOTOS. We are honoured that Kajetan Kajetanowicz represents our brand. The second place in the WRC2 Championship is proof of the talent, hard work and determination of the LOTOS Rally Team. We are proud to be able to support Kajetan, and the Kajetanowicz-Szczepaniak duo are living proof that you can do more if you pool resources,” emphasises Jarosław Wittstock, Vice President of Grupa LOTOS. It was possible to achieve this success thanks to the hard work of the team, but also thanks to the support of the sponsor. The 2019 World Rally Championship included 7 rounds over a distance of 1,840 km, 89 special stages, 28 days of rally competition and nearly 40 test days. It was a demanding test for competitors and the whole LOTOS Rally Team.

NOT JUST FOUR WHEELS

While the LOTOS Rally Team finished the season with a spectacular success, Polish ski jumpers were off to a great start. During the first World Cup competition in team ski jumping in Wisła, the Poland team took 2nd place. This marked the climax of long-term sponsorship activities by Grupa LOTOS, which has been staunchly supporting this sport for 17 years. In partnership with the Polish Ski Association, a National Programme for the Development of Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined "LOTOS Looking for the Champion’s Successors" has been inaugurated. As part of it, scholarships and prizes for the best young jumpers and Nordic combined athletes are available. Those who took

10 polish market

part in the programme include Kamil Stoch, Maciej Kot, Dawid Kubacki, Jakub Wolny, Aleksander Zniszczoł, Jan Ziobro, Klemens Murańka and Krzysztof Biegun. The results can be seen by millions of Poles.

Grupa LOTOS does not forget about the sport Polish fans get particularly excited about, now that the Poland team has made it to the finals of the UEFA Euro 2020. For years, the company has been the main sponsor of the Poland national football team, which it is going to continue to support until 2022, also during the World Cup in Qatar.

LOTOS is also the main sponsor of the U-21 men’s national team and of the women's national team. It also supports the "Football Future with LOTOS" programme, which aims to promote the sport among the youngest. Currently, there are 17 centres throughout Poland where over 3,000 young footballers are trained. These youngsters do not just dream of a professional career in football, but also want to play it for fun as amateurs.

INVESTING IN YOUNG TALENT

In addition to the programmes dedicated to the youngest, LOTOS has also been supporting academic sports since 2018. It accompanied Polish Academic Sports Association athletes to the Winter Universiade in Krasnoyarsk in Russia, and to the Summer Universiade in Naples in Italy. In total, Poles won 17 medals during these two events.

LOTOS also supports Polish tennis. Together with the Polish Tennis Association, it organises the “National Tennis Promotion Programme 2019 - LOTOS Tennis Rackets.” Just like it helped Agnieszka Radwańska before, this year it has started sponsoring the talented young player Hubert Hurkacz.

This year, sponsorship has also been extended over eight talented athletes who practise a wide range of Olympic sports. They were selected on the basis of recommendations by the Ministry of Sport and Tourism, as part of the "Olympic Hopes" programme for the most talented athletes. Among them are kayaker Karolina Naja, windsurfer Piotr Myszka and ice dance duo Natalia Kaliszek and Maksym Spodyriev.

“LOTOS has been working as a patron of Polish sport for years now.

When we see the successes of Polish athletes, it becomes clear that this has been the right path to take. All the more so that sport brings people together, instead of dividing them, so all Polish people can feel part • of a single community,” adds Jarosław Wittstock.

CLICK&COLLECT

WE HAVE 12 000 LOCATIONS The biggest Network of Pickup Points in Poland

17th edition of the

PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY ranking

PROGRESS 2019 award 14th edition of HONORARY

PEARL awards

HONORARY PATRONS: Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Science and Higher Education Minister for Economic Development Ministry of Funds and the Regional Policy National Centre for Research and Development Polish Economic Society

the roYaL CastLe in warsaw, dECEMbER 10, 2019

PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY

PATRONS OF THE PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY GALA

I

am very pleased that the winners of the Pearls of the Polish Economy ranking have been announced for the seventeenth time. I would like to extend my wholehearted congratulations to the laureates. Competitions like this one are an expression of appreciation for their hard work, their goals and business results. They are also an inspiration for them and other entrepreneurs to develop further. They are a source of extra motivation. They give them the strength and courage to face new challenges. This ranking promotes the dissemination of good practices and principles of ethics and fair competition in business in a natural way, and as a result, it serves the further development of entrepreneurship, productivity and innovation in the Polish economy.

We owe special thanks to the organisers of the competition.

They came up with the idea, and have organised the competition for a number of years. I would also like to thank them for the fact that they have developed an objective methodology for selecting winners.

Significantly, the annual Pearls of the Polish Economy ranking is based on an algorithm developed by scientists from the Warsaw School of Economics, which positions companies based on international auditing criteria. It means that the ranking is prepared by scientists on the basis of economic criteria. These are strong foundations on which the search is conducted for genuine "pearls" of the Polish economy, and not for their imitations.

The Pearls are also a source of inspiration for me and the Ministry for Economic Development. They are among the most precious jewels, but they are not forever. They are easily damaged and are prone to market fluctuations. That is why it is very important to take care of them and nurture them. The same holds true about entrepreneurs.

The fact that you have made it does not mean that it is going to stay that way. The changing business environment forces entrepreneurs to constantly adapt and develop. The priority of the Ministry for Economic Development is to constantly modify the legal environment to improve the terms of conducting business activities in Poland. We also try to build and strengthen the culture of innovation in Polish companies and support new entrepreneurs by building a runway for • them to launch new businesses.

JADWIGA EMILEWICZ, Minister for Economic Development

12/2019 polish market

13

PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY

PATRONS OF THE PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY GALA

WOJCIECH KAMIENIECKI, D.Sc., Ph.D., Director, National Centre for Research and Development

T

he National Centre for Research and Development has been operating at the interface of science and business for over a decade. We know that the involvement of specialised research teams is necessary to create innovative technologies and products. However, companies have a crucial role to play for these technologies to have practical application and to be implemented in the economy. The commercialisation of innovative projects is the key to developing the competitiveness of Polish industry, thanks to which the entire economy stands to gain.

By co-financing R&D work, the National Centre for Research and Development significantly reduces business risks for entrepreneurs when it comes to the implementation of ground-breaking research projects. We try to prevent research studies from being shelved.

Our actions are meant to bring tangible results. Government and EU funding allocated by the National Centre for Research and Development, to the tune of some EUR 1 billion each year, is expected to produce beneficial results for the Polish economy.

We work to facilitate cooperation between entrepreneurs and scientists. We also believe that small and medium-sized enterprises are the engine of innovation. Our role is to help them build a technological advantage which can give them the opportunity to develop innovative solutions. This will help them build a strong position on the local and

14 polish market

international market. New businesses may crop up as a result. To meet expectations, we streamline the system of funding applications, we cut the time needed for project approval, we expand the scope of undertakings which can be co-financed by the National Centre for Research and Development.

We know how important it is to promote the achievements of Polish entrepreneurs on the local and international market. Initiatives such as the Pearls of the Polish Economy ranking are important in the communication strategy of Polish entrepreneurship. The history of the ranking shows that, despite risks which accompany new businesses and scaling, Polish entrepreneurs do achieve significant profits.

They invest and score successes in Poland and in foreign markets. On behalf of the National Centre for Research and Development, may I convey special thanks to Polish entrepreneurs for their contribution to the development of innovation in Poland. The results of the ranking also provide an opportunity to express our gratitude to experts and institutions from various fields of the economy who have supported the organisers in the process of selecting the winners of successive editions. Let me congratulate all the winners of Pearls of the Polish Economy awards. On behalf of the National Centre for Research and Development, may I wish you many successes in your innovative research.

•

PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY

PATRONS OF THE PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY GALA

P

oland is not just a country of unquestioned economic successes, which is confirmed by all international rankings, but also a country with rich cultural, intellectual, tourist and other resources. It has a great potential for sustainable social and economic development. Proof of Poland's development potential is the progress it has made in the three decades of transition from communism to the market economy. Yet Poland’s strengths and achievements are not generally known on the international arena. This often means that Poland is not appreciated as much as it should. Even at home, many ordinary Polish citizens tend to play down their country’s role and achievements. This national trait was captured by poet and geographer Wincenty Pol (1807-1872) who wrote "You glorify the foreign, but you do not know your own."

Roughly at the same time, the Polish national poet Juliusz Słowacki (1809–1849) thus described his country: "You used to be a peacock among nations and a parrot, and now you are another's maid." Polish people could do well to remember these two quotes not to waste the nation’s potential, notably its most valuable intellectual potential. At present, Poland has every chance of overcoming old stereotypes. For a lasting and harmonious social and economic development to occur, it is essential to apply the right kind of methods to tap society’s potential.

That is why it is vital to adopt a holistic approach, to create synergies and to reconcile economic growth, social progress and environmental protection. The Polish Market's “Pearls of the Polish Economy” project has been focused on such symbiosis for over two decades. It is a holistic project which covers all the most important areas of public and economic life. It is focused on identifying, publicising and promoting outstanding individual and institutional achievements in Poland and abroad - not just economic achievements, but also achievements in the sphere of science, culture, art, politics and in other spheres.

"Pearls of the Polish Economy" is a commendable undertaking which opens the way for international co-operation. This is facilitated by the English-language Polish Market magazine, which is addressed to the most important institutions focused on Polish affairs, including embassies, consulates, Polish cultural centres etc. It helps mobilise the capital and intellectual potential of the Polish diaspora, which is estimated at approximately 20 million. Regrettably, no government or local government body has paid due attention to it. As a result, various opportunities for co-operation, including capital ventures, have been lost, particularly in terms of social capital, which is so important for social and economic development. Projects undertaken

by Polish Market, such as the "Pearls of the Polish Economy," could make a change in this respect, because they are holistic. "Pearls of the Polish Economy" is a celebration of Polish talent in science, education and culture. Thanks to its scope, comprehensive nature and holistic approach, its importance can hardly be overestimated. Polish poet Julian Tuwim (1894-1953) once called on his countrymen to try to get the big picture, instead of needlessly focusing on details: "And here they come, all buttoned up They look to the right, they look to the left.

They see everything separately That house ... that boy ... that horse ... that tree."

The “Pearls of the Polish Economy” allow you to see both individual details and the big picture, they bring out individual merits and achievements of those who have been honoured with the award. It is my wish that this undertaking should last forever, because it serves everyone so well. Those behind the initiative deserve our heartiest • congratulations and gratitude.

PROFESSOR ELŻBIETA MĄCZYŃSKA, President of the Polish Economic Society, winner of the Honorary Pearl in the Science category in 2017.

12/2019 polish market

15

PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY

INTO THE FUTURE PROF. LESZEK RAFALSKI, President of the Main Council of Research Institutes (RGIB), talks to “Polish Market.”

The Main Council of Research Institutes has started another term of its activities.

What challenges are facing the Council and research institutes?

The main goal of the Council is to represent research institutes, as well as to work toward their future development.

We currently have 105 research institutes in Poland, including 37 institutes of the ŁUKASIEWICZ Research Network. Scientific research conducted by them has a very wide scope, including the economy, infrastructure, environment, agriculture, health care and security. For the future activities of research institutes, it is very important to ensure stable funding for operations, especially for foresight studies. We intend to work together with the National Centre for Research and Development to provide financing for competitions which will hopefully bring successful results. We will also actively participate in the drafting of new research programmes for the 2021-2027 period. We will carry on work on implementation excellence, a RGIB idea developed by a team under Andrzej Krueger, Ph.D. The idea is to create favourable conditions for the implementation of research results and new technologies, that is to facilitate partnerships between entrepreneurs and research units.

To this end, systemic changes are needed at all stages of development and implementation of new technologies into industrial practice.

We would like to include the criterion of implementation excellence in the assessment of research units. At the same time, we are not forgetting about the scientific excellence of research institutes. The RGIB Science Committee will deal with the assessment of PM

16 polish market

research units. In particular, it will propose amendments to current evaluation criteria, and draft proposals for changes in the rules of assessment of research institutes adapted to their statutory objectives.

Mention must be made at this point of the ŁUKASIEWICZ Research Network.

The ŁUKASIEWICZ Research Network has been given a set of commercialisation and implementation goals, it is to form a bridge between science and the economy.

We are aware of the need for all institutes to cooperate, whether they are part of the network or not. To this end, we have established a ŁUKASIEWICZ Research Network cooperation committee within RGIB. It should be added that as a result of grassroots initiatives, two networks have been formed – the ENERGY network which includes six institutes operating in the energy and mining sectors, and POLTRIN, which brings together three institutes working in the field of transport.

A network of military institutes of technology is planned. RGIB intends to take part in the drafting of a model of financing research projects conducted within the network of research institutes and cooperation with the EU. PM

A lot depends on the promotion of research activities and products. In what way do you address this issue in the context of research institutes?

I believe it is important to promote knowledge about research institutes, which contribute to the development of Polish science and social progress by PM

implementing research projects and by developing innovative solutions and products. One good example is a PolishEnglish publication prepared by RGIB, entitled "Research Institutes Make It Safer.

Defence - Economy - Environment - Food – Health." It is a digest of achievements and ongoing studies conducted in the area of broadly understood security. It shows how diversified and useful the institutes' work is.

In 2018, on the initiative of Tomasz Zdzikot, Secretary of State at the Ministry of National Defence, RGIB organised a conference under the motto "Civilian Research Institutes for National Defence." The institutes had an opportunity to show their achievements in the fields of technology, computer science, materials science and biotechnology.

Although many of the results are universally applicable, they can also be used for military purposes following necessary modifications.

A good example of a creative approach to the promotion of science is the Night at the Institute of Aviation, which is organised by the ŁUKASIEWICZ Institute of Aviation.

It is the biggest event in Poland addressed to all those interested in aviation, space research, science and technology. This year's 10th edition of the event was attended by over 51,000 visitors. Their number grows year by year, which is proof that creative scientific thinking should go hand in hand with a modern promotion of science. The Main Council of Research Institutes keeps • up with the times.

For more details visit the RGIB profile on FB - @RGIBWarszawa.

PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY

PAST WINNERS OF HONORARY AND SPECIAL PEARL AWARDS

COMPETITIVE

EDGE

PROF. MICHAŁ KLEIBER, former Minister of Science and Digitalization, Vice-President of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, President of the European Community of Computational Methods in Applied Sciences, winner of the Special Pearl award in 2014.

Sustainable economic growth forms the basis for the prosperity, social stability and satisfaction of the country’s citizens.

In a dynamic reality, the scale of challenges requires bold thinking about the effectiveness of development-oriented activities and new elements of economic policy. Economic growth involves many factors, including global competition. In a stable economic development policy, two groups of issues play a key role: a rationally regulated market, and a favourable climate for innovative entrepreneurship, combined with broad support for research and development activities.

A

n effective, innovation-oriented market means entrepreneur-friendly regulations, incentives to invest in innovative projects, information on potential research and business partners, access to reasonably priced higher risk capital, streamlined safeguards of intellectual and industrial property rights, and efficient court procedures. In an innovative society, the education system should encourage human creativity at all levels, the R&D sector should be well developed and a culture of innovation should be built by politicians, scientists and the media.

SCALE EFFECT

To succeed in innovation, it is also necessary to benefit from economies of scale, which is associated with Poland’s membership of the European Union. To this end, it is necessary to facilitate knowledge flow in the single market. For this to happen, it is vital to introduce standard regulations.

It is also necessary to come up with innovative public procurement and cooperation initiatives, to promote EU public-private partnership procedures, to build a single market for venture capital funds and to follow best practices in the implementation of scientific developments.

For this to happen, a free flow of knowledge should be added to the free movement of persons, goods, services and capital, as the fifth principle of the EU single market.

OPEN SOCIETY

Support for innovation is in harmony with the open nature of the emerging society, which seems crucial to meet new challenges. However, one should not expect that this culture will be born in a spontaneous way. To build this culture, the state should provide a set of tools - to tap the energy accumulated by entrepreneurs, scientists, teachers and

public officials. The main goal for the state is to support these groups in the transition process to maximize synergies, ultimately to ensure the efficient functioning of society in the conditions of globalisation, interdependence, digital revolution and profound changes in the sphere of values and identity.

CO-CREATION

The significance of innovation goes beyond abstract inventiveness, an example of which is "innovative administration." It should operate in an open, cooperative and planned manner. It should be able to use the knowledge and energy of the world of business and science on a cocreation basis. Social innovations based on the use of modern technologies are gaining popularity. Entrepreneurs are increasingly willing to use the help of innovation-friendly consumers, who create demand for modern solutions through their involvement in the building of what are known as lead markets.

REALISTIC GOAL

A society based on knowledge, skills and entrepreneurship is no longer a mere slogan, but a realistic goal. When it comes to science, its development will hinge on how much money is spent on R&D, which should be accompanied by steps to improve the quality of scientific research. These should include the promotion of international cooperation, growing competition in the allocation of research funds, as well as support for the development of cooperation between science and business. Lifelong learning should become the norm. The effective building of human and social capital, based on independence, creativity, trust, and the ability to work in partnership with others, is the key to our future.

• 12/2019 polish market

17

PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY

ON

RANKINGS AND R AT I N G S PROF. TOMASZ SZAPIRO, SGH Warsaw School of Economics

A

ranking is an ordered list. It has a beginning and end, like each runner crossing the finish line. That’s what probably comes to mind when you think of rankings. The winner emerges on the basis of tangible, objective measurements.

And this is how we look at rankings - they are supposed to indicate the winner based on measurement. But we tend to forget that to pick the best skater requires a less obvious procedure than measuring. When a sportsman representing your country comes on top, you feel proud, almost as if you yourself have won the race. This sports analogy is probably one of the most important sources of misunderstandings about rankings. You cannot easily explain why sports results matter to you. To some extent, it has to do with athletes representing nations. They represent you, so you have the right to feel proud and happy with their attainments, or sad when they fail.

Company rankings are also ordered lists, with some companies placing on top, and some at the very bottom.

But in addition to measurements and emotions, you need to add something more than representation. A company is about potential decisions concerning investments, accepting a job offer, or picking a contractor. Your own profits and losses resulting from this decision are at stake.

Let’s face it, reliable rankings can help you estimate opportunities and risks, but nothing more. The term "the best" does not really apply, for obvious reasons. A company which tops a ranking may not be the best for everyone who examines it.

It is usually enough to weight the risk of loss against the prospect of potential profit, although you do feel anger and regret when your investment decision has proved a success, but a different decision would have brought more profit. It may well be that the company which ranks third on the list would be a more advantageous partner for you, although others might see it differently. What

18 polish market

matters is that profits are above zero, or another predetermined value.

An approach whereby you are not interested in a particular company, but in any company which delivers the goods, is called limited rationality. Rating is an instrument which supports decision making in this case.

Rating means dividing companies into groups which cross certain thresholds, i.e. rating classes. In the case of Olympic qualifiers, sportsmen are expected to meet certain minimum requirements, there are two classes – those who succeed and those who fail. The organiser has ensured the high standards of the competition, but it did not matter who won, or whether some really outstanding sportsmen have failed on this particular occasion.

A ranking allows you to build ratings. One simple way of doing it, is to rank competitors in terms of numbers, namely the Top 10, Top 20, the medallists, finalists, etc.

This method, however, has one disadvantage, it does not take into account the needs of the user of the ranking. After all, how do you compare a gold medal won against poor competitors with the fourth place won by a sportsman who has broken a national record? That is why the challenge today is to offer interactive presentation of ranking results.

It enables the selection of criteria and threshold values in line with the needs of the ranking user. It comes very handy in consulting services.

Institutions compile rankings according to sets of criteria. Academic rankings are compiled for individual fields of study, for example. In the Shanghai ranking, Polish universities appear in the Top 500 and Top 600, but mathematicians and physicists in the Top 100 and Top 200. It is very important for their ability to operate on a global market. In the case of companies, individual categories are selected for the sake of comparison. The Pearls of the Polish Economy ranking, which includes various categories, is a precursor to this approach.

•

peARLS grand peARLS

of the poLISh eCoNoMY

NO.

NAME OF COMPANY

SCORE

2

MONDI ŚWIECIE S.A.

99

3

VOLKSWAGEN MOTOR POLSKA SP. Z O.O.

85

4

OPERATOR GAZOCIĄGÓW PRZESYŁOWYCH GAZ-SYSTEM S.A.

67

5

GRUPA PSB HANDEL S.A.

64

6

ITAKA HOLDINGS SP. Z O.O.

62

6

RONAL POLSKA SP. Z O.O.

62

8

ALUPROF S.A.

59

9

BRENNTAG POLSKA SP. Z O.O.

58

10

ANWIL S.A.

57

10

FCA POLAND S.A.

57

10

NEXTEER AUTOMOTIVE POLAND SP. Z O.O.

57

13

CNH INDUSTRIAL POLSKA SP. Z O.O.

56

13

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA INDYKPOL

56

15

GRUPA BUDIMEX

55

15

PHUP GNIEZNO SP. Z O.O. HURTOWNIA SP.K.

55

17

GRUPA CYFROWY POLSAT S.A.

52

18

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA BOWIM

51

18

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA COGNOR S.A.

51

20

BSH SPRZĘT GOSPODARSTWA DOMOWEGO SPÓŁKA Z O.O.

49

20

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA COMARCH

49

20

KGHM POLSKA MIEDŹ S.A.

49

23

OKRĘGOWA SPÓŁDZIELNIA MLECZARSKA W PIĄTNICY

47

23

SPÓŁDZIELNIA MLECZARSKA "MLEKPOL" W GRAJEWIE

47

25

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA KONSORCJUM STALI S.A.

46

25

OSADKOWSKI S.A.

46

27

KOLPORTER SP. Z O.O. SP.K.

43

28

GRUPA STRABAG W POLSCE

42

28

INNOGY POLSKA S.A.

42

28

LUBELSKI WĘGIEL "BOGDANKA" S.A.

42

31

GRUPA AGORA

41

31

GRUPA AZOTY S.A.

41

31

ZF AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS POLAND SP. Z O.O.

41

34

FAMUR S.A.

40

34

ORANGE POLSKA S.A.

40

36

HURTAP S.A.

39

37

POCZTA POLSKA S.A.

38

37

ROSSMANN SUPERMARKETY DROGERYJNE POLSKA SP. Z O.O.

38

39

ADAMED PHARMA S.A.

33

40

FLEXTRONICS INTERNATIONAL POLAND SP. Z.O.O.

32

41

GRUPA MLEKOVITA

24

1

SITECH SP. Z O.O.

109

peARLS 1

ZARZĄD MORSKIEGO PORTU GDYNIA S.A.

165

2

CARSOLUTIONS SP. Z O.O. SP.K.

141

3

WAWEL S.A.

109

4

SBS SP. Z O.O.

106

5

AC S.A.

76

6

ATAL S.A.

73

7

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA MENNICA POLSKA S.A.

71

8

POLSKI HOLDING NIERUCHOMOŚCI SP. Z O.O.

67

9

BENEFIT SYSTEMS S.A.

62

10

ASSECO POLAND S.A.

61

11

AMS S.A.

60

11

PROMAG S.A.

60

13

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA NEWAG S.A.

57

14

DECORA S.A.

56

15

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA ZAKŁADY MAGNEZYTOWE "ROPCZYCE" S.A.

54

15

SELENA FM S.A.

54

17

TRASKO-INWEST SP. Z O.O.

53

18

MIEJSKIE PRZEDSIĘBIORSTWO WODOCIĄGÓW I KANALIZACJI S.A W KRAKOWIE

51 50

19

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA GPEC SP. Z O.O.

19

LUVENA S.A.

50

21

APATOR S.A.

49

21

PRZEDSIĘBIORSTWO BUDOWY KOPALŃ PEBEKA S.A.

49

21

PRZEDSIĘBIORSTWO WIELOBRANŻOWE EBUD-PRZEMYSŁÓWKA SP. Z O.O.

49

24

MERCATOR MEDICAL S.A.

48

25

COMP S.A.

47

25

STOPOL SP. Z O.O. SP.K.

47

27

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA LERG S.A.

45

27

KORPORACJA BUDOWLANA DORACO SP. Z O.O.

45

29

GRUPA KAIPITAŁOWA ERGIS

42

30

GRUPA INTROL

41

30

"KOLEJE MAZOWIECKIE - KM" SP. Z O.O.

41

32

SPÓŁDZIELCZA MLECZARNIA SPOMLEK

40

33

LEASINGTEAM GROUP

38

33

ZUE S.A.

38

35

HOCHLAND POLSKA SP. Z O.O.

32

large peARLS

of the poLISh eCoNoMY

Financial SeRviceS NO.

NAME OF COMPANY

SCORE

1

AVIVA TOWARZYSTWO UBEZPIECZEŃ NA ŻYCIE S.A.

285

2

SANTANDER CONSUMER BANK S.A.

281

3

METLIFE TOWARZYSTWO UBEZPIECZEŃ NA ŻYCIE I REASEKURACJI S.A.

268

4

POWSZECHNA KASA OSZCZĘDNOŚCI BANK POLSKI S.A.

255

5

BNP PARIBAS BANK POLSKA S.A.

254

6

BANK POCZTOWY S.A.

235

7

IDEA GETIN LEASING S.A.

219

8

CREDIT AGRICOLE BANK POLSKA S.A.

210

9

COMPENSA TOWARZYSTWO UBEZPIECZEŃ S.A. VIENNA INSURANCE GROUP

202

10

INTERRISK TOWARZYSTWO UBEZPIECZEŃ S.A. VIENNA INSURANCE GROUP

197

11

BANK OCHRONY ŚRODOWISKA S.A.

180

12

UNIQA TOWARZYSTWO UBEZPIECZEŃ S.A.

178

13 14 15

UNIQA TOWARZYSTWO UBEZPIECZEŃ NA ŻYCIE S.A. GRUPA PZU COMPENSA TOWARZYSTWO UBEZPIECZEŃ NA ŻYCIE S.A. VIENNA INSURANCE GROUP

173 166 143

The editors of “Polish Market” would like to thank all the Patrons and Media Partners for their help in organising the Gala of the Pearls of the Polish Economy.

PatronS: MECENASI:

Strategic MECENAS PatronS: STRATEGICZNY:

PARTNERZY: PartnerS:

NIEBIESKI - #1e90ff; RGB=30,144,255; CMYK=100,30,0,0 SZARY - #808080; RGB=128,128,128; CMYK=0,0,0,128 CZARNY - #000000; RGB=0,0,0; CMYK=30,30,30,255

tecHnicaL PartnerS: PARTNERZY TECHNICZNI:

Honorary PatronS: PATRONAT HONOROWY:

media PartnerS: PATRONI MEDIALNI:

ORGANIZATOR: REDAKCJA “POLISH MARKET” organizer: Editorial Board ZAKŁAD of „Polish MarkEt” OPRACOWANIE RANKINGU: ranking comPiLed by: dEsicion and WSPOMAGANIA I ANALIZY DECYZJI,suPPort INSTYTUT analysis unit, institutE of EconoMEtrics, EKONOMETRII, SZKOŁA GŁÓWNA HANDLOWA W WARSZAWIE WarsaW school of EconoMics

PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY

SZYMBARK CASTLE

GETS A NEW LEASE OF LIFE

U

ntil recently, apart from the locals, only tourism enthusiasts and historians have heard about Szymbark Castle. It had been falling into ruin for years, and local residents had every right to lose hope that the building would ever regain its former splendour. But in a much-publicised auction last year, the ruins of the Gothic fortress and nearby farm buildings, gained a new owner, Grzegorz Słyszyk (see interview). He not only bought the former fortress, but has also set up the Castle Foundation in Szymbark to change its face. But is such an investment project likely to succeed? Let's find out more.

HUGE POTENTIAL

The castle, or rather what is left of it, has an attractive location. The ruins are situated to

22 polish market

the west of the village of Szymbark, right on the lakeside, about 8 km from the town of Iława. Access is good both by car / bus and rail. Not far from the castle is the Olsztyn - Mazury Szymany airport. However, the most attractive are the natural values of the Warmia-Masuria region, which is known as the Land of a Thousand Lakes. In fact, there are over 3,000 lakes, which, surrounded by large forests, are a unique place to relax in.

There is a long list of nearby internationally recognised landmarks, including the largest Gothic castle in Malbork and Hitler’s WWII Wolf's Lair near the town of Kętrzyn. Other attractions include Frombork, the town where the most famous Polish astronomer, Nicolaus Copernicus lived and worked, and Lidzbark, which is called the summer capital of Warmia and Masuria. Judging by these facts alone, the

investment in Szymbark Castle should pay off, considering what the Foundation set up by Grzegosz Słyszyk intends to do with the ruins.

CULTURE - EDUCATION - BUSINESS

The President of the Foundation, Joanna Gruszka, emphasises that its goal is to restore the splendour of the castle as a pearl of Warmia-Masuria architecture. What does she have in mind? “Our main goal is to support activities aimed at revitalising the 14th-century Gothic castle in Szymbark, to make it a showcase of the region on a national and international scale,” says Joanna Gruszka. “We want to make it into a unique meeting place, a source of cultural and artistic inspiration, a venue of numerous cultural and educational events, as well as a place where knowledge about the history

Photos: Wojciech Laskowski

The ruins of the 14th century fortress in Szymbark have attracted tourists for years. Yet most of them are probably disappointed that the potential of Warmia and Masuria second-largest stronghold after Malbork, has been wasted.

But if the castle’s new owner’s plans are implemented, the facility, which is currently attracting a lot of media interest, could well become a showcase of the region.

REGIONS

and traditions of the Iława Lakeland can be promoted." As the president of the Foundation says, the castle’s revitalisation will also contribute to the economic development of the region.

Whether the Szymbark Castle investment project does trigger the development of the surrounding communes, largely depends on the functions the building is to play. The stronghold certainly deserves a new lease of life. Since its founding by Father Henryk of Skarlin in the 1370s, for hundreds of years the fortress has witnessed a turbulent history. It was destroyed and rebuilt more than once.

The Red Army dealt it the biggest blow by burning it down. Only towers and walls are what remains of the old Gothic buildings. The Szymbark Castle Foundation must basically start from scratch, for example by securing the site to prevent it from posing a threat to • visitors.

GRZEGORZ SŁYSZYK, founder of the Szymbark Castle Foundation, President of IBC Investments and EXPO XXI in Warsaw, talks to Jerzy Mosoń.

Castle ruins are not a castle. To restore the splendour of the fortress you need huge resources and time. Let me put it to you, is it worth it?

It would be a kind of profanation to treat this undertaking as an investment. It is a mission to recreate the history of this captivating place. My decision to buy the castle ruins has met with disbelief on the part of many people. Some are still baffled. But I believe it is worth fighting for places as unique as Szymbark - it's our history and heritage, after all.

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Sometimes a huge passion, a desire to do something important, overshadows mundane problems ...

I can assure you that my enthusiasm and deep conviction in the value and potential of the castle in Szymbark, as well as its location, the commune of Iława, and the Iława Lake District, is one thing. Being aware of the challenges ahead of us is another.

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What’s your idea for the future of the castle?

My ambition is for the castle and its surroundings to become a meeting place, a place where the pace of life slows down, somewhere you can pause to think on the one hand, and a place of opportunity which unleashes layers of PM

CLAIMS TO FAME • French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte and his mistress Maria Walewska stayed over at Szymbark Castle.

• A popular Polish children’s book, “Mr Car and Winnetou”

by Zbigniew Nienacki, is set in Castle ruins. The author was inspired by Szymbark castle ruins.

• In 1995, the ruins of Szymbark Castle were used by German director Volker Schlöndorff in the film “Der Unhold” (The Ogre) to shoot scenes of the capture of the Kaltenborn fortress by the Soviet army, and of a Hitlerjugend camp. The central character, Abel Tiffauges, an infantile man fascinated by the power of the Third Reich, was played by John Malkovich.

creativity, on the other. Together with those involved in the Foundation I have established, I want to contribute to the opening of the next chapter in the history of the Szymbark Castle complex. Apart from being an amazing, silent witness to 700 years of history, the place used to teem with life for centuries as the focal point of life in the area. The goal of the Foundation is to introduce initiatives which bring people together, while creating a new chapter of activities.

What do you consider your biggest challenges?

There are definitely many challenges, and it is just the beginning of our activities. The biggest of these is to change the perception of this venture as an investment project into one of a mission. You cannot apply measures which developers, banks, insurance companies, contractors and public institutions apply to construction projects, to deal with the revitalisation process of an entire castle and farm complex. Here, all data entered into a standard Excel chart simply won’t add up. However, we are making slow progress, and it seems that we already have scored our first successes. Local government officials seem to understand that our undertaking is a mission. Special thanks in this respect should go to Krzysztof Harmaciński, the head of the Iława commune. We value the support we receive from the Szymbark local community and the Iława commune. We hope that this partnership will bring tangible and lasting effects for the local community. We want to make as many people interested in PM

Szymbark Castle as possible. I’m convinced that cooperation and experience is the key to the success of a project like ours. We look forward to establishing broad cooperation, not only with conservation specialists and architects, but all those who are aware how important history is in building the future. It is not just about the revitalisation of Szymbark Castle, but also about creating opportunities for its new role for another hundreds of years or more.

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CUTTING-EDGE

OFFICE SPACE

AGATA SITKO, President, GROUP AV, talks to "Polish Market."

What trends in office space design are currently the most popular?

The expectations of our clients when it comes to office space equipment are wideranging and depend on business profile, the size of the office or conference space. An office is now not only a workspace, but it is also a meeting place with clients. It has conference rooms, meeting rooms, a reception, showrooms and demo rooms. Open-space offices are increasingly popular. But there are also separate rooms for meetings with clients, video and teleconferences, which are often sound-insulated from other parts of the office.

They feature good acoustics, multimedia equipment and automatic controls. Demo rooms are equipped with the latest projectors, monitors, holographic and virtual reality systems.

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What do modern companies expect in terms of multimedia equipment?

Each company expects something different. Corporations have their standards, according to which we can design projects for multimedia systems. Of course, this makes work easier. However, in smaller rooms PM

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designed for team work, conference rooms, meeting rooms and video-conferencing rooms, projectors are increasingly being replaced with large-format display panels. 65, 75 and 80-inch monitors are more and more common, and the wide selection of equipment on the market means that it is affordable even for cost-conscious clients. In addition to video technology, sound systems also play an important role in video and teleconferencing rooms, showrooms and demo rooms. The rapid development of sound and video technologies means that more equipment is used in workspaces. This calls for modern, user-friendly office automation systems which can be integrated with smart building systems.

Do clients prefer to own equipment, or are they happy to rent it? How is the coworking trend developing?

We supply complete multimedia systems, but also individual pieces of equipment.

We often design very complex multimedia solutions, using automation, IT systems and dedicated software which supports the playback of multimedia content. We do not rent or lease multimedia equipment and PM

systems. For this reason, it is difficult for us to say how much demand there is for this kind of multimedia services. But there is no doubt that co-working spaces, conference rooms and meeting rooms which can be rented for a short period of time are popular.

Some clients who offer this kind of space for rent include multimedia services as part of the package, but these are usually basic, such as a projector or monitor, Internet access, and video conferencing equipment.

If a client needs to organise an event such as a promotional conference or a presentation of a new product for a large audience, where more multimedia equipment is to be needed, they can use the services of companies which specialise in one-off events. They rent equipment and provide operating crews for that purpose. Our goal is to create projects in which the most modern solutions are used, which become the property of our client, instead of being rented or leased. The service part of our activities is also very important to us. It has a huge impact on the continuity of relations with clients. Together with them, we upgrade and develop systems they have • purchased.

PRESIDENTIAL ECONOMIC AWARD 2019

ROBERT WOLTER, Vice President of Wizja Multimedia, talks to Danuta Bierzańska.

TOUGH CHALLENGES TURN US ON What are the most important areas of the company's activities?

We operate in two areas. One is television productions, concerts, mapping, outdoor events (cultural, sports and religious events), conferences and fairs. We offer production services for events at home and abroad. These include festivals in Sopot and Opole. We are also involved in the production of about 90% of multimedia TV shows. We work for TVP and TVN and Polsat networks. These are various shows, including most talent shows. We are focused on customer satisfaction, we do our best to be as professional as possible. It seems that we are doing a good job of it, considering that we are constantly expanding our client base. We watch world trends, so we have also introduced permanent installations - and that’s the other area of our activities.

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Are these electronic billboards?

You could say that. These are large-scale installations, they can be used to present all kinds of promotional and advertising materials in urban spaces through modern advertising media. We design new carriers.

One of them, an LED grid, can be seen at the central railway station building in Warsaw. We work from scratch, we work with designers and architects, to propose a solution at the design stage. Installations are designed not only as advertising media, but also to visually enhance various objects and places. We also PM

introduce new applications and functionalities.

For example, we are now working with retail chains on a system whereby prices will no longer be printed on paper or plastic and laboriously placed on products by the crew.

Instead, they will be electronically displayed.

The store manager will enter the price of a product and it will automatically appear in the right places. The system has the advantage of eliminating differences between retail prices marked on shop shelves and those stored in the cash register. We expect the first project implementations soon.

What are some of the latest trends in the industry?

We don’t just focus on the multimedia industry. We keep trying to encourage clients to make interiors and buildings more attractive with the help of light, and possibly multimedia. We dream of beautiful cities with installations of this kind. My personal favourites are solutions and projects which belong to the smart cities trend. And because we enjoy unusual projects very much, we hope to be able to be involved in them. And the more difficult they are, the more tempting they are.

appreciate it. At present, 40% less electricity is used, compared to a few years ago. We use the latest technologies which allow you to achieve the same effect using cheaper methods and components. We optimise electricity consumption, we make sure that our products don’t blind anyone with their light, and that standards are met. Our carriers work in automatic mode, which means that they adapt their brightness to the intensity of ambient light. Solutions adopted in retail networks are also moving in the direction of a greener planet.

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What about the environmental impact of these installations?

We place great emphasis on cutting electricity consumption, and our clients PM

WE DREAM OF BEAUTIFUL CITIES WITH INSTALLATIONS OF THIS KIND. MY PERSONAL FAVOURITES ARE SOLUTIONS AND PROJECTS WHICH BELONG TO THE SMART CITIES TREND. 12/2019 polish market

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WINNING

RESPONSIBLY RAFAŁ HĘDRZAK, Member of the Management Board/Chief Executive Officer, NOVOMATIC Technologies Poland, talks to “Polish Market.”

NOVOMATIC Technologies Poland S.A. is a partner company of the NOVOMATIC Group of Companies, the largest manufacturer and operator of gaming terminals as well as the largest supplier of games and casino management systems in Europe – one of the leaders in the gaming industry. How did a Polish company, ATSI S.A., become a part of such an industry giant?

ATSI S.A. was affiliated with the NOVOMATIC Group from the outset. Several years ago, ATSI S.A. and another Polish subsidiary specializing in software development were consolidated.

We’ve been a part of the industry as NOVOMATIC Technologies Poland ever since. While we can say that we’re a medium-sized company with nearly 300 employees, we’re also part of a multinational corporation that employs more than 30,000 employees in several dozen countries spanning five continents. We’ve connected these two worlds, drawing on the best that each has to offer: a creative and non-corporate approach to work on the one hand, and on the other, the financial security provided by one of the biggest international players in the gaming industry.

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NOVOMATIC’s innovative solutions have shaped technology trends in the industry. What lies behind all of the company’s success?

NOVOMATIC has been a pioneer in the gaming industry from the very beginning. We earned this title by creating innovative solutions as far PM

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PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY back as the 1980’s. Many of these became a gaming industry standard. The ability to anticipate upcoming trends in the industry and test novel technological solutions are two of NOVOMATIC’s top priorities. Therefore, the corporation’s research and development department, which NOVOMATIC Technologies Poland is a part of, plays such a vital role.

A distinguishing feature of the NOVOMATIC Group of Companies is its high level of innovation, which can only be maintained with a steady flow of investment into development, training, and the implementation of stateof-the-art technology. What sets us apart from the competition is our openness to the novel technologies and best practices used in the IT industry, including open-source solutions. Examples might include the development of access systems and features such as payments based on biometric data.

Also, worth mentioning is the variety and wide range of products we offer. Thousands of employees create new solutions in twentysix technological centres around the world.

NOVOMATIC is active in all segments of the gaming industry, offering partners and clients a diverse portfolio of omni-channel products.

Our main areas of production include runtime platforms for gaming terminals and the interactive content they provide, distributed systems for the gaming industry, including back-end casino management systems, lottery solutions, and sports betting. So, what is the source of NOVOMATIC’s success? From my point of view, it is without a doubt the sheer scope and quality of the solutions we deliver.

NOVOMATIC ranked high in this year’s CSR ranking in Austria, coming in at 12th place. In which areas did the company perform the best?

In today’s world, successful companies should focus on the social responsibility that comes with running a business. At NOVOMATIC we’ve raised the bar even further.

Responsibility is written into the company’s main motto: "Winning responsibly". We’re proud to say that this phrase conveys the most important aspect of our business strategy. Here at NOVOMATIC, we do not see ourselves as an island, but rather as a part of a larger social ecosystem. It has been our conscious choice to exert a positive influence on the community and to strive to earn its approval. In the 21st century, a company must be mindful of the consequences of its actions. It’s our policy to minimize our ecological footprint, reduce our energy and resource consumption, and optimize logistics and transport, thereby lowering the exhaust emissions associated with our operation. We take it upon ourselves to provide support and security to our clients.

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We feel responsible for our employees, their health and well-being, professional development and further education, and we want to foster their creativity. All of this is part of a wider context of the community in which we function and to which we want to contribute on various levels. This involves not only fully adapting to domestic legal regulations and fulfilling our tax obligations, but also helping those members of the community who haven’t been as fortunate.

As already mentioned, since responsibility is at the core of our business and we take it very seriously, we have considerable achievements in all areas addressed by CSR. NOVOMATIC also supports the measures undertaken by the United Nations in its bid to implement the Sustainable Development Goals agenda. These goals can be succinctly outlined as the five P’s: People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace, and Partnership. They were adopted by 193 member states in 2015. When broken down into more detailed areas, there are of course 17 goals in all, and NOVOMATIC actively participates in the implementation of nine of them.

We have also signed on to another United Nations initiative, namely the United Nations Global Compact. The UNGC consists of ten principles that advocate a global approach to human rights, the attainment of high work standards, care for the natural environment, and measures that counteract corruption.

Given this approach to conducting business, the choice to provide help to local communities seemed to be a rather obvious one. In recent years, we had the opportunity to meet many interesting people and to hear a number of fascinating and occasionally very moving stories. All of this happened thanks to NOVOMATIC Technologies Poland’s active participation in numerous social and educational campaigns: providing support to the young swimmers on the NIKA Team, raising money for children with leukaemia, creating and selling photo calendars and donating the money to an animal shelter in Krakow, providing financial assistance to Szkoła 3.0 (School 3.0) – a foundation that helps orphaned children, foster families, and large families – and organising the donation of computer equipment for their protégés, participating in the Szlachetna Paczka (Noble Gift) campaign, promoting blood donation campaigns, organising Christmas gift donations to the children’s home (Rodzinny Dom Dziecka) in Januszowice, inviting children from orphanages to family work events, including picnics and St. Nicholas Day parties, making contributions to the development of the local IT community by organizing lectures at the Department of

Computer Science of the AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow.

We want to avoid participating in nontransparent campaigns in which the beneficiaries are obscure, anonymous groups.

This requires us to be in direct contact with the beneficiaries of our initiatives and that is why we can be certain our efforts are effective. As you can see, we only work with organizations and campaigns with specific, tangible goals.

These examples are the activities of the Polish branch of the company. Yet, on a European scale, the NOVOMATIC corporation has contributed to such spectacular initiatives as funding stipends for talented students of the Viennese State Opera or supporting the Paralympics in Berlin.

In interviews, you’ve highlighted your employees’ contribution to the success of the company. What are some of the specific qualities of the NOVOMATIC Poland team?

Employees are definitely our main asset and the main reason for our success. It’s thanks to our employees and their experience, skill, and dedication that we’ve been able to forge a team which creates unique end-to-end solutions that set trends in the global gaming industry. The level of expertise demonstrated by our employees at NOVOMATIC Technologies Poland comes from their extensive experience in the gaming industry. It also comes from years of using state-of-the-art technology at every stage of the design, implementation, and deployment process, not to mention the subsequent support rendered for the products on the market.

It is precisely because of this that we’ve been the biggest research and development facility within the NOVOMATIC Group of Companies for over 20 years. Interestingly enough, this year a number of our employees will be celebrating 20 years at the company.

Many of our other employees have been with us for 10 or even 15 years. Please bear in mind that this is not very common when it comes to IT companies. The average employment time at NTP is 7 years. By comparison, this figure stands at just 3.2 years for Google, a company that is considered by many to be a dream employer in the IT industry. Our average seems to be a good indicator that NOVOMATIC’s approach to addressing the needs of employees is especially noteworthy. NOVOMATIC provides employees with a welcoming, financially secure work environment that is also conducive to their development. Because we do not shy away from letting our employees face new, interesting challenges, we make the career development paths we offer more appealing, while simultaneously encouraging a great work-life balance.

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WE ARE GOING TO FACE A SUPER AWARE CUSTOMER WITH NEW SHOPPING PREFERENCES, WHO WILL EXPECT NEW WAYS OF COMMUNICATION, MARKETING AND SALES.

WINDOW

TO THE WORLD MIKOŁAJ PLACEK, President, OKNOPLAST Group, talks to “Polish Market.”

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PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY This year you have been celebrating the company’s 25th anniversary. This must have been a good opportunity for you to take stock and cast your mind back to the very beginnings. What prompted you to set up OKNOPLAST? It all began in the early 1990s. My father, Adam Placek, went for a walk in the city of Krakow. He passed many neglected old houses with outdated windows in a state of disrepair, which did not give residents enough protection against the elements. This caught his attention.

He came to the conclusion that, shortly after political change, ordinary Polish citizens deserved more: to be able to benefit from advanced technologies and solutions which were available in other countries. Everyone who dreams of a comfortable home must make sure that it is warm and safe. Windows play a very important role in achieving this goal.

Adam Placek decided to set up a company which would offer the highest quality new generation PVC windows for the new times. It was meant as a way of embracing the emerging new reality. He quickly set about implementing the idea. Looking back, you can say that he was spot on.

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I reckon that in the first years of the company's existence, you had to face strong competition from western companies. Did OKNOPLAST focus on innovation or proven solutions?

In line with the original concept, the company focused on the highest quality and innovation as two equivalent strengths. Of course, OKNOPLAST started its operations at a time when western products were not so readily available, and the old frontiers were not conducive to a free flow of goods and services. For this reason, we initially focused PM

on building our position in Poland, and foreign competition did not matter so much. But at the same time, the company constantly monitored developments on the European and global market and drew conclusions from its observations. OKNOPLAST grew at a rapid pace not just in terms of the number of windows sold and the scale of revenue. We also acquired knowledge and new competences. Significantly, right from the start my father built a team of experienced and creative professionals dedicated to quality and innovation. Thanks to these efforts, in 2003, even before Poland entered the European Union, OKNOPLAST became the country’s first manufacturer to revolutionise thermal insulation parameters by designing and building an energy-efficient window.

In 2004, we found ourselves in the EU, and it was then that the company really began to compete with foreign companies. First, we entered Germany, followed by Italy and France, which next to Poland still constitute the three key sales areas for our business. Currently, our distribution network is very well developed. It covers more than a dozen countries.

As the head of marketing and sales at the time, I had the opportunity to lead a foreign expansion project. I must admit that the success of this undertaking is still a source of great satisfaction for me. We exported technologically advanced high-quality products to foreign markets, but for them to be accepted, we needed to tailor communication and product range to a given country’s needs, to build a distribution network and position the brand. These were huge challenges. It is now much easier for us to do these things. We have extensive experience, a developed mode of operation, we know what to look for when planning expansion. Our strategy remains

unchanged. We bring a new distinctive quality of doing business and innovative products into each new market we venture into.

What was the biggest hurdle the company faced in its development, and how did you manage to overcome it?

Of course, various difficulties arose from the very beginning, but we always perceived them as challenges. Tough problems which require creativity often provide an opportunity to improve the organisation. One of the first such challenges was the company’s location.

Initially, OKNOPLAST operated in Kraków, but it began to grow rapidly, and in the third year of its existence, the company expanded to build a second factory. But due to further growth, we soon ran out of space once again, so three years later, we moved to the Krakow suburb of Ochmanów. It was a huge undertaking because we had to take care of all the logistics, hold on to the crew, and make sure that the manufacturing process was uninterrupted. In Ochmanów, we still have plenty of room to grow. In the past year we opened a new office building, and in the spring we launched the construction of a new logistics and warehouse centre. This investment project worth EUR 30 million is meant to further improve the quality of our products, and to optimise storage and logistics. A new hall with a floor space of 16,000 square metres will be built to house an automated plant for the production of aluminium windows and doors. In fact, we already are Poland’s No.1 manufacturer of aluminium windows and doors for individual customers on European markets. PVC production will also become automated. We are aware that we need to constantly improve technology to maintain the position of a market leader.

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The initial challenge was not only space, but also equipment, knowledge and manpower. It was not easy to build our first machine park, similar solutions were not yet available in Poland at the time. In addition, capitalism was at a teething stage, there were no business standards or good practices to draw upon. It was also difficult to recruit Polish specialists with required experience and competences. My father was determined to build a professional team. He realised that this was the only way to make his dreams a reality. It wasn't easy to convince others to join a new business, but at the end of the day, Adam Placek's fighting spirit brought excellent results.

Talking about demanding situations, we must also mention the biggest challenge, namely expansion. Scaling your business is a constant process, which requires a number of decisions. Over the years, we have developed many solutions, we have built standards and acquired plenty of experience, but first we needed to accumulate all the knowledge - also in a strictly business sense. Each element is equally important in this respect - optimised logistics, production process, various development trends in individual markets. The company is a very complex machine, which calls for consideration, and courage to take chances.

What factors prompted you to expand to foreign markets?

As I’ve mentioned earlier, Poland's EU accession was a watershed. We were aware that this opened up completely new business opportunities which were worth exploring. We were also aware that the Polish market would soon be saturated. Replacing windows is a longterm investment, and each of us buys windows PM

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once, or maybe twice in our lives. Entering new markets solved this problem, it gave us room to grow. I guess our expansion success boils down to two factors. First of all, we have learned to conduct thorough market research and learn about the needs of consumers in specific regions. We have developed our own system, which allows us to get ready to enter new markets. Of course it wasn't like that from the very beginning. When we started our expansion into Germany, we found out that local consumers were very attached to local products, and that Polish goods did not enjoy a good reputation there. Our approach thus proved overoptimistic, because we reckoned that top quality products would naturally stand up to competition. This gave us food for thought. Before we expanded our sales network to Italy, we had conducted in-depth market research. Thanks to this, growth on the Italian market was definitely easier to achieve. Another factor which positively influenced our activities in foreign countries is well-structured marketing. We were the first Polish construction industry brand to focus on sports marketing. OKNOPLAST decided to sponsor Inter Milan, Borussia Dortmund and Olympique Lyon. We wanted to show that we share universal values associated with fair sports competition, which helped us to strengthen our position in Germany, Italy and France. We have built brand awareness and confidence in the brand. We have succeeded one hundred percent.

Which target markets are a priority in OKNOPLAST’s expansion strategy and why?

Our longstanding priority has been to build a position of market leader in individual

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countries. We thus focus on visibility and results, and not on the number of countries where we sell our products. That’s why we can still see business development opportunities in countries which remain key for us, and in which we achieve very good results, i.e.

Germany, France and Italy. We also operate in other European markets such as Scandinavia and the Benelux countries, where we are working to strengthen our position. In my opinion, this approach gives us very interesting business opportunities. We are not lost in a crowd of manufacturers, we stand out and we want to be perceived as a leading player in our business segment. We have managed to do so for years.

As OKNOPLAST has developed, so have other Polish PVC window manufacturers, and now Poland is a clear European market leader in this respect. Are foreign or Polish companies your biggest rivals?

We have been building the OKNOPLAST Group since 2013. It should be emphasised that we have three brands present in three different segments. We face different competition in each of them. Then there are local differences. In Italy we primarily compete with Finstral, in France with Tryba. In Poland, local manufacturers are our reference point.

Even though the Group’s brands are premium and top premium brands, budget customers continue to be our major target group. This stems from the strategic approach taken by the OKNOPLAST Group. Right from the start our mission has been to show that it is worth investing in quality, comfort and safety.

An investment like this pays off because of lower heating bills, and our windows let more sunlight in.

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PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY

What trends dominate the PVC window market right now? Is OKNOPLAST a trendsetter?

When it comes to setting trends, I am proud to say that we've been successfully doing so for years, for example when it comes to energyefficient windows, and in many other cases.

Last year, we were the first on the market to unveil a smart window, which doubles up as a tablet thanks to its transparent touch screen. What's more, among our innovative products there is a voice-operated control system for windows, doors and blinds. The smart home is a direction with huge potential, and it will surely remain one of the dominant trends in the coming years. Design is another trend which is worth mentioning. Consumers increasingly regard windows and doors as part of interior design, and even applied art.

I have to admit that OKNOPLAST has long been promoting this approach to windows and doors. That is why our portfolio includes eye-catching, visually striking solutions such as the Lunar window, which features glass also on the window sash. On a smaller scale, veneers which imitate wood to give customers a sense of warmth, and rough concrete veneers, are also gaining popularity.

Large surface glazing is another important trend. It allows the house interior to blend in with the surroundings, providing perfect lighting. Our HST system allows you to create spectacular glazing surfaces with an area of up to 18 square metres.

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In what way do OKNOPLAST clients change? What are their expectations compared to the past? Are personalised windows and doors becoming a reality with the advent of new technologies?

Over the years, customer awareness has grown significantly. This creates new challenges and motivates us to develop further. Consumers are increasingly looking for eco-friendly products, and they pay attention to what the company does in this respect. OKNOPLAST PVC windows have PM

been 100% recyclable for years now, and we have recently introduced a new product, the Prismatic window, which brings many ecofriendly benefits to your home. I believe that the market is constantly evolving towards building consumer awareness. This process is far from over. In the future, we are going to face a super aware customer with new shopping preferences and requirements, who will expect new ways of communication, marketing and sales. What's more, the development of technology is bound to change shopping habits.

It may soon turn out that the customer will less and less frequently turn up at the showroom to find out about the product, but will only come to the point of sale to sign a contract. That is why we have started working on innovative shopping channels.

OKNOPLAST operations are not just limited to your core business. Your sports sponsorship and CSR activities are widely known. Which of these do you feel the most strongly about?

CSR activities have been part of our strategy for a long time. I believe that corporate social responsibility should be inextricably linked with the activities of big companies. For this reason, over the years, we have managed to implement more than one hundred initiatives in culture and the arts, health, education and sports. They are very important to us as a valuable way of spending leisure time and improving society’s health. We are also very aware of the need to protect our planet. We make sure that our development strategy, both on the corporate level and when it comes to our products, is balanced and implemented with utmost respect for the natural environment. As a company which feels the burden of ecological responsibility, we are also determined to look for alternative energy sources. We do our best to wisely manage resources. For example, 90% of the water we use is recycled in our manufacturing process. We have replaced existing capacitors, thus reducing electricity consumption by 50% at the plant. We are going PM

to develop further in terms of ecology. So we can say that we operate in many dimensions.

But essentially, the goal is to create a better space for living, which should be done on a number of levels.

What are your most important goals for next year?

This year we are celebrating the 25th anniversary of OKNOPLAST. We have managed to remain successful thanks to long-term planning. We usually set goals for more than a year ahead, and we set deadlines for individual stages. Our long-term goals are further automation and technological progress. This applies to process lines, logistics and products. We are going to take advantage of the capabilities of the new generation 5G network. But above all, the company is about people, which is why we want to streamline their work, to get rid of redundant activities, to reduce manual operations. To this end, we will use, among others, voice control technologies.

In this way, we will also assist drivers during the unloading process. And since we operate in diverse markets, we will adapt systems to select the language the operator uses. We are currently introducing these techniques in our plant, and the results are promising.

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And what’s your assessment of this year’s results?

I’m very happy with the results, which means that our business plans are set to be fully implemented, even though it’s probably too early to say. Very importantly, this has been a year marking our 25th anniversary, a year of celebrations involving all our groups which are so important to us. We have organised a picnic for our entire team, our family, a news conference, and an international event for business partners. We are going to have a Christmas Eve party. Without our team, our business partners, and without journalists who report on our activities, we would not be where we are now. We are looking forward to another twenty five years.

• PM

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PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY

TEAM EFFORT

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ITECH is a leading manufacturer of metal car seat frames. It is a part of the Volkswagen Group. The company, which was founded in 1998 in Polkowice, now has three manufacturing plants: in Polkowice, Głogów, and since 2016, in Września. It also operates a Research and Development Centre in Polkowice and Wrocław. Finished products are exported to many European Union countries, as well as Russia, China, South Africa and Argentina.

SITECH has been around for more than two decades. The first factory was built in Polkowice. The company’s dynamic activities prompted it to expand in 2003, when two more modern production halls and a warehouse were built. In order to carry out new projects, SITECH opened a second manufacturing plant in Głogów in 2013. In the same year, a Research and Development Centre was set up by SITECH in cooperation with Wrocław University of Technology to conduct research in the experimental area of structural metal testing. A prototype shop was also set up at the Polkowice plant. Another milestone for the company was the opening of the third manufacturing plant in Chocicza Mała near Września. Complete car seats for the new VW Crafter are made there. They are delivered Just in Sequence to the VW factory.

OWN DESIGN INNOVATION

SITECH is one of a handful of car seat component manufacturers whose products have been designed in the company's own R&D centres. Before the product reaches the customer, it goes through numerous stages of tests and implementation, followed by serial production. All SITECH serial products are regularly checked for strength, functionality, comfort, acoustics and performance in various weather conditions. All these tests are carried out at the company's headquarters in Polkowice, which guarantees safety and quality of the products. Technological innovations based on Industry 4.0 solutions are constantly being implemented.

NEW SOLUTIONS

The company focuses on new design solutions. It constantly develops its know-how and comes up with new products. Its strong team is the foundation of the organisation. Employees are the company's most valuable asset and a source of potential for the future. Thanks to their commitment, the company keeps growing and expanding its product line. The crew of nearly 2,000 includes many automotive industry specialists and experts.

To be able to introduce innovative solutions in the production of topclass car seats, and to keep up with the latest developments in technology and industry, SITECH implements new investment projects. In January,

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an expansion project of the Głogów plant got underway. A new production hall and a paint shop are to be built there. The machine park is constantly being developed. More and more new projects are implemented by the company, which requires new process lines.

RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS

SITECH is a socially responsible company. For a number of years it has encouraged employee volunteer involvement in pro bono activities to help those in need. SITECH volunteers take part in the nationwide Grand Orchestra of Christmas Charity. Every year, the company is involved in the Noble Gift campaign. And that is but a fraction of SITECH’s CSR activities.

The company’s business achievements in the field of sustainable development have also been recognised. SITECH has received numerous awards and honours. It has been among the finalists of the Responsible Companies Ranking for several years now. Last year, it won the CSR Silver Leaf prize in a "Polityka" magazine competition. The company is also a winner of the Human Resources Management Leader, the Ambassador of the Polish Economy and the Polish Business Leader titles. These awards highlight the company’s high standards maintained in the areas of HR, business and finances, CSR, and its care for products and their quality. •

PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY

THE CHALLENGE COMPANIES HAVE TO FACE IS IMPLEMENTATION OF LOGISTICS 4.0 IDEA KAROLINA TOKARZ, President, PROMAG SA, talks to “Polish Market.”

For over three years you have been president and chief executive officer of PROMAG. What have you managed to change in the company since you assumed the post?

Since I assumed the post of PROMAG’S president and CEO I have continued to dynamically develop the company, both in terms of what it offers and its infrastructure.

We have expanded our logistics centre, which now has a space of 24,000 sq m, and invested in the automation of our manufacturing plant. At the same time, we have considerably developed our competence in the area of automated intralogistics solutions, an example of which is the first application of our proprietary automated multideep pallet storage system AutoMAG Mover. The solution is designed to completely get rid of fork lifts, and consequently manual workers, from the goods storage and internal transport area, and increase the efficiency and safety of warehouse processes. The system allows for a very high rate of warehouse cube utilisation. With growing costs of industrial building maintenance, this is of great importance.

The AutoMAG Mover system responds to the Logistics 4.0 concept because, thanks to being connected by means of conveyors with production, it enables the full automation of warehouse transport processes. It is a proprietary system produced in Poland. Thanks to this solution, PROMAG SA has become the first Polish company which designs, produces, assembles and services fully automated warehouses.

PM

One of the biggest problems for people responsible for the storage of goods is the shrinking space. Space is increasingly scarce while land prices and needs are on the rise. How to solve this problem while avoiding a sharp increase in storage costs?

The answer to the growing land prices and costs of industrial building maintenance are solutions which make it possible to enhance storage density. One of the main trends in intralogistics now is the maximum utilisation of warehouse cube. Standard drive-in rack and warehouse bridge systems as well as automated systems – the AutoMAG Shuttle and AutoMAG Mover multi-deep storage systems are the solutions that we offer in this sphere. These solutions make it possible to increase storage capacity up to several times, which is translated into reduced costs of unit load storage. Additionally, the automated systems contribute to labour cost reductions, enhanced productivity and safety in the warehouse.

PM

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PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY

Automation is gaining momentum in the sector. What elements of Revolution 4.0 has PROMAG already embraced or will soon embrace?

PROMAG has popularised the idea of Revolution 4.0 for several years now through presentations called “Future Warehouse,” which is Poland’s only multimedia exhibition in the intralogistics sector, and a regular conference devoted to warehouse technologies. Additionally, we directly take part in implementing the idea of Logistics 4.0 in companies by supplying automated systemic solutions. Apart from the automated storage systems I have already mentioned, we offer our customers automated transport, picking and product identification systems.

The autonomous AIV Robotic vehicle with natural navigation is one of the elements of these systems.

PM

How are PROMAG staff members finding their feet in new technologies? What is your training system like?

Young people, who make up an overwhelming majority of our staff, are doing very well when it comes to new technologies.

Of course, we constantly develop our workers through training courses, visits to trade fairs and participation in conferences. I have to admit that there are few external training courses on this subject. They generally focus on main directions and trends. This is why we train ourselves within the company by carrying out new projects, sharing experience and analysing the technological environment and changes taking place in it.

PM

How are your customers coping with the constantly modernised range of solutions that you offer, given that they require new skills to operate the equipment?

The customers, just like us, are learning continuously, looking for inspiration and new solutions to streamline their businesses. This PM

is why the “Future Warehouse” Forum that we organise is enjoying growing popularity. The fifth edition of the Forum was held this year.

It brought together more than 200 managers interested in new technologies. The future of intralogistics in Poland in a dynamically changing environment and the place of man in the world 4.0 were discussed in speeches and practical demonstrations at the Forum.

It was pointed out that competencies of the employees will need to change and that new occupations will emerge, like for example coordinator of robotic work, simulation expert and specialist for system design and data processing. Companies are doing quite well when it comes to the acquisitions of hard skills by their employees, especially as many suppliers of modern solutions, like us, train people in operating the newly implemented systems. But the acquisition of soft skills – such as adaptation to change, flexibility and communication - doesn’t go that well.

Is education in Poland keeping up with the changes taking place in the logistics sector?

I have to admit that the education system is not keeping up with the changes. The existing educational model prefers narrow fields of specialisation. Meanwhile, Logistics 4.0 requires an interdisciplinary approach and combining knowledge and skills from several domains. At present, the combination of IT and engineering skills is particularly valuable.

Universities should also teach students how to acquire soft skills such as openness to change, cooperation and the ability to communicate.

PROMAG SA tries to support universities and secondary schools in the process of educating engineers and logisticians through a programme of student training and placements, workshops and study visits to “Future Warehouse.”

The future warehouse means the full integration of solutions in the area of automated storage, internal transport, palletisation, order picking and product identification in a single system where machines communicate with each other.

This communication allows them to take simple decisions without direct human involvement. Man plays the management role in this process, but it is machines rather than people that are managed.

How is it to work in a stereotypically male sector?

Many women now work in intralogistics so I think the stereotype of the sector being typically male no longer functions.

Additionally, my engineering education helps me in relations with employees and partners. It also makes it easier for me to take strategic decisions as regards the new technologies which we add to our product line and implement in our company.

PM

PM

PM

Could you describe the future warehouse?

What are your goals for coming months?

A goal for coming months is to improve our skills in the area of automated warehouse transport systems. This is why we have been investing in an experienced team of automation and robotics engineers, programmers and designers. And we do not give up on developing our traditional activity, which is the sale of warehouse equipment through our online store e-promag.pl and more than 100 advisers in our 10 branches in Poland. In coming months, we also plan to develop our exports. To this end, we will be taking part in the Logimat 2020 fair in Stuttgart. Last year, we significantly increased our production capacity thanks to investment in modern technology and infrastructure in our manufacturing plant. As a result, we are going to acquire new distributors for our products in Europe and continue our foreign expansion.

• PM

THE FUTURE WAREHOUSE MEANS THE FULL INTEGRATION OF SOLUTIONS IN THE AREA OF AUTOMATED STORAGE, INTERNAL TRANSPORT, PALLETISATION, ORDER PICKING AND PRODUCT IDENTIFICATION IN A SINGLE SYSTEM WHERE MACHINES COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER. 12/2019 polish market

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PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY

SBS GROUP

POLISH CAPITAL WITH GROWING POTENTIAL

The SBS Group was established in 2002. It is currently the largest homegrown sales network of plumbing, heating and installation articles. Our main customers are contractors from all over the country. The installation industry is part of a larger whole, the construction market, which has its ups and downs.

Despite this, our stable results allow the SBS Group to be a reliable player on the market. Our goal is to use the growing potential of both the Group and of the business environment.

www.grupa-sbs.pl

SŁAWOMIR MACIEJEWSKI, President, SBS Group ECONOMIES OF SCALE

In the acclaimed novel "Promised Land" by Władysław Reymont, about the rise of industry in the city of Łódź in the 19th century, three energetic young men of different backgrounds join hands to build their dream business. Łódź connotations are not accidental here. The SBS Group comes from the city. It is where it has its headquarters. In our case, several warehouse owners combined their potentials and set up a headquarters in Łódź to support the member companies in their daily activities in logistics, marketing and finance. The scale of these joint operations has paid off in terms of growing sales and multifaceted development.

The group now encompasses over 90 wholesalers, who are Partners of the SBS Group. This means a total of 180 sales points throughout Poland. This scale of operations is proof of the strength and effectiveness of the Group, whose potential keeps growing. This year we expect a record turnover of PLN 700 million. We are in the Top 10 of companies with the highest turnover in the Łódź region.

We cooperate with over 270 suppliers, among which are the largest companies operating in our industry.

A BLEND OF TRADITION AND MODERNITY

The companies which are members of the SBS Group are primarily family-owned enterprises with many years of tradition in

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WE ARE IN THE TOP 10 OF COMPANIES WITH THE HIGHEST TURNOVER IN THE ŁÓDŹ REGION. their respective regions. Their operation is mainly based on direct contacts with clients and many years of trust.

As part of integration activities, we jointly organise the SBS Group Trade Fair for our clients. Over a period of two days, more than 100 exhibitors and over 3,500 installers meet in one place at one time. Our fair is a highlight event of the industry. It takes place in Stryków near Łódź every two years.

As a Group, we operate the Integris + loyalty programme. We have three own brands: KELLER - a brand for professionals, NANOPANEL - a champion of good prices, and DELFIN - sanitary systems for the bathroom and kitchen. For three years, the Group has published the "SBS Group Magazine," in which

readers can find not only information about products, but also interviews with those involved in the industry and tips useful for company owners and managers.

STEADY GROWTH AND INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS

Despite very satisfactory results, the Group is committed to steady development. We set the bar higher and higher. In addition to consolidation, which constantly guides our efforts to strengthen our position on the market, digitisation is also important to us. In this area, we work, among others, on building a B2B platform which will improve communication with our clients.

The SBS Group is also a member of the Polish Association of Employers in the Heating, Sanitary, Installation, Air Conditioning and Ventilation Industries. This enables us to cooperate with other distribution networks in Poland to jointly build good practices and standards of joint operations.

MOVING UP

“Our presence in the Pearls of the Polish Economy ranking is very important to us. Five years ago we started out in the 16th place in the Big Pearls category. Now we are in the Top 5 of companies we value and admire. I’m sure that we will be able to achieve even more next year,” Sławomir Maciejewski, president of the SBS Group, said about the ranking.

•

OUT OF HOME TOGETHER

FOR 30 YEARS NOW

ams.com.pl

SCIENCE

POLAND’S BEST RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES The winners of the first competition in the Excellence Initiative - Research University Programme have been announced. The ten winning universities are going to receive considerable amounts of funding. However, those which did not make it to the Top 10 have no reason to feel left out, as they will also receive funding for development, although it will not be just as substantial.

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he results of the competition organised by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education were announced at a ceremony at the Kubicki Arcades in Warsaw on October 30. It was attended by the most eminent representatives of the Polish world of science, numerous foreign guests, as well as representatives of the jury headed by Prof. Lauritz Holm-Nielsen, chairman

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of the international team of experts coming from the science and higher education sector. Among invited guests was Jarosław Gowin, deputy prime minister and minister of science and higher education. Prof. Maciej Żylicz, chairman of a team which monitors the implementation of a reform of science and higher education in Poland, was also present at the ceremony.

SCIENCE The aim of the competition was to select and support universities which intend to achieve the status of a research university to compete with the best academic centres in Europe and the rest of the world. From among the 20 best Polish universities eligible to take part in the competition, an international team of experts selected 10. In the years 2020–2026 their funding will be increased by 10%. Other universities which took part in the competition, but did not make it to the Top 10, will also receive financial support a subsidy increase by 2%.

Poland’s 20 best universities qualified to take part in the first Excellence Initiative - Research University competition.

During the latest comprehensive assessment of research units, all of them met statutory requirements regarding the number of fields of study in which they conduct research activities. Another condition was that all of their fields of study should enjoy the positive assessment of the Polish Accreditation Committee.

THE WINNERS OF THE COMPETITION ARE: • UNIVERSITY OF WARSAW • GDAŃSK UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY • ADAM MICKIEWICZ UNIVERSITY IN POZNAN • STANISŁAW STASZIC AGH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN KRAKOW • JAGIELLONIAN UNIVERSITY • WARSAW UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY • MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF GDAŃSK • SILESIAN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY • NICOLAUS COPERNICUS UNIVERSITY IN TORUŃ • UNIVERSITY OF WROCLAW During the competition, each university presented an action plan for the coming years. The implementation of this plan will be subject to evaluation. The first mid-term evaluation will be carried out in 2023, and the final one in 2026. After this time, some of the universities will be able to obtain funding for the years 2027-2032. At least two universities which receive a negative assessment result, or find themselves at the bottom of the ranking following the evaluation, will not receive further funding. This will free up funds for universities or federations which win another edition of the Excellence Initiative - Research University competition. Scheduled for 2026, it will be addressed to those academic centres which did not receive funding in • the first competition.

OTHER UNIVERSITIES WHICH QUALIFIED FOR THE COMPETITION: • LODZ UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY • WROCLAW UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY • UNIVERSITY OF GDANSK • UNIVERSITY OF LODZ • MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF BIALYSTOK • MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF KAROL MARCINKOWSKI IN POZNAN • MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF LODZ • PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY OF NATIONAL EDUCATION COMMISSION IN KRAKOW • UNIVERSITY OF LIFE SCIENCES IN WROCLAW • UNIVERSITY OF SILESIA

JAROSŁAW GOWIN, deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Science and Higher Education (The ministry is a patron of the Pearls of the Polish Economy Gala).

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he outcome of the first competition, part of the Excellence Initiative- Research University Programme, is a key element of the four-year reform period of the Polish higher education system. It is one of the most important initiatives introduced by the Constitution for Science. It is also the crowning of several years of efforts to select research universities.

This formula makes it possible to say that there are no losers among the universities which took part in the competition.

All the twenty universities are winners. All participating institutions met the stringent criteria, related to the quality of scientific research and the diversification of their activities.

Discussions in the academic community show that all twenty universities have gained prestige thanks to the distinction of being able to participate in this programme.

In addition, the prospect of participating in the competition prompted many universities to analyse their own strengths and weaknesses.

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ECONOMY 4.0

SCIENCE FOR INNOVATIVE BUSINESS

The Center for Advanced Technology of the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań (CAT AMU) is a unique research unit on a national scale owing to its multidisciplinary structure. The Center brings together leading specialists in exact and natural sciences and engineering. It is focused on design and characterization of new materials and biomaterials for multiple applications. It is one of the few units in Poland that, thanks to the use of its analytical and technological equipment, in addition to conducting research, provides research services in the field of chemical analysis as well as optimization and technological developments for the needs of the SME sector.

A

s a multidisciplinary research and development and innovation (R&D&I) center, CAT AMU is creating all elements necessary for the effective transfer of knowledge, especially achievements of the Polish science and technology, to business practice.

EU PROJECT FOR THE REGION

The center was built as part of the European Union OPIE project (EUR 63 million - buildings and research infrastructure) entitled Wielkopolska Center for Advanced Technologies (WCAT), to serve the entire region. Its main goal is the implementation of R&D projects and the development of research programs in cooperation in specialized research services with companies and other research institutions.

In this way, the infrastructure of the Center, together with all its technical facilities and qualified staff, also serves to educate young researchers who attend doctoral, M.Sc. and B.Sc. studies at the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology of the Adam Mickiewicz University, and in the units of consortium members. The Center is a consortium that brings together five universities: the Adam Mickiewicz University, which is the Center coordinator, Poznań University of Technology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznań University of Medical Sciences and Poznań University of Economics; four institutes of the Polish Academy of Sciences (the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Plant Genetics, Human Genetics, and Molecular Physics), the Institute of Natural Fibres and Medicinal Plants, and the Poznań Science and Technology Park of Adam Mickiewicz University Foundation and the Poznań City Hall (as a supporting partner). The project is based on the research know-how and credibility of leading scientists, working in the key institutes of the Wielkopolska region.

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WCAT focuses on the synthesis, structure and applications of materials with specific, desired properties. The Center's long-term mission includes: (1) advanced chemical technologies and nanotechnologies of molecular and macro-molecular highly processed chemical substances, i.e. fine chemicals and hybrid materials with special applications, (2) advanced industrial, plant and medical biotechnologies; biotechnologies for the production of chemical and biochemical substances as well as therapies and diagnostics (including research on biopreparations and biopharmaceuticals).

With the Center’s active participation, the University is also a partner in the EPICUR consortium (European Partnership for an Innovative Campus Unifying Regions). It involves many European universities in the European Universities Initiative, which was set up under the slogan Building Universities of the Future.

RESEARCH PARTNER OF INNOVATIVE BUSINESS The Centre is an important link between fundamental and applied research focusing on the implementation of newly developed solutions.

Currently, a number of programmes implemented by the Center is based on cooperation with industry and aims to solve specific problems defined by companies, as well as to develop new technologies and high-tech materials they will be able to use.

“The synergy of science and business is a pillar of our activities, and this good form cooperation is still missing,” says prof. Bronisław Marciniak, Director of the Center for Advanced Technology, former rector of the Adam Mickiewicz University (2008-2016). “Having the status of a research university, we set up collaborative teams of scientists from various scientific disciplines, mainly in the areas of "applied chemicals and biochemicals", and at the same time we develop

ECONOMY

contacts with industry, so that projects integrated with the real needs of the modern economy are created,” he explains.

An integral part of the Center's infrastructure are facilities and technological equipment which are used for light chemical synthesis and processing of polymer and composite materials on a semiindustrial scale, and for the simulation of industrial processes. This combination of laboratory tests with the ability to scale up individual processes, allows companies to test technologies developed at the Center in a real process environment. Analytical laboratories provide research services based on the latest equipment, which covers a broad spectrum of parameters for the purposes of individual technologies, laboratories and research units. Advanced Adam Mickiewicz University equipment, which is located on the campus in Poznań, is available to both the scientific community and SMEs. The infrastructure of WCAT includes: chemical laboratories for synthesis of specialized additives for specific and precise purposes; facilities for processing and testing these additives; core facility characterizing the physico-chemical properties of the materials obtained; biotechnology laboratories which are crucial for biomaterial engineering and 3D printing, having one of the most modern animal houses in Poland. The animal house allows keeping animals in the SPF (Specific Pathogen Free) standard and is adapted for breeding small animals (rabbits, mice, rats).

“The Center integrates the scientific communities of the entire region,” emphasises prof. Bogdan Marciniec, former rector of the Adam Mickiewicz University and founder and the former WCAT director (2009-2017). “On the one hand, we are a source of scientific discoveries, on the other, we search for applications and translate discoveries into development studies. We have state-of-the-art equipment and installations at our disposal. We receive cooperation proposals from around the world. Potential US, European and Asian partners are keen to conduct research together with us, because we have great professionals,” he says.

ADDITIVE TECHNOLOGIES AND BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING The Center's activities since its establishment in 2016 showed the need to adapt the initially formulated assumptions to the currently adopted R&D&I policy of the country and the EU, with an indication of the need to move to higher levels of technological readiness. That is why the Center is currently developing the R&D&I infrastructure

for full functionality in the area of support and development of material technologies focused on additive technologies and biomedical engineering.

Additive technologies enable the processing of materials obtained by chemists, biologists and biotechnologists for the needs of medicine, robotics, mechatronics, engineering, prototyping and the space industry. Thus they form an interdisciplinary bridge which enables semi-industrial scaling in the field of materials sciences for 3D printing, composites, fillers and processing of polymers. For example, the animal testing facility studies the suitability of incrementally developed biomaterials, including bone, cartilage and joint structures for implants, and eventually 3D printing of body parts. A project is now being implemented at WCAT whereby liposuction fat is used to produce a meniscus implant.

The role of the Center is to provide support in the development of technology up to level 7 technological readiness (7 TRL), while maintaining a high level of fundamental research. Cooperation in these areas will make it possible to achieve new breakthrough competitive advantages, as incremental innovation is a field which is in an early development phase, thus offering opportunities for Polish R&D centers to become leaders on the national and international scale.

“We would like to invite all scientists and research workers who represent both small innovative companies, and international corporations, to cooperate with us. Our strengths are: a multidisciplinary approach, innovation, application studies and location on the Poznań university campus in the vicinity of the Faculties of Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Mathematics and IT,” says • prof. Bronisław Marciniak.

Adam Mickiewicz University Center for Advanced Technology Uniwersytetu Poznanskiego 10 61-614 Poznań Phone: +48 61 829 1885 czt@amu.edu.pl www.wcat.pl

Research and Request Contact: badania@WCAT.pl

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SCIENCE

ETHOS AND

INTERNATIONAL EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE IWONA THOMAS, founder and Business Director of the British School in Warsaw, talks to Maciej Proliński.

The British School, which you founded in 1992 in partnership with Nord Anglia Education, is one of the largest British schools in Poland.

The school’s role has not changed over time, but it goes beyond English teaching.

We are a unique educational institution, because we are part of a family of 66 schools from the Nord Anglia Education (NAE) group, with which we work together on a daily basis. The school was set up to meet the needs of the Warsaw education market in the initial period of Poland’s economic transformation. It played a very important role in this process, by providing good learning opportunities for children of contract workers who received jobs in Poland. The school offers education based on the British system and teaching ethos to families who value high standards and education in an international environment.

Thanks to our long-standing reputation and membership of a global organisation, we are able to employ the best teachers from around the world. The role of the school has been recognised by the British royal family and by the British government. HRH Prince Andrew and Prince Edward visited our school, and Queen Elizabeth II met with its students at the Royal Castle in Warsaw. In 2010 the Queen conferred on me the Order of the British Empire for my services in the field of British education. Over the past three decades or so, our school has grown and changed. Initially, there were just 38 students. Now the school has almost 1,200 students from about 70 countries. Classes are conducted in English, with special support for children whose mother tongue is not English in the form of the English as Additional Language programme. In fact, for most of the children in our school, English is a foreign language. Nevertheless, our students achieve great results.

PM

Can anyone enrol in the British School?

Yes, our school is open to all. We accept students without entrance exams and regardless of their proficiency level in English. We have two Warsaw branches in great locations. The Early Years Centre is situated in the district of Stary Mokotów, and a modern main campus is in the Sadyba district. Children aged 2.5 to 5 are admitted to the kindergarten, PM

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Iwona Thomas received the Order of the British Empire in 2010 for her services in the field of British education.

and those aged 6 to 18 attend the Primary and Secondary School. In primary and secondary school, the English National Curriculum forms the basis for teaching. In grades 10 and 11, there is a two-year programme to get students ready for the (I)GCSE exam (International General Certificate of Secondary Education). Once the students turn 16, in the last two years they continue their studies in line with the IB

PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY Diploma Programme. It is now considered the best programme for those who wish to go on to study at university level and pursue international careers. This programme is very popular and it greatly contributes to the school’s success.

“Polish Market” does its best to show that the distance between science, economy and culture should not be too great. Culture is something that brings us together, while at the same time celebrating diversity.

What place does culture occupy in the British School’s education system?

Of course, being immersed in the world of art supports a child’s development. In the British education system, the same high level of education is provided both in core subjects, and in sports activities and fine arts, including music, dance, theatre and graphic arts. Importantly, a child doesn’t need to be a virtuoso. It simply shouldn’t be afraid to play an instrument or sing. Our school works in collaboration with the Performing Arts school Juilliard, based in New York. This enables our music classes to be enriched with elements of a curriculum which has been specially designed for us. This sets our school apart from other schools. The school has a very active music department, including a school choir run by Jaime Gibson, Performing Arts Director. Additionally, the school is a certified Rock School and Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music examination centre in Warsaw. Performances by soloists, ensembles, the school orchestra and choir are very popular with students, parents and other Warsaw residents.

Apart from the Juilliard School, we work in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and UNICEF. Our cooperation with MIT enables us to introduce the innovative STEAM (Science, Technologies, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) method of teaching. The student doesn’t just acquire knowledge but is encouraged to give a creative input as an inventor and designer, thus learning to use these skills in everyday life. The British School is also active I supporting charity activities in Poland and in foreign countries through our Global Campus Programme such as Tanzania, where a large group of our students takes part in local community activities every year. Our students work closely with UNICEF on their Global Goals and as part of Model United Nations in New York.

In fact, the distance between the economy, education and culture shouldn’t be too great, because the two areas need constant support from the economy, and the economy always needs cultural inspiration. Art, culture, music PM

and technology thrive on creativity, they offer a broader view of the world and its complexities.

They make it easier to confront the challenges of the present day and of the future, and to make the right decisions in setting goals we want to reach. Students’ involvement in various projects and undertakings gives them a sense of togetherness, it teaches them team work, tolerance and acceptance. After all, we have no idea what new professions will await our students in 8-10 years’ time, so developing their ability to think independently and creatively is crucial for them and for the economy. The school’s global, multinational and open character, allows our students to enrich their educational experience with qualities which go far beyond the curriculum.

strongly connected with a sense of trust and togetherness. So let's go back to the British School Choir…

Our choir singers are children from different age groups. It is an amateur and open choir, so it’s not just for those with a musical ear. We are invited to various places, kids are happy to show what they already know and learn to perform in front of large and unfamiliar audiences. This year’s important and moving experience was a performance by the British School choir and orchestra at the Polish Radio Concert Hall in Warsaw. Over 300 students took part, performing works in various styles, from classical music to pop and jazz.

What’s the choir’s repertoire?

We are open to all kinds of music, it’s not just classical music. We have a lot of British works in our repertoire, but there are also Polish works. Tears of emotion and a beaming smile are the best reaction we can get from the audience. The human voice is, of course, a wonderful instrument. Its sound can express so much. Our motto is to speak from the heart to the heart. To speak in a language everyone understands. After all, music cuts across all • barriers.

PM

Culture is one of the best brand building vehicles. It is also one of the driving forces behind the progress of civilisation.

You’ve made a very good point. After all, our intellectual effort is our strongest asset in contacts with the outside world. If you think of something which is innovative and creative, first and foremost it’s the work of an artist.

PM

PM

Numerous studies show that singing relieves stress and anxiety, it is also

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SCIENCE

ROBOTISED PARCEL TERMINALS

THE FUTURE OF THE E-COMMERCE AND E-GROCERY SECTOR

Jakub Maksymowicz

NEW CHANCE FOR RETAIL TRADE In Poland the parcel delivery sector relies to a large extent on parcel lockers. A few years ago they revolutionised the market. Now, time is coming for another step because the e-commerce, convenience and e-grocery sectors continue to expand rapidly and have a lot to offer. The Retail Robotics company (formerly Aqmet) is working on solutions which may release and exploit their latent potential.

President of Retail Robotics Łukasz Nowiński, who has greatly contributed to the launch of the well-known chain of InPost parcel lockers in Poland, and the company’s marketing director Marek Piotrowski talk about the new undertakings. Retail Robotics’ flagship product will be ParcelHero, a robotised self-service parcel terminal. Based on Cartesian robots, the terminal will be installed in places where this has not been possible so far due to a shortage of space.

SPACE AND TIME OPTIMISATION “There is a shortage of floor space for parcel lockers, especially in large urban centres. An ideal solution are machines which occupy as little space as possible and are able to accommodate as many parcels as possible,” says Rafał Brzoska, president of the Integer.pl (owner of the InPost brand). “The answer to this problem are the robotised solutions which make use of vertical and non-retail space in shops.”

Small convenience stores, because of their omnipresence both in Poland and other countries, are potentially excellent parcel collection points. The ParcelHero terminal is revolutionary because it is to occupy only 0.5 sq. m. of retail space. “The rest of the machine will be placed over the shelves and behind them. There will be a robot inside the terminal handing out parcels. At present, no other solution optimising space in this way exists in the world,” says Marek Piotrowski.

ParcelHero will have room for up to 150 parcels. Thanks to two robots working

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simultaneously, it will be possible for a parcel to be dispensed even in less than five seconds.

The terminal, just like classic parcel lockers, will reduce the cost of “last mile delivery” by up to 90%. Apart from easy and fast brickand-mortar shopping, a convenience store will now also mean the ability to collect one’s online purchases at the same time. Łukasz Nowiński points out that the complexity of the project is a big challenge as it requires the involvement of local and global retail partners and courier companies dealing with e-commerce orders. “We have to deliver a technology which will meet all expectations and requirements. And there are a lot of them.

Luckily, we have many years of experience in the sector, which helps us considerably in our work. We develop most of the devices and software, including robots, on our own from scratch. This requires specialised staff and resources, which we have."

IMPORTANT MOMENT AND REBRANDING The company is at an important moment. “We are turning from a company manufacturing

classic InPost parcel lockers into a firm developing its own innovative terminals dedicated for the whole world, hence the rebranding and the change of the previous name to Retail Robotics,” says Marek Piotrowski, who is responsible for this process.

The company’s goal is to “unleash” retail trade by combining the advantages of the three fastest developing segments of the market - convenience, e-commerce and e-grocery – in the “convenience 3 in 1” concept. The innovative solutions cut retailers’ costs and increase their profits while at the same time offering convenience to users.

The new solutions of Retail Robotics focus not only on reducing last-mile delivery costs, but will also help reduce street traffic burdened with large numbers of vehicles serving e-commerce. Courier vehicles literally block the streets and pavements of Paris, London, New York and other cities.

The unveiling of the terminals developed

by Retail Robotics and the first pilot schemes are planned to take place in France, Poland • and Britain next year.

TRANSPORT

ECONOMY 4.0

PORT OF GDYNIA GROWING IN SIZE In addition to growing transhipment capacity, the Port of Gdynia is implementing projects which support sustainable development and incoming tourism. In October, work began on a new Public Ferry Terminal in Gdynia. But that is just the beginning. In August, Parliament adopted a law which will facilitate the construction of the Outer Port - a key investment project for the future of the port and of the city. In mid-November it was announced which entity will act as a transaction advisor in the public-private partnership process, without which it would be impossible to finance a number of investment projects.

T

he Port of Gdynia consistently develops warehouses and other logistical facilities. In recent weeks, the first of four planned high storage warehouses has been commissioned. The building found an occupant already at the construction stage.

Warehouse facilities are not the only investment projects which are being implemented. Port of Gdynia Authority (PGA) has much more ambitious plans, namely the construction of the Outer Port. “This strategic investment project requires an appropriate environment which will

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enable efficient handling of goods,” explains PGA President Adam Meller.

NEW WAREHOUSES, NEW TERMINAL

Recently put into operation, the modern high-storage warehouse is one of the key elements of what is known as the Intermodal Logistics Centre in the West Port. Over an area of 30,000 square metres, in addition to warehouses, there also will be storage yards and road and rail infrastructure.

“Investment in this area of the port is part of the Port of Gdynia

ECONOMY

THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE PUBLIC FERRY TERMINAL IN GDYNIA IS PRIMARILY IMPLEMENTED IN RESPONSE TO THE STEADILY GROWING PASSENGER TRAFFIC AND TRADE WITH SCANDINAVIA. Strategy 2027. Our goal is to create favourable conditions for the development of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T)”, says Adam Meller.

The warehouse with a height of 10.5 m is intended for the storage of highly processed general cargo in packaging.

Interestingly, the roof structure of the warehouse is modern enough to install photovoltaic panels over its entire surface. The first transport handled at the new facility included containers loaded with the biggest government-funded humanitarian aid consignment: 22 tonnes of medical supplies bound for Zambia, to be used in 18 medical facilities run by Polish missionaries.

But that is not all.

FERRY LINKS

In October a cornerstone was laid for the construction of a new Public Ferry Terminal in Gdynia. The project includes a ferry terminal with a floor space of 30,000 square metres. and a warehouse of 7,000 sq. m., the modernisation of quays with a length of about 600 metres, and the development of storage yards and car parks with a total size of 65,000 sq. m. In addition, the general contractor, DORACO, is to build a railway track to connect quays, and to develop the road system. This investment project will enable the port to increase the number of ferries it receives, and facilitate the turning of ferries up to 240 metres long, which will reduce the time of a ship's call at the port. The project is primarily implemented in response to the steadily growing passenger traffic and trade with Scandinavia.

OPPORTUNITY FOR URBAN GROWTH

The new terminal, which is situated next to the Marshal Piłsudski basin, will be well connected to the most important local and national roads, part of the sixth transport corridor of the TEN-T network. According to representatives of the Port of Gdynia Authority, this project is a milestone in the development of the city and Poland. It is strategic for the further intensification of traffic on the Gdynia - Karlskrona Baltic sea motorway, which is used by over half a million passengers every year. Both the port and the city of Gdynia will benefit from the new terminal. “More ferries carrying more passengers will be beneficial for the development of

local tourism and related industries. Our investment project is set to generate more revenues for us as a company and for the state budget. We want to continue to develop the idea of the Poland-Scandinavian sea motorway as part of the TEN-T corridor,” assures Adam Meller. The project is valued at approx.

PLN 235 million, including PLN 116.8 million coming from EU funds. The new terminal will welcome the first passengers in mid-2021.

A new Public Ferry Terminal in Gdynia

STRATEGIC DESIGN

The dynamic growth of transhipments in Polish seaports clearly shows that it is necessary to invest in the development of infrastructure. The lack of space to further develop the port has become a major challenge, which is why the Port of Gdynia Authority is planning to build a deep-water Outer Port on an artificial extension based on existing quays.

Thus, the area of the entire port will increase by approx. 152 hectares. Its reloading capacity is to grow by 2.5 million TEU. According to PGA, the new facility jutting out into the sea is an opportunity for the port to develop dynamically and to maintain a competitive edge and high position on the port services market in the Baltic region.

A new Act on investment in the construction of outer ports (Journal of Laws 2019, item 1924) adopted by Parliament in August, provides the legal framework for the project. Its purpose is to make it easier to expand existing seaports. The new regulations are crucial for the pace and efficiency of project implementation. This is particularly important since the port of Gdynia has run out of space to grow. According to estimates by the Ministry of Maritime 12/2019 polish market

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ECONOMY 4.0

THE DYNAMIC GROWTH OF TRANSHIPMENTS IN POLISH SEAPORTS CLEARLY SHOWS THAT IT IS NECESSARY TO INVEST IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF INFRASTRUCTURE.

A satellite view of a new Public Ferry Terminal in Gdynia

Economy, without the new act, the investment preparation process would take seven years, but this time can now be cut to three to four years.

“The construction of the Outer Port is the biggest investment project in the modern history of the Port of Gdynia. Its goal is to increase the transhipment capacity and strengthen the competitive edge of the Port of Gdynia in the Baltic Sea region,” emphasises Adam Meller. “We must constantly invest to develop port infrastructure which will meet the requirements of ship-owners and individual terminals,” he adds.

PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP

The Outer Port is a huge investment project, which means that the best solution to implement it is to forge a publicprivate partnership (PPP) in order to pool resources. On November 15, the Port of Gdynia Authority and the Ministry of Investment and Economic Development announced that a transaction advisor had been selected. Experts will be recruited from a group of three bidders who submitted a joint offer: Ernst & Young, Domański Zakrzewski Palinka and WYG INTERNATIONAL. The team is to offer consulting services on economic, financial, legal and technical issues.

“By expanding the port, we will become even more efficient in terms of our ability to generate revenue. The success of the project hinges on the implementation method and commitment of all parties. By opting for the formula of publicprivate partnership, we have picked the most economically and business-friendly way of implementing this investment project. We will generate up to PLN 4 billion for the state budget through the operation of the Outer Port," comments PGA vice president Maciej Bąk.

The Port of Gdynia operates in line with the provisions of the national Strategy for Responsible Economic Development.

One of its goals is for investments to account for 25 % of the GDP. To achieve this goal, the Polish economy needs different sources and methods of financing. The PPP formula is one of them.

COMPETITIVE EDGE

In addition to the construction of the Outer Port, plans for the nearest future include the commissioning of a new turntable,

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modernisation of quays, deepening of the deepwater channel to 16 metres, and of the approach fairway to 17m.

The deepening of the fairway and internal basins of the Port of Gdynia, and the modernisation of the quays, are to increase the competitive edge. Vessels up to 400 meters in length and a draught of up to 14.7 meters, will be able to call at the port.

Container ships with a capacity of up to 14,000 TEU will be unloaded in the container basin. The project implementation cost is estimated at over PLN 450 million, including PLN 273 million of EU funding The development of seaports requires good road and rail infrastructure to provide access to quays, storage yards and warehouses. The port has acquired funding for this purpose.

On June 24 a contract to the tune of PLN 1.5 billion was signed for a project entitled "Improving the infrastructure of railway access to the Port of Gdynia." Out of the total cost, a sum of PLN 600 million comes from EU funds.

The development strategy includes plans to increase the share of rail transport to at least 40%. To achieve this target, the railway system leading to the container part of the port needs a complete overhaul. Construction is underway of a rail traffic control system, an overhead power supply network and replacement of existing tracks. The project, worth almost PLN 60 million, has received some PLN 20 million of European Union funding.

GREEN TECHNOLOGIES

The Port of Gdynia does not just implement projects which will enable it to receive larger vessels. It also cares for sustainable development and the environment. As of this year, green LNG refuelling is available on preferential terms. “By providing access to one of the cleanest fuels available on the market, the Port of Gdynia has found itself among a group of green ports within the TEN-T core network. According to the directive on the development of alternative fuel infrastructure, by the end of 2025 at the latest, Polish seaports are obliged to provide this type of service,” says Adam Meller.

On its way toward becoming a green port, the PGA has signed a declaration on the establishment of the Pomeranian Hydrogen Valley initiative, which is coordinated by the Cluster of Hydrogen Technologies and Clean Coal Technologies. The port and its partners have decided to cooperate in several key areas. They intend to make hydrogen fuel available for use in onshore and offshore public and freight transport, and to develop the technical infrastructure of port services. In the future, the Port of Gdynia also intends to support research and development work in Pomerania. There is a good chance that the Port will become involved in hydrogen technologies. •

TRANSPORT

ELECTRIC RALLYCROSS

CARS

British motorsport legends are raving about the debut of a revolutionary Polish electric car in a rallycross event.

PRZEMYSŁAW ROZMYSŁOWICZ, one of the vehicle’s designers, talks to Joanna Laskowska.

What are the origins of the ELIMEN electric car brand?

In 2008, we began to develop the concept of electric car conversion. We have converted vans, passenger cars, boats and motorboats.

We have also developed an electric motor for a cruise ship twice in our career. The experience thus gained has allowed us to more accurately determine the best ways to perform the task. We also began to evolve to become a provider of technological solutions.

PM

At what stage is the implementation of the zero-emission electric car project?

We now have all the software necessary to manufacture an electric car. We have developed an electronic system which controls batteries and their charging. We are planning to provide modular rapid charging systems. We've built a prototype of a last mile vehicle based on a composite structure.

We have also built a mobile platform, on the basis of which the vehicle was developed in partnership with Poczta Polska under the Scaleup programme.

PM

What new technologies have been used?

Firstly, ultra-light composites. We use the latest solutions in manufacturing and strengthening of the composite structure.

Secondly, we use brushless BLDC motor technology as a key feature. We have developed the entire battery control system from scratch.

PM

What are the advantages of a composite structure?

Given the vehicle size and load capacity, it is a much lighter structure compared to a conventional car. It allows you to travel longer distances while consuming less energy.

The implementation of this kind of selfsupporting structure is many times cheaper than the use of steel structures. More than a dozen composite components are riveted together and glued to the vehicle body. That’s why the car is characterized by very high rigidity.

PM

How far can you go on a single charge?

It depends on the battery pack. In the basic version the range is 80-100 km, but it can go up to 300 km if the right batteries are installed. Power for a 100 km drive costs about 1.5 euros.

PM

What’s the maximum speed?

We have assumed that the vehicle would perform best at a speed of 80-90 km/h.

Having analysed traffic in urban areas, we found out that exceeding 60 km/h is completely uneconomical.

PM

How long does it take to charge the vehicle?

Using a rapid external charger, it takes about 30 minutes to reach 80% of the battery’s capacity. Using an ordinary socket, about 8 hours is needed to charge the largest battery.

When are the first such cars going to roll down the streets?

We are soon going to deliver the first vehicles to customers both at home and abroad.

A van will be available in two body versions.

It will be adapted to serve various sectors, for instance a courier service. In addition, it will serve as a base for a number of public transport vehicles.

PM

Innovative electric racing cars have entered the rallycross circuit. How well do they perform?

There are two types of motors with a maximum power of 300 and 450 HP. This allows us to build a 300 or 450 HP rear-wheel drive car, and a 500 or 650 HP four-wheel car.

We have also designed a racing car battery. In motorsport we are working in two parallel directions. One is what are known OPEN N group cars, with a very wide range of structural changes. In this group we have a vehicle based on Ford Fiesta. We also work on electric vehicles produced in series, based on Fiat 500.

PM

PM

The future belongs to electric cars. Are you ready for it?

Yes. We are a very well prepared pioneer.

PM

What about rallycross?

Daniel Śliwka, the co-creator of the vehicle and I, have never had any doubt that electric cars will become part of the rallycross circuit.

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TRANSPORT

FUTURE REGIONAL AIRPORT HUB –

PROGRESS REPORT

Preparatory works to launch construction work on Poland’s central airport and transport hub are scheduled to start by the end of this year. What is the scope of the planned work?

Our goal is to efficiently plan, design and ultimately build a new airport between the cities of Warsaw and Łódź which will be easy to reach by high-speed trains. That is a lot of work. We assume that preparatory works won’t be completed by the end of this year, however some important milestones will have been reached. In November, we began an important procedure of selecting a strategic advisor for the hub from among managers of the world's largest airports. We have sent out invitations to a technical dialogue to a group of airports, which were carefully selected based on the volume of passenger traffic, operational parameters and experience in the construction or expansion of airports, as well as consulting on projects of a comparable scale. At the same time, we are nearing the end of consultations with over 130 business partners on the project’s provisions and parameters.

Meanwhile, airlines from around the world are reviewing the Solidarity Airport project within the framework of the ACC (Airport Consultative Committee) which we have established jointly with IATA (International Air Transport Association).

The ensuing Strategic Brief will form the basis for work on the airport’s Master Plan, which we are going to commission in mid-2020. It will include, among others: air traffic estimates, airport dimensions and the location of the planned Solidarity Transport Hub Poland infrastructure, details of construction stages and the final business model of the new airport.

PM

PIOTR MALEPSZAK, acting CEO of the Solidarity Transport Hub, talks to Jerzy Mosoń.

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TRANSPORT

STH Terminal. Concept of Chapman Taylor

Do you already know what the hub will look like?

During the first stage, we are planning to build two runways along with the necessary infrastructure, which should be enough to serve up to 45 million passengers a year. However, we are making provisions for the future. If market demand proves to be higher, we are planning to expand the airport by adding two additional runways.

The initial hub concept also includes a system of taxiways, aprons, passenger, cargo and general aviation terminals, a railway station integrated with the airport, car parks, and roads.

PM

When are you planning to start work on infrastructure construction? What will be the starting point?

Construction is scheduled to start once planning work has been completed, permits required by law have been obtained, and land has been acquired. We will announce a detailed schedule after the government’s approval of the Long-term Programme.

PM

THE SOLIDARITY AIRPORT HUB PROJECT PROMISES TO PAY OFF. ACCORDING TO A PWC REPORT PUBLISHED IN APRIL, THE POLISH AVIATION MARKET HAS ONE OF THE LARGEST GROWTH POTENTIALS IN EUROPE. One of the biggest challenges is the expansion and adaptation of rail infrastructure. What will it consist of?

Which regions will benefit the most in terms of access and what speeds will the trains travel at?

As a part of the railway project, we update and draft documentation to be submitted for environmental and location studies, as well as for future design work. The starting point will be the Warsaw - Solidarity Transport Hub - Łódź high-speed railway line. About 140 km of new tracks will need to be laid. Trains will travel on this route at speeds of up to 250 km/h, therefore they will reach the STH PM

from Warsaw in 15 minutes, and from Łódź in 25 minutes. Next, the line will be extended, forking out towards the cities of Wrocław and Poznań. We call it the Y-line. At the same time, we plan to build an extension of the existing central railway from Żyrardów to the Solidarity Transport Hub, and on towards Płock, Włocławek, Grudziądz, and Gdańsk in the future. The hub is an investment project whose indispensable part is the largest railway construction programme in Poland in over 40 years. It provides for the construction of over 1,600 km of new lines from Warsaw and the hub, radiating in 10 directions from the hub. They will put the 12/2019 polish market

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TRANSPORT

Terminal STH Terminal. Concept of KPF

new airport within easy reach of two thirds of Poland's inhabitants- those who live in big cities and those from smaller towns. The key assumption is for trains to connect the majority of large Polish cities with the airport and Warsaw in less than 2.5 hours.

Is Poland planning to invest a lot in its railways?

Preparations for a number of projects are underway. For example, we are getting ready to build a rail link to Jastrzębie-Zdrój in Silesia. With a population of 90,000, it is the largest urban centre in Poland with no rail access. We have obtained initial funding for this investment project under the EU CEF (Connecting Europe Facility) Programme.

The Solidarity Transport Hub is winding up local consultations on specific solutions and train routes, which have already taken place in all regional capitals. The voice of local communities will also be taken into account at the environmental assessment stage, after which the route will be approved. In December we will sign contracts for technical standards for the design of high-speed railway lines, along with the first framework

DURING THE FIRST STAGE, WE ARE PLANNING TO BUILD TWO RUNWAYS ALONG WITH THE NECESSARY INFRASTRUCTURE, WHICH SHOULD BE ENOUGH TO SERVE UP TO 45 MILLION PASSENGERS A YEAR.

PM

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agreements for environmental assessments on selected sections of new railway lines.

Until now, investment projects on such a scale have never been implemented in Poland. At the same time, this country lacks managers and engineers who would have experience in working on similar projects. Is it going to be necessary to recruit foreign specialists for the purpose?

It is impossible to carry out an intermodal investment project of this scale by solely relying on local specialists. When it comes to both airport and rail infrastructure, we are developing cooperation with experienced foreign entities that act in an advisory capacity to the STH. This is why our strategic advisor is also a manager of one of the world's PM

largest hubs. Contracting definitely promises to be a challenge, but Polish contractors will have plenty of time to get ready before largescale tenders are announced.

The construction of the airport is an opportunity for Polish enterprises. The trouble is that it is currently difficult to find Polish manufacturing companies with an advanced aviation portfolio and necessary technologies. Will Polish enterprises have enough time to get ready for this project, or are you going to focus on experienced foreign companies?

Our goal is to involve as many Polish contractors as possible. One example is to secure the production of rolling stock.

Trains with a maximum speed of 250 km/h, PM

ORGANIC FOOD

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TRANSPORT

capable of operating under various power systems, will be needed for the new railway lines. We discuss technical issues with the National Centre of Research and Development to see how well the Polish companies are prepared to design and build rolling stock, as well as related infrastructure of required specifications for the railway component of the STH. Polish companies with foreign support will be able to cope with new challenge, if we adequately define the terms of cooperation, The whole industry can benefit from well-established partners by gaining new skills and technologies.

Under the most optimistic scenario, the Solidarity Airport will be ready in 2028.

But by this time the world will have moved on in terms of technology and the needs will be different from present needs. How much forward planning does it involve, not to end up with an outdated airport ten years from now?

As an investor, we are open to all new technologies. We will consider their application as soon as we assess their suitability for the project. Our assumption is that the concept, design, and implementation of the hub will make it possible to include innovative solutions, as long as they are PM

STH Terminal. Concept of Zaha Hadid Architects

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technologically and financially viable. To give you an example: companies involved in hyperloop studies are involved also in our strategic consultations.

In the event of an economic slowdown, big infrastructure projects, such as the Solidarity Transport Hub, are often put on a back burner. How big a risk for the project is posed by economists' warnings that the Polish economy is in for a slowdown?

Speaking of a hypothetical crisis, the Solidarity Transport Hub is meant as a driving force for the Polish economy, as one of the opportunities to overcome it.

According to Baker McKenzie economists, the construction of the Solidarity Transport Hub will bring Poland a significant increase in GDP. The new airport will be used by passengers from neighbouring countries, which should contribute to the development of the entire region. The Private Investor Test carried out for the future airport by the EY group shows that the expected return on the airport part of the investment should exceed 10%, which means that the project will pay off. According to a PwC report published in April, the Polish aviation market has one of the largest growth potentials in Europe.

PM

COMPANIES INVOLVED IN HYPERLOOP STUDIES ARE INVOLVED ALSO IN OUR STRATEGIC CONSULTATIONS.

According to conservative estimates, directly and indirectly, the hub will bring Poland approximately 150,000 new jobs - from the simplest to the most highly specialized ones.

During an IATA summit in Warsaw in October, the head of the organization, Alexandre de Juniac said that additional airport capacity is urgently needed in Poland and the rest of Europe. Let me add, that since we have a convenient location for the airport between the cities of Warsaw and Łódź, and there is a big demand for the new airport and railway infrastructure, it seems obvious that there has never been a better time for such a revolution in transportation.

•

MEDICINE

FUTURE OF RAILWAYS STARTS IN POLAND

F

all 2019 was particularly fortunate for the Polish railway sector.

The demonstration of a prototype in a 1:5 scale of magrail technology, a modern transport system developed by Hyper Poland, may be recognised in the future as a turning point in history.

Magrail is a magnetic rail system that takes advantage of existing conventional rail transport corridors. Both conventional trains and magnetically levitating vehicles can use the same railway track interchangeably.

The magrail system can be fully integrated with existing rail infrastructure without the need to make additional changes to the existing rolling stock. On railway lines, where trains can move up to 160 kph magrail vehicles can reach speeds twice as high due to the use of magnetic levitation, an electromagnetic linear motor, special tilting mechanism along with relatively low height and the low mass of the magrail vehicles.

The construction of Hyper Poland’s demonstrator enabled successful testing of the following subsystems: 1. levitation and propulsion, 2. electromagnetic compatibility, 3. electronics, 4. mechanics.

The implementation of the magrail system - and at a later stage also hyperrail - will be beneficial not only for the railway sector. The aviation industry is also becoming increasingly interested in utilizing this innovative transportation technology. Besides a huge potential to optimize logistics on airport facilities, environmentally harmful and commercially challenging short-haul flights are potential areas for the implementation of the magrail system.

Already today, cooperation between airlines and railway companies is creating synergies between the two industries.

Lufthansa, together with Deutsche Bahn, in 2018 developed Lufthansa Express Rail, an efficient and attractive train connection to Frankfurt Airport from 14 German cities (Cologne, Aachen, Freiburg, Dortmund, and Stuttgart among others). Polish companies are paving the way for this kind of solution as well. At the end of this year, PKP Intercity, together with LOT Polish Airlines, will offer a train connection between Warsaw Chopin Airport and Łódź. In 2017 Poland’s government announced a plan to build new intercontinental air-rail hub between Warsaw and Łódź, as well as 1600 kilometers of new high-Speed lines linking the hub with all main cities in Poland. The ultimate goal is to substitute operationally complex

short-haul flights by efficient, comfortable rail connections directly to/ from city centers. In the future, ultrafast magrail connection may also become the fastest and most convenient mode of transport between main hub pairs, like Frankfurt and Munich, Paris and Amsterdam or Warsaw and Budapest.

Thus, it’s not only in the railway sector’s interest to support the advancement of the technology developed by Hyper Poland.

Thanks to the results obtained during tests in Warsaw, Hyper Poland can more efficiently design individual subsystems of a full-size system. In the second half of 2020, in cooperative with the Polish Railway Institute, these Polish engineers will begin the construction of a full-size test track of the magrail system. The first pilot projects are planned for 2022/23.

Hyper Poland has received a grant of EUR 3.8 million from the National Center for Research and Development. Additionally, they collected over 150% of investment sought (450 investors from 30 countries) during the equity crowdfunding campaign on the Seedrs platform. In 2019, moreover, Transfer Multisort Elektronik became a Strategic Partner of Hyper Poland.

Hyper Poland has been classified on Lufthansa Innovation Hub’s list of 150 most promising mobility startups, among Uber, Lime, and the Boring Company, to name a few. The demonstration was also supported by TWERD. And last but not least, Hyper Poland is one of the beneficiaries of global initiative Microsoft for Startups. The startup will open its second round of funding on Seedrs at the beginning of next year.

Hyper Poland’s highly skilled team is fully determined to change the future of rail transport for better. So far, they have shown that they are on the right track to become one of the European unicorns in the mobility • industry.

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REGIONS

GREENER

DEVELOPMENT PAWEŁ MAKUCH, Mayor of the Warsaw satellite town of Pruszków, talks to “Polish Market” Editor-in-Chief Krystyna Woźniak – Trzosek.

Pruszków is developing in business terms, which is bound to have adverse effects for the natural environment. What do you do to let local residents live in a more pleasant environment?

In view of new investment projects, and the desire to improve the quality of life of local residents, while increasing the aesthetic value of the commune, Pruszków pays special attention to expanding its green and recreational areas. Under the Priority Axis II of the Infrastructure and Environment Operational Programme 2014-2020, Measure 2.5, Improving the Quality of the Urban Environment, Pruszków has obtained funding for the implementation of a project entitled "Improving the quality of the environment through comprehensive development of green areas." As part of the project, greenery has been planted along Wojska Polskiego Avenue from Działkowa Street to the Utrata River, Plantowa and Pogodna Street, and the Anielin West park PM

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was laid out. Outdoor workout infrastructure, including workout equipment for seniors, was installed. A basketball court was modernised. A volleyball court and a track for roller skaters were built. New lighting and park benches were provided. Among investment projects completed in the past few years are a playground on Broniewskiego Street, landscaping of the Mickiewicza Street area, an outdoor gym in the Mazowsze Culture and Recreation Park, and a revitalised public space on Tadeusza Street. In addition, Pruszków is currently implementing projects such as a playground on Zdziarska Street, a sensory park at Wapienna Street, a brine graduation tower in Kościuszki Park, and the revitalisation of the Pani Latter Street area which will feature sports facilities, an open-air lending library, revolving deckchairs, wooden terraces and walking paths. Over 100 trees and 400 bushes were planted in October and November alone.

REGIONS

PRUSZKÓW HAS OBTAINED FUNDING FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A PROJECT ENTITLED "IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF THE ENVIRONMENT THROUGH COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT OF GREEN AREAS."

The more people use public transport, the less harmful emissions into the atmosphere. In what way does Pruszków support this policy?

The municipality does its best to curb pollution coming from private car use by encouraging residents to use public transport trough subsidised tickets. At the same time, a network of cycle paths and bicycle parking facilities is being developed. Two Park and Ride car parks have been built on Waryńskiego and Sienkiewicza Streets, and two more are planned on Sadowa and Pawia Streets.

PM

You have also introduced the Pruszków Resident Card.

What are its benefits, and how is it different from the Pruszków Big Family Card?

The Pruszków Resident Card is issued to residents who live in the commune and pay taxes there. It entitles the holder to a series of discounts offered in conjunction with programme partners. The user can buy cheaper public transport tickets in Greater Warsaw zones 1 and 2. The difference is covered by the municipality. The Resident Card is issued by the municipality to all residents regardless of age, and is valid for a period of three years. The Large Family Card is issued to families with children under 21. Detailed information can be found on the www.pruszkow.pl website at the following links: www.pruszkow.pl/mieszkancy/ pruszkowska-karta-mieszkanca/ and www.pruszkow.pl/ mieszkancy/rodzina/karta-duzej-rodziny/.

PM

PM

The trend toward greener energy sources is not only a fad, it is a necessity. What clean energy programmes does Pruszków support?

The municipality subsidises the replacement of old coalfired stoves. 75% of equipment and installation costs up to a sum of PLN 8,000 is refunded. Coal-fired installations are replaced with energy-efficient gas, oil and biomass-fired boilers. The municipality participates in the priority Clean Air programme under an agreement with the Provincial Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management in Warsaw. It provides for grants and preferential loans for installing heat pumps, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery and photovoltaic installations. Residents are informed on the municipal website about other clean energy programmes, such as the government My Electricity programme, where residents are direct beneficiaries.

Many large Polish cities, including nearby Warsaw, are struggling with waste management. In what way is this problem solved by the Pruszków municipality?

A new system of collecting municipal waste has been in force in Pruszków since July 2017. Paper, plastics, metals, glass, biodegradable waste, including bio-waste and other mixed municipal waste, are collected separately. There is a selective municipal waste collection point where residents can deposit hazardous waste, bulky and construction waste up to 1,000 kg per year per household, as well as used tires (8 a year), ashes, textiles, waste electrical and electronic equipment and biodegradable waste. In addition, bulky waste is also collected directly from the owner on the first Thursday of the month following prior notification. Between October 1 and April 30, ash is collected on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month. Electro-waste of larger dimensions is collected on the second and fourth Saturday PM

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REGIONS

of the month. An electrical waste point was set up next to the town hall in October, where residents can dispose of used batteries, cables, chargers and toners. Another disposal point is to be opened soon. A significant increase in the cost of waste management has been caused by new obligations imposed on municipal waste collection installations, an increase in the cost of waste storage, rising cost of fuel and falling prices of recycled materials obtained from processed municipal waste. On 1 August 2019, the municipal waste collection fees for a Pruszków municipality household increased from PLN 12 to PLN 17 per person per month, if the waste is segregated and collected on the property, and from PLN 21 to PLN 28 per person if the waste is not segregated.

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A municipal apiary was established in Pruszków earlier this year. Where did the idea come from? How many bees live in the new hives?

Pruszków was declared a bee-friendly municipality in 2018. The idea of establishing our own apiary is part of a larger programme, which includes the planting of plant species bees thrive on, including what we call flowering meadows. The Pruszków apiary consists of eight families, which between them number 200,000 bees. The programme has been enthusiastically received by local residents. A series of beekeeping picnics has been organised. Such activities are conducive to biodiversity and are particularly important in densely built-up areas.

• PM

T

he great Dutch painter and graphic artist, considered one of the greatest painters in history, is sometimes called the painter of the soul. He mastered the chiaroscuro technique to perfection, using it to make his works look more dramatic and to heighten their mood.

He was inspired by motifs taken from the Bible and Greek myths, but he also painted genre scenes, landscapes and numerous portraits, including many self-portraits. The exhibition at the Royal Castle promises to be an unmissable opportunity to experience so many of his works in one place at one time. During the Rembrandt Year, the Royal Castle also celebrates the 25th anniversary of a unique gift by Prof. Karolina Lanckorońska (1898-2002). This art historian, activist of the Polish expatriate community in Italy, and the last descendant of the Lanckoroński aristocratic family, decided to donate two famous paintings by the Dutch master, "Girl in a Picture Frame" (1641) and "Scholar at His Writing Table" (1641) to the Royal Castle in Warsaw, where they can now be admired. At the exhibition, visitors will be able to learn more not just about the paintings themselves, but also about their extraordinary history, as well as their popularity over the centuries.

The focal point of the exhibition will of course be the two famous paintings. The first part of the show will be devoted to the history of both works. Portraits of Polish collectors who used to own Rembrandt paintings, will also be shown. A special place among them is occupied by Prof. Lanckorońska.

The "Scholar at His Writing Table" and "Girl in a Picture Frame" originally belonged to the private collection of Poland’s last king Stanisław August Poniatowski. They were both purchased in 1777. The king’s nephew, Prince Józef Poniatowski, heir to the throne, inherited them after the king’s death. The paintings were acquired from him by Kazimierz Rzewuski and then passed through several aristocratic families, ending up in the possession of the Lanckoroński family. The family owned one of the most significant art collections in Europe. In 1994, Prof. Lanckorońska donated 13 works to the Royal Castle in Warsaw which are currently displayed in three rooms on the ground floor.

In one of the rooms, the two glass-encased Rembrandt paintings are on show. In the room you can also find large X-ray images of the paintings. The second part of the exhibition is devoted to 18th and 19th century copies of works by Dutch masters. These include paintings, prints and miniatures,

testifying to the popularity of the original works, and showing how differently the same image may look depending on the technique and scale which have been used. The final part of the exhibition, which consists of 31 prints and 3 drawings by Rembrandt from other Polish Collections, places the two paintings held in the castle’s collection in a broader context. In this part of the exhibition you will find studies of the figures of women, older people and scholars, as well as Rembrandt's self-portraits and images of • his closest relatives.

MEDICINE

MEDICINE

MEDICINE, SCIENCE, CARDIOLOGY FUTURE CHALLENGES

PROF. KRZYSZTOF J. FILIPIAK, former deputy rector of the Medical University of Warsaw (WUM) for Internationalization, Promotion and Development 2016-2019, and president of the Polish Hypertension Society, talks to “Polish Market.” Prof. Filipiak is also chairman of the Medical Sciences Council at the Medical University of Warsaw, and a medical practitioner at the WUM UCK Clinical Hospital on Banacha Street in Warsaw.

You currently serve as the head of an organisation which brings together Polish specialists in the treatment of hypertension. Hypertension is the most important risk factor in the development of cardiovascular diseases, according to the World Health Organisation. It is the main cause of premature deaths in the world. Does technological progress bring hope for a cure for hypertension?

Unfortunately, hypertension is an incurable disease, but it is generally easy to control when the patient regularly takes prescribed drugs. You usually need to take drugs for the rest of your life, they are well tolerated. They not only provide blood pressure control, but also prevent heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure and retinal vascular disease. Hypertension is worth treating, it is worth talking about, because 10 million Poles suffer from it. Normal blood pressure is below 140/90 mmHg - and that's how we define hypertension in Poland and PM

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the rest of Europe. In the US, the threshold blood pressure level has recently been brought down to 130/80 mmHg. If the latter were to be adopted in Poland, the number of hypertension cases would rise to 18 million.

What other cardiovascular diseases are common? What progress is cardiology making and what modern technologies are used in cardiology?

Another common pathology is elevated cholesterol, which afflicts about 18 million Poles. There are effective drugs, statins, which delay the onset of atherosclerosis.

Despite strong anti-statin campaigns, as well as anti-vaccine campaigns, a responsible doctor should say that statins prolong life and protect the body against cardiac arrest and stroke. In addition to pharmacotherapy, new surgical treatment methods are rapidly being developed in cardiology to treat heart defects (artificial heart valves implanted transcutaneously, technologies to reduce PM

MEDICINE

valve regurgitation without cardiac surgery, in surgical cardiovascular cardiology (new types of stents inserted into vessels), and electrocardiology (new types of pacemakers, cardioverters, defibrillators, surgical treatment of arrhythmias). We increasingly use telecardiology to remotely monitor vital functions, to offer consulting and even physiotherapy, using artificial intelligence devices. A lot is going on in cardiology.

To what extent does the WUM Technology Transfer Centre participate in the process of implementing modern treatment methods in Poland?

The road from an idea, pre-clinical research and studies on animals, to attempts to transfer a technology to industry or clinical practice, commercialisation and practical application, is a long and arduous one. The medical university I represent is a typical research university, with an entire infrastructure of basic and pre-clinical research, project incubator, technology transfer path, clinical research options, and close partnership with the University of Warsaw and other research units in the city, the rest of Poland and Europe.

PM

Scientists from the Medical University of Warsaw are behind a number of breakthrough developments, they are patent proprietors. Which of the WUM research teams do you consider a flagship one? Who are the science leaders?

We all work together to build the WUM brand in the world of pharmacy, health sciences and medicine. I wouldn't want to omit anyone important. The biggest number of research grants has been obtained by a team of immunologists under Prof. Jakub Gołąb. Among the Top 10 science leaders at our university in the past three years there is gynaecologist Prof. Mirosław Wielgoś, there are three cardiologists, Prof. Grzegorz Opolski, Piotr Pruszczyk and myself, geneticist Prof.

Rafał Płoski, paediatrician Prof. Hanna Szajewska, internist and nephrologist Prof.

Leszek Pączek, physiologist Prof. Mariusz Ratajczak, surgeon Prof. Marek Krawczyk, and a specialist in internal medicine and laboratory diagnostics, Prof. Urszula Demkow. The winners of a 2018 ranking of the best university research teams in terms of research effectiveness were: a team of geneticists under prof. Rafał Płoski, a team of regenerative medicine specialists under prof. Mariusz Ratajczak, representatives of pharmaceutical sciences from the Department of Pharmacognosy headed by Prof. Anna Kiss, a team of children's gastroenterologists

under Prof. Hanna Szajewska and a team of physiologists under Prof. Marcin Ufnal, my deputy at the Medical Sciences Council of the Medical University of Warsaw.

PM

The Medical Sciences Council has recently been introduced. What are its responsibilities?

The council was introduced under a new higher education act, known as Act 2.0. It has separated the university's teaching responsibilities (student education supervised by deans) from its research activities and awarding of degrees (supervised by the science council). The council had to take over 40 post-doctoral dissertations in progress and over 550 doctoral dissertations from all former faculty councils which had lost the right to confer academic degrees. That’s a lot of work, on top of the need to assess the distribution of research funds.

PM

What should the career of a research worker in medicine look like? How has your career shaped up?

I am middle-aged, I hope that it will now be easier to develop your scientific career.

But I can't complain, I got my doctoral degree at the age of 28, followed by a post-doctoral degree at 33. At the age of 37 I received the title of professor, as the youngest professor of cardiology in Poland. I had medical training and research internships at university centres in Amsterdam, Utrecht, Rio de Janeiro, Milan and Geneva, I am a visiting professor at the university of Niš in Serbia.

PM

Polish health care is plagued by shortages of medical personnel. What should be changed in the education and health care system to keep Polish doctors at home?

It’s a topic for a separate interview. In Poland, there is a shortage of about 70,000 doctors, according to medical council estimates. We are able to educate more doctors at medical universities, but these must be subsidised in terms of equipment and personnel, the debts of clinical hospitals which are in critical condition should be written off. It is necessary to offer better working conditions to post-graduate doctors to prevent them from emigrating to Western European countries. What has happened in recent years? Let me quote Prof. Tomasz Grodzki, the new Speaker of the Senate, an outstanding professor of surgery and the Minister of Health in the opposition shadow cabinet, who said in a recent interview: "Waiting lists are getting longer, hospitals and hospital departments are being closed down, debts in local hospitals are growing, medicines are in short supply, doctors are emigrating. A new kind of emigration has emerged - health emigration. People whose loved ones are seriously ill, whose medicines are not paid for by the state, are ready to leave for Austria or Germany to have their children treated there." It is a very sad picture. More needs to be done to check the degradation of health care in Poland, considering that we have great potential to train young doctors at the highest European level.

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CONGRESS 590

HOLISTIC APROACH IRENA REJ, President of the Pharmaceutical Chamber of Commerce, talks to Jerzy Mosoń.

You work for the benefit of a large part of the pharmaceutical market. It may come as a surprise to some that you are a psychologist by training.

I’m very lucky in this way, because my non-medical education affords me a different, broader view at the market.

PM

You are also involved in the production of homeopathic remedies, which is probably not helping, because many market participants look down their noses on this branch of pharmacy.

Unfortunately, the negative atmosphere which surrounds homeopathy, in particular the suggestion that it only has a placebo effect, means that I’ll soon be closing down Dagomed Pharma. Yet it’s worth noting that homeopathy has over 200 years of tradition and nobody in the world, except in Poland, has a problem with it.

NOWADAYS, WE DEAL WITH DEHUMANISED MEDICINE.

PM

Where does your love of homeopathy come from?

I took up homeopathy because it enabled me to fight an acute form of corneal herpes.

Swiss doctors helped me. It is the best proof that it is an effective form of treatment.

PM

Talking about the effectiveness of treatment, why do so many therapies in Poland fail to bring the desired effects?

Nowadays, we deal with dehumanised medicine. When a patient with a sore foot turns up at a doctor’s surgery, the doctor often solely focuses on this particular problem.

Meanwhile, the ailment affects the whole body. Sometimes there are associated diseases.

That’s why we need a holistic approach.

Doctors who use this approach score better PM

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results. You also need to promote patient awareness. So what if the doctor correctly prescribes an antibiotic, if the patient washes the pill down with grapefruit juice, thus reducing the effectiveness of the active substance?

Or, when the patient stops using the drug too early, once the worst symptoms have subsided. Do current awareness campaigns warning against the incorrect use of drugs, produce any results?

Most importantly, pharmacists have now been given new responsibilities which go beyond selling prescribed drugs. This makes me hopeful. The pharmacist is obliged to explain the dosage, how to administer the drug, ask if the patient uses any other medicines and give instructions. This means that the patient gets one more chance to find out important information about the prescribed medicine, including how to take it.

PM

PM

I get the impression that many patients still prefer to take drugs without consulting a doctor or pharmacist hence the burgeoning market for dietary

suplements… How much innovation goes on in the Polish pharmaceutical industry?

The Polish pharmaceutical industry is subject to very strict controls. On the one hand, it means that Polish pharmaceuticals are produced up to high standards, but on the other hand, the cost associated with the need to comply with these standards makes it more difficult for companies to invest in the development of new drugs. Consequently, the Polish market is dominated by the manufacturers of generic drugs.

What policies should Poland adopt vis a vis the pharmaceutical market?

First of all, we should pursue a pharmaceutical policy, not a pricing policy.

The patient's health and effectiveness of therapy should matter the most. Ultimately, it will be good for the economy, because a patient who is poorly treated, or has been treated for too long, is not active on the labour market, and thus does not contribute to economic growth.

PM

Can the Polish Pharmaceutical Chamber of Commerce effectively support good solutions for the industry?

Of course it can. We have been doing so for 28 years, not only with an eye to the interests of the industry but also of the patient. We are experts, so legislators need our longstanding experience, because not every idea can be accepted due to the nature of the industry. We thus appeal to public administration officials to trust our judgment. We know how to ensure safe trade in pharmaceuticals, how to produce, store and sell them, which will translate into the smooth functioning of the Polish pharmaceutical market.

• PM

EVENTS

PHARMA 360⁰PLANET F O RU M

The first edition of the Pharma 360⁰PLanet Forum took place at the Marriott Hotel in Warsaw October 15-16. It was held under the slogan "Effectiveness 4.0. Let's Make Polish Pharma Grow! Together!"

O

ver 350 decision-makers, presidents and directors of key pharma industry organisations, medical and market support companies met to address challenges facing the sector. Constant legislative changes, an uncertain market environment, the digital revolution, Industry 4.0, but also future generations of employees, are factors which make the industry constantly redefine its strategies. To be able to restore the patients’ health, and not only to offer treatment, a personalised approach is needed to provide the latest therapies. It is also necessary to be effective in relations between pharma and medical companies and legislators, it was emphasised.

Maciej Miłkiewicz, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Health

During a plenary session and five topical conferences, participants discussed the most important issues of today. These included: • Strategies, Governmental Affairs & Legal Regulations • Marketing & Digital Revolution, Omnich@nnel & e-Communication • Strategy, Commercial Excellence & Data Challenge • Distribution & Supply Chain Excellence • People, Field Force Motivation & Leadership Development.

The plenary session was attended by Maciej Miłkiewicz, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Health. The focus was on ways in which

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the pharmaceutical industry can meet the expectations of pharma companies and develop in spite of constant changes, while at the same time offering modern, safe and cost-effective pharmaceuticals.

Existing hurdles and ways of overcoming them through cooperation were discussed.

Digitisation was one of the leading topics of the plenary session and of the entire forum. The Revolution 4.0 session included two panels.

Presidents of pharmaceutical and medical companies discussed ways of putting digital thinking into practice in their organisations to build an environment conducive to innovation. They also wondered whether the industry was ready to redefine the current paradigm – to move on from producing and marketing pharmaceuticals, toward building a health-oriented ecosystem in partnership with medical and tech companies. This system should rely on the coordinated activities of a telecentre, medical devices and applications, it was pointed out.

Parallel sessions were addressed by the presidents and directors of pharmaceutical and medical companies and organisations. Among the speakers was Łukasz Szmulski, acting director of the Drug Policy and Pharmaceutical Department at the Ministry of Health. Some of the speakers presented specific case studies. There were also discussions and workshops, during which answers were sought to challenges facing today's business environment.

One of the most interesting panel discussions was devoted to the dynamics of legislative changes in Poland. The starting point was a report entitled "In touch with entrepreneurs. What do they need to develop?”, compiled by the Polish Business Council in conjunction with Polityka Insight. In the survey, entrepreneurs, including representatives of Polish pharmaceutical companies, were asked to what extent the country’s legal environment helps them in running their business, what hurdles they can identify, and how effective state administration is. “Polish pharmaceutical companies must, on the one hand, compete with cheap medicines from Asia, and on the other, develop innovative products to face competition from big pharma corporations. They reinvest 50% of their profits into research and development. These are long-term projects,” said Katarzyna Dubno, head of Adamed External Relations.

“The main problems our industry faces are an unstable legal framework, decreasing profitability and rising costs,” she noted. In the opinion of Forum participants, the event proved very useful and was professionally organised. Many of those who attended the Forum declared they were looking forward to next year’s edition of the event.

•

That’s what counts!

We deliver 80 million packages of medicines to patients in Poland.

Our manufacturing site in Cracow produces 3.5 billion tablets and capsules annually.

But what really counts is how we impact health and lives of patients, every day.

PO/GTV/19/0422

CONGRESS 590

INNOVATIVE

REHABILITATION JACEK SIWULSKI, M.D. Ph.D., Medical Director of the Mirai Rehabilitation Institute in Warsaw, talks to Danuta Bierzańska.

A tendon and muscle pathology treatment centre is part of the Mirai Rehabilitation Institute. What innovative methods has it introduced?

One of the Mirai team members made an anatomical discovery regarding one of the key structures of the knee, that is the anterior cruciate ligament. He has discovered that this ligament has a flat structure, which caused a revolution in the orthopaedic world.

This discovery was followed by innovative treatment methods of single-bundle ligament reconstruction. Among our patients there are many Olympians, great athletes, for whom the condition of these structures is crucial, so we apply these innovations at the Centre.

PM

Studies on the practical application of stem cells and gene therapy in medicine seem to be very promising.

We are currently working in partnership with a company which was one of the first in Poland the Bioethics Committee of the Medical University authorised to use multiplied stem cells in the treatment of degenerative diseases of the knee. We are going to participate in these innovative studies. Elsewhere, it is mainly studied in Australia and Japan, which can lead to a major revolution, and probably not just in orthopaedics.

PM

Are therapies associated with micro RNA molecules (miRNA) going to be useful in orthopaedics?

Work is underway on ways of using micro RNA molecules to send a signal to human articular cartilage to replace existing proteins to help it regenerate. This promises to be PM

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another breakthrough in the treatment of degenerative diseases. In some cases, there will be no need for artificial limbs. Existing limbs will be able to regenerate. It is one of those modern therapies which I hope to be able to introduce at the clinic in a not so distant future. The rapid development of science and molecular biology technologies will enable more accurate diagnostics and selection of an appropriate therapy, which in many cases will be a complex one.

The use of artificial intelligence in medicine - mainly in diagnostics - is now one of the hottest topics. Do you find AI useful in orthopaedics?

We are working in partnership with an IT company on a project which uses artificial intelligence in physiotherapy. A neural assistant to the therapist will monitor the patient with the use of a camera system to provide feedback on whether the patient correctly performs exercises. We have excellent physiotherapists on our team who show patients how to perform exercises.

But there is no need for them to personally monitor the patients’ performance on a daily basis. Artificial intelligence will do it for them, but let me stress, it will not replace contact with a specialist.

PM

PM

During the Between Orthodoxy and Creation conference at the Ethnographic Museum in Warsaw, a restored famous guest house was unveiled in the suburb of Otwock. It was once owned by Abram Gurewicz, and has been revitalised by Mirai owners.

It is our biggest undertaking, the Mirai Orthopaedic Clinic, situated in the former, very stylish guest house. A few years ago we bought one of the largest Świdermajer-style wooden houses, with a floor space of 5,400 sq. metres, which has been refurbished for modern therapeutic and training purposes.

We have rebuilt this 100-year-old building with utmost care. It was the first wooden building restored in Poland on this scale. It was brought back to its former splendour.

We have also scored a success outside the world of medicine. The Ethnographic Museum showcased our facility among such conservation and development projects as, the Norblin Factory in Warsaw, Praga Port in Warsaw, and the Bachleda Luxury Hotel in Krakow. The conference was organised by the State Ethnographic Museum in Warsaw, the Association of Polish Architects SARP and the National Institute of Architecture and Urban Planning. Work on the Clinic is nearing completion. We have ordered advanced medical equipment and apparatus, and the Mirai Clinic will probably start operating there in early spring. We are moving away from the classic hospital concept. In addition to the standard departments, clinics, diagnostics and rehabilitation, there will be a restaurant and a hotel. All this is meant to offer patients a package of exclusive services. We will pursue educational activities. Together with Arthrex, a world leader in the development of new products and education in the field of orthopaedics, we are setting up a European Education Centre. Doctors will be invited there to find out about the latest orthopaedic technologies.

•

MEDICINE

AI

IN HEALTH CARE MARCIN FIEDZIUKIEWICZ ,

President, Tourmedica.pl

D

uring the latest edition of the Wolves Summit in Warsaw, I took part in a debate on the future of medicine. I noticed that the most important topic there was not so much the future of medicine, but of health care, and improvements which have a direct impact on the living standards, health and life expectancy of societies in individual countries.

From my point of view, the biggest challenge for medicine does not lie in how advanced treatment methods are applied. Accessibility is today’s keyword. We can come up with the best treatment methods, and advanced drugs for killer diseases, but unless these are more readily available, they will continue to be of limited use. Innovation in medicine should bridge the gap between the results of laboratory work and practical implementation.

That is why, as we try to come up with solutions to meet the growing demand for medical services, we must consider ways in which technology, along with a properly implemented health care strategy, can improve access to vital therapies. Health care strategies should be consistent and long-term. They should be developed on the basis of consensus, and put into practice using modern design and implementation methodologies. Such strategies have been successfully implemented in Finland and Switzerland, as well as in developing countries such as China.

Some technological solutions are already being implemented, even though their legal framework does not yet exist. Not so long ago, many issues regarding telemedicine used to be unregulated. This is no longer the case. Telemedicine is developing dynamically, providing better access to medical consultations. Another new technology of Symptom Checkers is achieving high diagnostic effectiveness, but it is not yet approved as a tool for medical analysis. Symptom Checkers are tools which allow doctors to decide whether a condition is life-threatening, based on symptoms described by the patient. In Poland, this solution is successfully implemented by the Infermedica.pl start-up based in the city of Wrocław, which has launched an innovative initial medical diagnosis platform.

Another promising solution is what are known as smart diagnostic devices. One example is Stetho.me developed in Poznań, a smart stethoscope with an over 97% diagnostic efficiency. This electronic stethoscope records, identifies and classifies sounds coming from the patient’s lungs. Recordings are analysed with the use of algorithms. As a result, a parent is informed, for example, whether any abnormalities have been detected and whether their child requires a medical consultation. In addition, the doctor is able to examine the results in detail in graphical and audio form.

To improve the patient's access to health care and to streamline the system, it is necessary to focus on technology and adapt legal regulations to keep abreast of new developments in medicine.

The future of health care will hinge on the quality of medical services.

More and more is being done to improve treatment, but according to a Siemens Healthineers study conducted in Poland this year,some 50% of patients are not satisfied with the quality of health care services.

That is why, as a platform which clinics and medical centres use to acquire commercial patients, we make sure that patients are fully satisfied with the quality of medical services. A pilot project is now underway at Tourmedica.pl, which I hope will lead to the implementation of a tool using neural networks, i.e. artificial intelligence, to analyse patients' conversations with health service workers. On the basis of a voice recording, it analyses the course of the conversation, including its emotional side. As a result, we are able to provide medical centres with accurate information on the quality of its customer services. After all, the patient’s first contact is not with a doctor, but with the clinic’s receptionist, and it often determines whether the patient decides to undergo treatment there or not.

The future of health care is a mix of innovation born in research labs and big corporations which develop new drugs and medical procedures, national health care strategies, legal regulations and new technologies.

All these factors should combine to build an environment in which each patient will have equal and safe access to treatment.

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THE RISE OF CYBERSECURITY Jerzy Mosoń

We attach more and more importance to cybersecurity. In government bodies, but also in society at large, awareness is growing of the threat of a devastating hacker attack.

The annual report of the CSIRT GOV Computer Security Incident Response Team of the Internal Security Agency, shows that in 2018 alone, there were more than 6,000 attacks targeted at Poland's strategic ICT structures. However, there were many more cyberattacks and security alerts. As many as 62,000 of them were urgent, with a high risk of penetration of the government cybersecurity network. What a hacker attack could do became evident in Estonia in 2007, when its institutions and the private sector fell victim to denial of service (DoS) hacker attacks. In their wake, an international debate was started on whether Article 5 of the NATO Charter also concerns cyberwar and cyberterrorism. In 2008, nobody had any doubt that a NATO country attacked by hackers should also receive allied support. As a result, Tallinn became the seat of a new NATO institution: the Cooperative Cyber Defence

Centre of Excellence. This centre coordinates the defence of the NATO cyberspace. Within a short period of time Estonia built a model cybersecurity defence structure. Other countries, including Poland, followed in its footsteps. Unfortunately, the following years failed to bring a breakthrough. Only recently has the situation changed for the better. In July 2018, the Act on the National Cybersecurity System (UoKSC) entered into force. Since June, a law has been in force in the European Union which specifies cybersecurity requirements for ICT devices, systems and processes. It was introduced under a European Parliament and European Council regulation No. 2019/881 of April 17, 2019 on ENISA (European Union Agency for Cybersecurity,) and cybersecurity certification in the field of information and communication technologies under the Cybersecurity Act. It will be interesting to see whether actions taken by those responsible for cybersecurity prove sufficient. In this edition of “Polish Market” we try to find out whether this is the case. But as they say, the test of the pudding is in the eating.

CYBERSECURITY

HOW TO PROTECT

CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE ROBERT KOŚLA, Director of the Cybersecurity Department at the Ministry of Digital Affairs, talks to Jerzy Mosoń.

A cyberattack on critical infrastructure may prove more serious than a conventional attack. In what ways is critical infrastructure protected in Poland?

The cybersecurity of sectors which are key for the functioning of the state, including critical infrastructure, is the subject of the EU directive on network and information security. This directive is implemented in Poland under the Act on the national cybersecurity system, which entered into force on August 28, 2018. It lists six sectors which are exposed to attacks due to their strategic importance, and where steps are being undertaken to improve the level of cybersecurity, in particular regarding the need to protect key services. The selection of organisational and technical measures to protect key services is always determined by the results of risk analysis. Risk assessment includes, among other things, the scope of a given key service and the architecture of the ICT system which is used to provide it.

Organisational and technical security measures are selected based on the assessment of these risk factors, as well as of potential threats.

PM

Are we able to protect ourselves against threats the introduction of the 5G technology may pose in Poland, given the current state of knowledge and skills?

Each new technology brings new opportunities, challenges and risks which require regulations governing the use of services. 5G networks are new families of services which will be fully operational beginning in 2020. They will enable even faster mobile communication with and without human participation. New threats may thus arise unless safeguards are provided at the stage of preparation of technical standards. First of all, data transmission speed is to be rapidly increased, delays in data transmission will be reduced, it will be possible to simultaneously process very large amounts of data coming from many different types of systems. 5G will thus be more than just a telecommunications network, it will provide a backbone for the construction of a modern economy, what is known as Industry 4.0.

PM

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CYBERSECURITY

It will also pave the way for the Internet of Things…

That’s right. When we look at service classes, that is various types of services which the 5G network architecture will support, it won’t just be fast, broadband Internet access, something like 4G ++, but also other service classes which will support autonomous vehicles and smart cities equipped with many different types of smart sensors, from traffic sensors to elevator sensors to lighting sensors. The vision of autonomous vehicles which will communicate with each other and decide what direction to drive in, and in which order, is very attractive, but it carries potential risks. These risks will not only have a direct impact on the viability of the service and the availability of the telecommunications service itself, but also on public safety. Any disruption of a system responsible for controlling traffic and collecting information, including medical information, will have a direct impact on the life and health of ordinary citizens. These new threats have been identified by EU Member States as part of a process completed in midJuly, and submitted for collective analysis to the European Commission, in order to develop a set of new, comprehensive legal, organisational and technical requirements for 5G network cybersecurity.

PM

Apart from European standards, there are also NATO standards.

Which of these are more important would you say?

From the point of view of 5G cybersecurity, what is happening on the European Union side is definitely more important. The architecture of the 5G system will be built based on civilian entities which operate on the single European digital market. Of course, the armed forces will also use the 5G technology, but it will be applied in dedicated military systems and in crisis management in cooperation with civilian entities. It should be noted that twenty EU countries are NATO members, so in fact, work on EU directives and technical implementation recommendations for the 5G network will also have an indirect impact on NATO infrastructure.

PM

In what way do non-military and military services cooperate in the field of cybersecurity in Poland?

It is difficult to imagine an effective national cybersecurity system without any cooperation between these two sectors. This cooperation is regulated under the terms of the Act on the national cybersecurity system. A federal model of building a national cybersecurity system has been adopted. It is based on the use of extended resources of existing security threat response teams, which were developed in research and academic institutions, government and military structures many years ago. Cooperation between the response teams is supported by Secretary of State at the Ministry of Digital Affairs Karol Okoński who also performs the role of the Plenipotentiary of the Government for Cybersecurity. Coordination and cooperation between entities involved in the national cybersecurity system will be provided by an ICT system to be launched in 2021, which falls under the responsibility of the Minister of Digital Affairs. Provisionally called the S46, the system will be used as part of the National Cybersecurity Platform project, to exchange information on threats, to assess risk at the national level, and to provide operational and technical recommendations.

PM

PM

When is work scheduled to get underway on the cybersecurity of the planned Solidarity Transport Hub Poland, which will encompass Poland’s new central airport together with a network of road and high speed rail links?

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DUE TO THE STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF THE SOLIDARITY TRANSPORT HUB POLAND FOR THE POLISH STATE, ITS CONSTRUCTION PLANS WILL TAKE INTO ACCOUNT CYBERSECURITY ISSUES. It can be assumed that due to the strategic importance of the Solidarity Transport Hub Poland for the Polish state, its construction plans will take into account cybersecurity issues. Just like in the case of all strategic investment projects, under the Act on the national cybersecurity system, this project will require the analysis of cyber threats for key services and the selection of appropriate organisational and technical measures. Moreover, work on the amendment to the Crisis Management Act also covers a service approach to the identification of critical infrastructure elements.

The issue of drones still remains unresolved when it comes to cybersecurity.

It is impossible to develop the economy without the use of autonomous vehicles, including drones. This problem has been recognised and will be tackled throughout Europe. For now, it is regulated at the level of the Civil Aviation Office and the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency (PAŻP), in cooperation with European structures, including the EUROCONTROL agency. An interesting proposal was presented by PAŻP during the Digital Single Market conference jointly organised by the Ministry of Digital Affairs and the European Commission on September 30. Among projects discussed there was the monitoring of traffic in flight control zones, also for the benefit of airport security. As part of this project, hardware and software solutions, including a mobile application, have been developed to support analysis, visualisation and warning for professional unmanned aerial vehicle operators. If this solution is certified by the International Aviation Agency, it may be the most advanced solution in the world. Very interesting solutions are related to the use of correlation mechanisms involving large amounts of information, including machine learning and artificial intelligence. The number of autonomous vehicles is bound to increase in the future, so new tools will be needed to monitor them and manage their movement in real time.

PM

It would be great if a drone launched by an attacker could be remotely switched off in mid-air…

Such solutions do exist. Drone interception systems have been developed for public security / counter-terrorism and military purposes by the Military Electronic Works and the Military Institute of Armament Technology. They include both defensive and offensive • systems. These are Polish solutions.

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CYBERSECURITY

WE PROVIDE KNOW-HOW KRZYSZTOF MALESA, PhD, Deputy Director of the Government Centre for Security (RCB), talks to Jerzy Mosoń.

Imagine that something disturbing is happening in Poland. In what way does the RCB react to that?

In line with relevant pieces of legislation, the Government Centre for Security, plays the role of a national crisis management centre. We receive information from crisis management centres and other public administration bodies, services and international organisations, but also from critical infrastructure operators, who are largely private entities. We manage the information flow to make services and public administration fully aware of any incident that has occured. If we find a serious threat to the life and health of citizens, we trigger an Alert RCB, which is a text message notification system regarding threats. In the most serious cases, our task is to support the Government Crisis Management Team.

While implementing the system to protect critical infrastructure, we have decided to use existing crisis management information procedures. We rely on province- and districtlevel crisis management centres, which are on alert 24/7. Each critical infrastructure operator has selected staff members to keep in touch with the RCB. If necessary, we are able to carry out quick consultations with duty engineers who monitor the technological process. We basically focus on two cases: when critical infrastructure fails, and when it needs to be switched off due to planned maintenance, downtime, etc. We monitor it very carefully throughout Poland.

PM

The flow of information is very important, but the next steps are also crucial. So what is the next one, once the situation has been assessed?

The National Critical Infrastructure Protection Programme is based on the principle of multidimensional security. It does not just include physical protection against intruders. The CI protection system covers six areas: legal, ICT, technical, physical, personal security and business continuity issues. Critical infrastructure protection plans describe measures to be implemented by a CI operator to reduce risk in each of these areas. If an incident occurs regardless of these precautions, we have developed dedicated response tools in each area. In the event of, say, an intruder entering a refinery area, if the physical protection system fails, appropriate procedures must be launched at once. We should remember, however, that according to statutory provisions, the protection of critical infrastructure is the responsibility of the owner or manager of infrastructure, who is described in the Act as an operator. It does not mean that once a site on the CI list is entered, the state takes over responsibility for its security from the owner. The operator is meant to arrange appropriate protection. If it fails, relevant procedures provide for appropriate forms of response. The operator is obliged to either call security patrols or ask for the assistance of the police or other services.

PM

Does the RCB make decisions itself?

Decisions are taken on the spot wherever the incident has occurred. As far as we are concerned, each of the six security areas is described in detail in the critical infrastructure protection plan, including procedures and scenarios for potentially hazardous events. The operator is obligated to implement this plan, having made arrangements with local administrative bodies and with the cabinet minister responsible for the system. Finally, the plan is approved by us, and a copy of it is held by the RCB. We thus know what is going to happen in response to a given incident. If it were an ICT incident, for example a hacker has penetrated the Industrial Automation Control System (SCADA), a set of separate procedures is envisaged. Then other support lines are launched, for example computer incident response teams become involved, up to the level of a critical incidents team, in line with the act on the national cybersecurity system.

In the most serious cases, the Government Crisis Management Team is convened. Its secretary is the director of the RCB. We work on relevant analyses and recommendations.

PM

PM

A decade ago, there was a major hacker attack on Estonian ITC systems. Since then, Estonia has implemented safeguards it can be proud of. They probably offer the country the best cybersecurity protection in the world.

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CYBERSECURITY

WE SUPPORT THE MINISTRY, WHICH HAS SET UP A WORKING GROUP ON CYBERSECURITY IN INDUSTRY 4.0 Indeed, Estonia has been on the receiving end of brutal cyberattacks. As a result, a NATO centre of experts dealing exclusively with cybersecurity has been set up there.

Estonia is now one of the leaders on this particular market.

Does Poland cooperate with Estonia in any particular way to protect its systems?

We have good relations with all NATO expert centres. In the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius there is a centre which deals with energy, in other countries there are also expert centres of various other profiles.

We work with most of these centres. We participate in NATO exercises in crisis management. The RCB coordinates their Polish component. We also participate in the work of the NATO Civil Emergency Planning Committee, where all these threads converge.

PM

How do Polish defence systems shape up in comparison with the NATO average?

It needs to be said that we have recently made a significant step forward. The Ministry of National Defence has drafted a plan which describes the structure of cyberspace defence forces. A national digital security centre headed by General Karol Molenda has been set up. A lot is happening in terms of public administration structures.

The role of the Government Security Centre is not just to respond to what has happened, we mainly do a lot of advance planning work. We prepare tools dedicated not only to government administration, but we also provide energy infrastructure operators with the best practices, tools and methodologies in areas that have actually more to do with business than crisis management. We teach them risk management, business continuity, which is in fact part of corporate governance and good management, not part of security sciences. Until now, the RCB has focused on increasing the level of security in critical infrastructure, which is very important.

Prompted in part by the EU NIS directive, which lays down common requirements for the security level regarding networks and PM

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information systems within the European Union, and partly by the Act on the national cybersecurity system, we have decided to make products which could until now be accessed by critical infrastructure operators on a closed information exchange platform, available to anyone who wants to deepen their knowledge.

What exactly does it mean?

While working on the protection of critical infrastructure, we have noticed some similarities regarding individual sectors.

All banks, waterworks and power plants face the same problems. In the case of ICT security, the biggest problem is that at the interface between IT and OT, we deal with various levels of technological advancement.

A turbine ages very slowly, but the operating system that manages it ages very fast. You need to decide whether to treat these two worlds separately. It seems that you can't.

On the other hand, you can't just switch from Windows XP to Windows 10. And this is a challenge which similarly applies, for example, to many power plants in Poland. So we've set up a working group as part of the National Critical Infrastructure Protection Forum. We have invited IT engineers who deal with system security, and together with them we have compiled Europe’s, and apparently also the world’s, first guidelines entitled: “Standards and Best Practices in Critical Infrastructure Protection. Industrial Automation in the Power Generation Sector,” and “Standards and Best Practices in Critical Infrastructure Protection. Industrial Automation in the Oil & Gas Sector.” So we have put our know-how on the table, hoping to contribute to the development of security also in those areas of industry that are not part of critical infrastructure.

PM

In what areas do you work with the Ministry of Digital Affairs which also deals with cybersecurity?

We support the Ministry, which has set up a working group on cybersecurity in Industry 4.0. There are several working groups. We operate as experts in one of them.

Our task is to provide support in developing a similar guide for the chemical industry. So we have gone beyond the area of government administration and critical infrastructure.

PM

Who in Poland is responsible for ensuring the security of critical infrastructure?

In Poland, the approach to critical infrastructure protection is that no operators get fined. Our goal is to make being an operator of critical infrastructure attractive PM

for entrepreneurs. Interestingly, CI operators have suggested that we introduce a legal obligation to apply specific solutions to secure critical infrastructure, and impose fines in cases of failure to comply. It was argued that if there is a legal obligation, it would be easier to apply to the company board for funding. We presented this topic to an inter-ministerial team which deals with terrorist threats. It was decided that we should develop a regulation which will list minimum requirements for critical infrastructure operators. They have been developed for three areas of critical infrastructure: physical, personal and ICT security.

How to convince Polish entrepreneurs to implement such tools?

Once the regulation enters into force, it will simply become an obligation. It is worth noting that the National Critical Infrastructure Programme was adopted in 2013. It was to be implemented within a period of six years, and was to be updated every two years. Successive versions of this document have changed significantly. An update is being drafted now, according to which we need to focus on services, not just on facilities. The functions that critical infrastructure plays are important. At the same time, we must note that certain processes carried out by the state sometimes go through government administration, local government, private entities, go back to the administrative level again, and it is difficult to establish who is in control. We need to ensure the continuity of this process, rather than just protecting a particular facility. So it will be a service-oriented, rather than an object-oriented approach.

PM

What should be changed in the area of crisis management?

Work is now underway on a draft law which would change the methodology of selecting, taking into account the aforementioned approach which prioritises the need to protect services. The concept of local critical infrastructure is also introduced. Among the many changes we have suggested is something new, namely critical infrastructure under construction.

This approach will allow applied solutions to be adapted in line with the security-bydesign principle, that is tailoring security systems to specific conditions. The new law will also allow Poland as an EU member state to fulfil its obligation to be ready not just for risk assessments, but also for risk management, which is going to affect the planning process at all levels.

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ECONOMY

CYBERSECURITY ACT - AN OPPORTUNITY,

NOT A HURDLE

Independent cybersecurity and forensic expert ŁUKASZ KISTER, PhD, of BezpieczneInformacje.pl, talks to Jerzy Mosoń.

Since June 27, a uniform law has been in force throughout the European Union, laying down cybersecurity rules for ICT devices, systems and processes. It was introduced under European Parliament and Council regulation no. 2019/881 of April 17, known as the Cybersecurity Act, regarding ENISA (European Union Agency for Cybersecurity), and cybersecurity certification in the field of information and communication technologies. Does this regulation, as is the case of GDPR, pose problems for the development of new technologies and digital services?

On the contrary. The essence of this law is its emphasis on synergy in the development of society and economy within the entire European Union. The unification of the market means the elimination of red tape and technological barriers that have hit the new member states the most. It may seem hard to believe when it comes to EU law, but this is precisely the case. In my opinion, the greatest value of the cybersecurity act lies in that it paves the way for joint security building regarding new technologies. Only when we come together can we defend ourselves in this digital war, where states, entrepreneurs and citizens have no chance of going it alone.

Europe must not remain under the technological dictate of large American, Israeli and Asian companies, we must develop our own capacity to analyse and assess them. There is room in this for Polish universities of technology, laboratories and start-ups. There are many areas of neglect, so there is no shortage of business opportunities.

PM

The regulation introduces compulsory cybersecurity certification of devices and systems. But is it not the case that only big technological monopolists are going to benefit from it?

If European countries proved unable to work together and failed to encourage the building of strong public-private partnerships, this might well be the case. Even if we remain dependent on large suppliers, along with the obligation to certify, they will need to adapt to uniform requirements, providing not what they feel like, but what society and industry require of them. However, I believe that the European research and development sector will seize the opportunity. The main advantage of the cybersecurity act is the recognition of test results and certificates issued by all EU countries. Just like the originators of these regulations, I also believe that this will have a positive impact on increasing the range of cybersecurity solutions offered on the market.

Competition for certificates and greater awareness on the part of end-users should result in greater availability of secure software, devices and services not only for security services, administration and companies, but also for ordinary citizens.

PM

It sounds very encouraging, but will Polish companies be able to afford it?

Cybersecurity is not a marginal issue, or just a mere addition to your business. After all, the ability to maintain undisturbed production and provide services is a basic PM

management goal. No natural disaster is now needed to immobilise even the largest corporations, and all you need is one rashly opened email attachment.

NO NATURAL DISASTER IS NOW NEEDED TO IMMOBILISE EVEN THE LARGEST CORPORATIONS, AND ALL YOU NEED IS ONE RASHLY OPENED EMAIL ATTACHMENT. In each and every enterprise, cybersecurity must therefore be viewed as an inherent business process. If a company does not have a machine which cybercriminals are able to disable, they are going to steal money from the company's account. All that we used to be afraid of in real life, now threatens us in the virtual world, where we all inevitably find ourselves, whether we want it or not. However, I believe that European synergy is a great opportunity to force cybersecurity costs down while raising security levels.

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CYBERSECURITY

EARLY

DETECTION ROMAN MARZEC, Eng.D., Director for Security and Internal Control, Critical Infrastructure Protection Officer, Classified Information Protection Officer, LOTOS Group, talks to Jerzy Mosoń.

What are the threats hackers pose to the fuel industry?

In what ways can infrastructure be secured with the use of advanced technology?

In view of current threats, and based on our experience, we must get ready to protect ourselves against advanced targeted attacks prepared for a specific purpose, that is against a particular person, or an IT or industrial system.

These types of attacks require good preparation on the part of the attacker, preceded by a broad technological reconnaissance supplemented by other methods of advanced information acquisition (intelligence, manipulation). However, these attacks are very difficult PM

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to detect. Detection of this type of attacks at an early stage, along with continuous monitoring at various levels and removal of irregularities and vulnerabilities in the functioning of infrastructure, offers a good change of effective protection. Systems based on advanced analysis assisted by artificial intelligence are of great help in identifying potential areas of attack. They are able to detect anomalies in real time by correlating them with information provided by security monitoring systems, pinpointing places where an attack might be launched. Continuous training of employees, efficient incident response teams, as well as sectoral and supervisory cooperation are very

CYBERSECURITY

important aspects of defence. For this purpose, a TEAM FOR INDUSTRIAL CYBERSECURITY 4.0 has been set up at the Ministry of Digitisation, whose task will be to create a handbook of good practices in cybersecurity regarding the chemical industry and energy carriers. I have been appointed chairman of the team. Its operation is based on the experience of the Government Security Centre and US standards.

Are cryptographic access keys currently in standard use, or does the fuel industry use other security tools?

Cryptography has become established in the fuel industry for good, and is widely used to secure all kinds of communication - both between systems, exchange of information between applications, employees and supervisory institutions. We follow good practices and global trends in this area. Cryptographic methods are also becoming more and more popular in the world of industrial automation, which can already be observed in new solutions being offered by manufacturers such as inbuilt encryption modules.

PM

How can data servers be protected? Is an integrated and segmented environment enough?

Network segmentation has its advantages. It allows the use of additional mechanisms that increase the security of specially protected zones, which certainly include servers / databases / applications on which the most important data for the enterprise is processed. Of course, this is not enough, you also need to ensure adequate access to this data. You need to extract the most sensitive data and store it properly, for example in an encrypted manner. You need to continuously monitor and eliminate vulnerabilities in the environment -database, systems, applications that make use of data bases, as well as weak points. Access to data may only be given to the extent which is necessary to perform specific tasks. You need to detect and respond to anomalies, as well as conducting regular tests of applied security measures. In addition to this type of basic security, you may introduce systems which will be able to mislead a potential intruder or delay his access time to data processing systems.

These are known as honeypots. In addition, these kinds of solutions are also used in our institution in the exchange of sensitive data between employees, as part of a two-stage security system.

PM

How popular are offensive platforms which allow you to predict an attack and create a defence simulation?

We use such platforms both to regularly test the security of our systems, and to learn how to defend ourselves by constantly testing the resilience of the key security systems we use. Based on the results of these tests, you are able to correctly react to reduce the risk of the identified vulnerabilities / configuration errors being exploited. In this way, we are able to discover a potential area of attack, and take action to prevent it. Artificial intelligence comes to our assistance. Based on collected data and information from monitored systems, it can predict the behaviour of PM

CRYPTOGRAPHIC METHODS ARE BECOMING MORE AND MORE POPULAR IN THE WORLD OF INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION.

intruders with high probability, and apply remedial measures. It can issue instructions to reconfigure security devices. It is another challenge facing our company, an area which we are steadily developing.

Many programmers and IT specialists have left Poland in search of greener pastures in the West. Is this a significant problem in terms of critical infrastructure security? How to offset the negative consequences of the migration of Polish IT specialists?

Yes, it is a major problem we face on a daily basis at our company. Interestingly, even though IT specialists can expect to earn more and more because there are few of them on the market, wages are not the most important thing they look for. They look for jobs in particular company departments which will give them the opportunity to develop, meet challenges and gain access to modern technologies. They look for places which apply a modern approach to problem solving. That is why at Grupa LOTOS we have established a Competence Centre, which with the support of a strategic partner, makes it possible to learn, test and implement advanced technologies based on artificial intelligence and cloud solutions in various areas of the company's operations. It really fills us with hope that we will be able to attract the best. In addition, with regard to the newly established Team for Industrial Cybersecurity 4.0, one university, in partnership with the Educational Research Institute, has volunteered to educate professional cadres for cybersecurity. Three new competences have been proposed: cybersecurity policy, cybersecurity management in the enterprise, and resource management in the field of reliability and cybersecurity.

This will fill a gap in the development of cybersecurity in industry. It creates conditions for building competences in cybersecurity at the level of the company board, and all other management levels, including the technical level.

Such competences will support the implementation in industry of the act on the national cybersecurity system and relevant regulations, including regulations concerning security audits. Specialists in the field of IT systems security and industrial automation will become available on the labour market, helping companies to reduce costs, which is of no small importance for small and medium-sized companies. • PM

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CULTURAL MONITOR

DECEMBER 2019 VITALITY AND FERTILITY ARE THE KEYWORDS OF THE DECEMBER EDITION OF THE CULTURAL MONITOR. MACIEJ PROLIŃSKI RECOMMENDS. ON STAGE

C

“LOST SOULS” IS THE POLISH NATIONAL BALLET’S FIRST PREMIERE OF THE 2019/2020 SEASON. THE PREMIERE WILL TAKE PLACE AT TEATR WIELKI – POLISH NATIONAL OPERA ON NOVEMBER 16.

The ballet evening is composed of three one-act pieces, each designed by an outstanding choreographer.

The first one is “Les Noces” (English: “The Wedding”) by Bronislava Nijinska, a legendary artist of Polish descent (1891-1972), followed by works by two eminent contemporary choreographers: Krzysztof Pastor’s “Do Not Go Gentle…” and Wayne McGregor’s “Infra”. “Les Noces” to music by Igor Stravinsky is a kind of dramatic cantata inspired by folk songs. Designed in 1923, Nijinska’s classic choreography is her finest work and has been shown on the world’s most important ballet stages to this day. Krzysztof Pastor’s choreography is also based on music by Stravinsky: a sorrowful largo and a song to a poem by brilliant Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. Stravinsky composed the pieces soon after the poet had promised to write a libretto for him, but died before he could keep his word. The Polish choreographer designed his ballet in 2000 for the Dutch National Ballet. Deeply reflective and lamenting, the work is a counterpoint to the vigorous “Les Noces”. The ballet evening ends with “Infra”, a famous and highly emotional piece by British choreographer Wayne McGregor. He composed it in 2008 for London’s Royal Ballet to original music by Max Richter. For a decade the ballet has been receiving enthusiastic reviews all over the world.

HOW TO SPEND THE NEW YEAR’S EVE? THE BEST THING IS TO SPEND IT WITH THE SELECT COMPANY OF ACTORS SINGING ELTON JOHN’S SONGS. THE MUSICAL THEATRE ROMA IN WARSAW INVITES ALL LOVERS OF MUSICALS TO A NEW YEAR’S EVE PERFORMANCE OF “AIDA” DIRECTED BY WOJCIECH KĘPCZYŃSKI WITH MUSIC BY ELTON JOHN AND LYRICS BY TIM RICE.

The musical is set in ancient Egypt and tells a story of a forbidden love between Aida, a Nubian princess taken into slavery by Egyptians, and Radames, a captain of the Egyptian army engaged to Amneris, the Pharaoh’s daughter. The libretto is based on Giuseppe Verdi’s famous opera by the same title. The musical had its premiere on Broadway on 23 March 2000 and, performed almost 2,000 times, turned out a great success. It was soon staged in many musical theatres across the world. Now, Polish audiences also have an opportunity to enjoy the show with a cast of talented Polish actors. It is worth seeing it, especially so as to discover anew that love is the only thing that makes us alive.

IN BOOKSTORES “ICARUS. THE LEGEND OF MIETEK KOSZ” – MACIEJ PIEPRZYCA – AGORA Maciej Pieprzyca’s book is a story of Polish piano genius Mietek Kosz (1944-1973) inspired by real events.

Having lost his sight as a child, Kosz was sent to a centre for the blind where he discovered that music was a way to see again and talk about the world. And ever since he encountered jazz, his single goal was to become the best jazz pianist in Poland. Pieprzyca describes – with nostalgia and a sense of humour – what was behind Kosz’s success and his musical genius: loneliness, unfulfilled and fulfilled loves, childhood marked by disease, but above all his strong determination to challenge fate and fight for his dreams. Based on this story, Pieprzyca has also directed a feature film, which hit Polish cinemas this autumn. The story, as told by Pieprzyca in his book, teams with life and rhythm. Written in a succinct but absorbing manner, it contains many interesting anecdotes and tales from Kosz’s life. It reveals much more than we can see in the film. However, it opens to the reader the same world of a very sensitive person, a world full of sounds and sadness intermingled with an ironic sense of humour.

This story has reminded me of my definition of art: “changing the meaning of the reality that surrounds us.” I think that for Michelangelo, Mikhail Bulgakov and other great artists – sculptors, writers, musicians, filmmakers - “the external world” may also have been quite infertile and unkind. It may have been a dream and disappointment, in contrast to their internal world, which can still move us with its vitality and fertility.

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CULTURAL MONITOR

ON CDS

CM SINFONIA VARSOVIA – MÖBIUS – WARNER CLASSICS – CD

“Möbius” is an extraordinary album released by the prestigious Sinfonia Varsovia orchestra to mark the 30th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between Poland and the Republic of Korea. It documents musical relations between the two countries. The album features Symphony No. 5 by Krzysztof Penderecki, one of the most important Polish composers, and pieces written by Korean composers: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra by Jeajoon Ryu and “Gyol” by Geonyong Lee. Outstanding conductors Ralf Gothóni and Grzegorz Nowak, and piano virtuoso Mackenzie Melemed took part in the recording. It is Penderecki, the artistic director of Sinfonia Varsovia, who has initiated these Polish-Korean musical relations. His music marks a point of contact between the two cultures: in 1992 he composed his Symphony No. 5 commissioned by the Cultural Society of Korea. Jeajoon Ryu, a student of Penderecki, continues this intercontinental exchange. In his music he successfully combines the South Korean idiom with European tradition. This circulation of musical thought is completed by Geonyong Lee, a South Korean composer one generation older than Jeajoon Ryu. Having completed his studies in Seoul, he also came to Europe to continue his education. His composition draws on the work of avant-garde musicians while at the same time being inspired by the tradition of his own country.

MACIEJ OBARA QUARTET – “THREE CROWNS” – ECM – CD

The second album of the Polish-Norwegian quartet led by Maciej Obara, an outstanding Polish composer and saxophonist of the young generation, has been released by the prestigious German record company of Manfred Eicher. The quartet makes multi-layered music and is a unique alliance of very distinctive personalities, instrumentalists who have dedicated themselves to their joint work while at the same time being able to find a space for their own expression. The latest album, recorded in the French studio La Buissonne in March 2019, contains six premiere compositions written by the frontman and two pieces by Henryk Mikołaj Górecki (1933-2010), one of the greatest Polish composers of contemporary and religious music. For his interpretation Obara has chosen the first part of Górecki’s suite “Three Pieces in Old Style” (1963) and “Little Requiem for a Certain Polka” (1993). The saxophonist, accompanied by outstanding pianist Dominik Wania, double bassist Ole Morten Vågan and drummer Gard Nilssen, has rendered the compositions in a contemporary jazz style. The musicians play wonderfully throughout the album and they also listen to each other. As a finale, we get a moving tribute to Polish jazz icon Tomasz Stańko. It is an elegiac ballad composed by Obara and entitled “Mr. S.”. It is close in character to Stańko’s famous “Balladyna.”

“ICARUS. THE LEGEND OF MIETEK KOSZ” – SOUNDTRACK – LESZEK MOŻDŻER – OUTSIDE MUSIC - CD Music is an integral part of Maciej Pieprzyca’s film “Icarus. The Legend of Mietek Kosz.” The soundtrack was the responsibility of Leszek Możdżer, an eminent Polish jazz pianist and composer, a member of the elite group of Polish artists who always stay true to themselves. And their music, or just a phrase, is instantly recognisable.

“Initially, I approached Mietek Kosz’s music as a curator and wanted to preserve all boundaries of this form,” says Możdżer. “But it didn’t work because the language has changed. We have managed to create music which refers to the language of Kosz, but will appeal to the contemporary viewer.” The soundtrack, which includes illustrative music by Możdżer and arrangements of well-known compositions, jazz standards and Polish songs, not only builds the film’s atmosphere and expressiveness, but also shows successive stages in Kosz’s life in a wonderful and sensuous manner. It is a truly interesting release, one in which Leszek Możdżer shows himself again as a versatile composer and pianist with great sensitivity, intuition and his own style. These improvisations are excellent in their own right, not just as film music.

“THE BOOK OF SECRETS” – KRZYSZTOF HERDZIN – POLSKIE NAGRANIA – CD Krzysztof Herdzin is one of the most interesting Polish jazz pianists and composers. He moves confidently in various musical spheres: from song to jazz to classical music. By releasing “The Book of Secrets” in the Polish Jazz series, the Polskie Nagrania record company is continuing its tradition of showing the current picture of jazz music in Poland.

But jazz is mixed here with contemporary and film music. The music language that the composer uses originates from several traditions - romantic, impressionist and neoclassical – and important trends in contemporary jazz which have their source in the activity of progressive New York artists and European artists connected with the aesthetics of the ECM record company. The album’s instrumentation is unusual. Apart from the trio composed of a piano (Krzysztof Herdzin), double bass (Robert Kubiszyn) and drums (Cezary Konrad), there is also a tenor saxophone (Rick Margitza) and as many as five clarinets. The music tells about mysteries and topics most important to the composer: Human, Birth, Spirit, Universe, Faith, Love and Time. It is worth listening carefully to these mysteries.

ANIA RUSOWICZ – “AWAKENING” – AGORA – CD In a relatively short time, Ania Rusowicz has become one of the most recognisable Polish vocalists. She is the daughter of the famous Polish rock singer Ada Rusowicz (1944-1991) and very much resembles her mother with her singing, the timbre of her voice and behaviour on stage. On her third album, Ania offers music lovers a set of her own compositions.

They are pleasing to the ear and each contains some hit accents. The compositions are a mixture of well-chosen, rhythmic and melodious pieces. You have the impression that you have heard them before, but still they sound convincingly and coherently. The lyrics are mostly about love and the musicians move skilfully around this sound landscape. It is nice to listen to this music and even better to dance to it. It contains an element of naivety and guilelessness, a characteristic feature of the golden years of Polish beat music, the classic taste of the 1960s and 1970s, and reminiscences of Ania’s visits to New Orleans.

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CULTURE

Fragile SCORES KRZESIMIR DĘBSKI, an excellent Polish composer, arranger, conductor and jazz violinist, winner of the 2019 “Polish Market” Honorary Pearl award in the field of culture, talks to Maciej Proliński.

Who do you owe your music fascinations to? For the past four decades you have successfully combined contemporary, jazz, and pop music. Where does you versatility come from?

I’m a typical product of Polish music education. I went through a system of primary, secondary and tertiary education which probably only existed in the former communist countries. I studied composing under Andrzej Koszewski, and conducting under Witold Krzemieński, at the State Higher School of Music in Poznań. There I met a group of young people who also wanted to go beyond the music college curriculum, which was all about the classics. That’s how my interests shifted to these different areas of music. Besides, PM

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I come from a family with artistic traditions.

My father, Włodzimierz Sławosz Dębski, was a composer, musicologist and musician. He first worked as a teacher, and then the headmaster of music schools in Wałbrzych, Kielce and Lublin. He educated many generations of Polish musicians using innovative methods by introducing elements of improvisation for all students. My father was also a co-organiser and long-standing member of the jury of the Festival of Folk Bands and Singers in Kazimierz.

He documented Lublin region musical folklore.

He was also an amateur painter, graphic artist and sculptor, he was really versatile. If he was asked to sculpt a statue at a cemetery, he was glad to do it, and I often helped him with stonemasonry. After the end of the Second War World, he attended the famous Antoni Kenar art college in Zakopane, even though he was in ill health. So my family did have a share in shaping my professional life.

They say that the most beautiful instrument is the human voice, and that the sound of the violin is the closest to it.

That's exactly how it is. The advantage of the violin over other instruments it that its sound PM

is the most similar to the human voice. You can make it laugh or cry, you can even make it sing. Of course, at first it’s much more difficult to learn to play the violin, or any other string instrument, than the piano, where you just touch a key to produce sound.

Your jazz band String Connection was a huge international success in the 1980s, and it still is a recognised brand. In 1985 you were ranked by Downbeat among Top 10 jazz violinists. What were the 1980s like for you?

It was an exciting time, we gave over 3,000 concerts. Beginning in 1980, we appeared in the whole of Europe, the US and Canada. We performed at the largest and most prestigious jazz festivals. It was a very creative time of hard work. Poland was behind the iron curtain, yet our jazz was cheerful, it was full of energy, an antidote for those sad times. It was also a great way to travel abroad. Our music was popular in Poland, just as popular as rock music, which was rare. It was sometimes used in films, some of it was made into songs. So step by step, I became a composer of film music and I started to write songs.

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Photo. Katarzyna Milkiewicz

Part of the fun of working for “Polish Market” is that I can meet personalities who have been institutions of Polish culture since I was a kid. For me, you are one of them, an all-round artist.

I keep writing music. I can’t live without it. As a composer, you must move on with the times, never become apathetic. I like to work in many fields of music.

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CULTURE Is the String Connection a closed chapter?

We play all the time, but it’s off-andon. There are now four members, Andrzej Olejniczak on saxophone, Krzysztof Ścierański on bass guitar, and Krzysztof Przybyłowicz on drums. I play the violin and electric piano, replacing the late Janusz Skowron, the outstanding pianist who is greatly missed. In fact, he was the youngest among us. We took several longer breaks, when at the end of the 1980s, a lingerie product appeared on the market, which took its name from the first part of the band’s name (laughs). The association didn’t work in our favour. I now play the violin as a hobby and a studio guest musician, for instance on the recent album "Groovoberek" recorded by the MAP trio (guitarist Marcin Wądołowski, drummer Adam Czerwiński and bassist Piotr Lemańczyk).

The talents of these amazing artists have prompted Prof. Skarżyński to stage a musical entitled "Interrupted Silence," which tells real-life stories of patients who have regained the sense of hearing through cochlear implants. You recently wrote music for this musical.

It’s primarily about people who are excluded, about the other, about tolerance.

People don’t understand those who are hard of hearing, they don’t appreciate how precious the sense of hearing is. I first met Prof. Skarżyński on holiday. He was looking for therapeutic options for his patients through music. He started writing lyrics, and I wrote the music. It's a very interesting experience.

In my opinion, you need to experience the musical to understand the sense of victory the characters have.

"The Book of Hours” is a track from this album which is quite unique. It has echoes of Seifert and Coltrane…

It is quintessentially a jazz track, but it also goes beyond jazz. It’s spiritual. I cherished and admired Zbigniew Seifert, the brilliant Polish composer and violinist who, admirers say, translated John Coltrane's music into the language of string instruments.

Several years ago you took part in a competition for new music to illustrate early Charlie Chaplin films, announced by his heirs, and you won it. Chaplin's family picked you to provide scores for 16 classic comedies made between 1914 and 1917. In your music I can hear a spiritual affinity with Chaplin. It is lyrical, yet it sounds cheerful and irreverent. There is rhythm, action and vitality...

As I wrote incidental music in the past, some of it wasn’t used in actual movies. While working in the US, I learned that Limelights were looking for a composer to illustrate early Chaplin films. I tried and I succeeded. They picked recordings from my archive. Chaplin himself was a music talent, he even wrote music. Many composers nowadays write the same kind of simple, monotonous music which produces little emotion. I don’t think it’s the right thing to do. Life is full of everything colours, flavours, adventures, surprises. I’m glad you can hear it in my music.

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Music is said to be the most abstract of the arts. For me, music, which has its weight, is always an idea, a message. What are your thoughts on this?

It’s an interesting issue, but at the same time it’s a mystery. Each work of art is definitely an attempt to make contact with other people. Studies by Oliver Sacks, American neurologist and psychiatrist of Columbia University, show that just like language, music is purely a domain of humans.

Its sounds stimulate the brain, they spur it into action, they broaden our minds. Because of the complexity of emotions which music evokes, but also because of the nature of various neurological and psychological mechanisms which allow us to experience music, it has more impact on us than we think it has - even on those who are tone-deaf and unable to associate the pitch of sounds with emotions or meaning.

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For several years, you have appeared as a conductor at the Cochlear Rhythms festival initiated by ENT specialist Prof.

Henryk Skarżyński. It is a festival for people with hearing disorders who communicate using cochlear implants.

How important is this festival for you?

It produces huge amounts of wonderful positive energy, which emanates from all of its participants, but also from those gathered around this undertaking.

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people. It's probably best when songwriters are musically in touch with their audiences.

That’s the ideal.

And your ideal, which may sound surprising to many, is the world of classical and contemporary music ...

Yes, that's what I mostly do. I can write in different styles and techniques, but I like to write contemporary, classical music the most.

Some say that there is something eclectic in my music, sometimes jazzy, and that I have a distinct style, regardless of whether it is more or less serious music.

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Concerts and recordings matter in the world of classical music.

I can’t complain, I perform a lot. I’m glad that my songs are performed at philharmonic concerts, not just at festivals. There may be fewer albums these days, but writing scores matters the most to me. Fragile paper is the most important medium to preserve creative ideas. It's the best way to freeze time, also in music.

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What are you writing now?

I’m now writing an opera to Karol Wojtyła’s libretto "Job," based on one of his early dramas. The premiere, planned for the late Pontiff’s birth centenary, is to take place at the Polish Royal Opera in Warsaw.

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In what way should Poland promote itself through its culture? What does the Polish Market Honorary Pearl award mean to you?

Culture is something which connects us all, and makes us all different at the same time.

This diversity fascinates us. As I travel around Poland and other countries, I share my music with others. I find great pleasure in this, and at the same time a sense of fulfilment. I don't know if a Pearl brings luck or not, but to me it’s something special and good, coming from you (laughs).

You wrote many songs which have become evergreens such as "Time Makes You Smile."

And you sometimes say that songs are trivial.

Because they are. I write songs very quickly, sometimes a few minutes are enough. However, you can write and write, and may never see the end of it. So it is extremely difficult to write in such a way as to reach a wide range of

This year, two musicians have won cultural Pearls. So I would like to finally ask you about Janusz Strobel, who will also be collecting the award this year.

I have known Janusz for many years. We have a generational bond and we’re friends.

Janusz and I see musicians come and go. He is a smart gentleman from the seaside resort of Sopot. Janusz is unique, because in the era of electronic, acoustic instruments and noise, he plays quiet, refined and gentle music. It is all subdued and precise. It never sounds hurried or superficial like much of the music these days. There may now be more guitarists like him, but at the time when he started out in the 1970s, in Poland it was just him and no one else.

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Film music is a strange creation which is hard to define. Some say that the best film music is one you can't hear at the cinema.

I used a simple criterion. Good film music works in movie theatres, but also outside them.

Writing film music, I have always wanted to give it a clear motive, to allow it to be played quite independently of the movie, for example in concert halls.

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SPACE

CULTURE

DIMENSION JANUSZ STROBEL, Polish composer, arranger, classical guitar virtuoso, winner of the Polish Market Honorary Pearl 2019 in the field of culture, talks to Maciej Proliński.

You've surely been asked this before - what does music mean to you, that magical thing in between melody, harmony and rhythm.

For me, music is a philosophy of life, it is a way of life. It’s boundless like outer space, which gives you incredible possibilities to express your feelings.

Besides, music has been an inseparable part of my life for as long as I can remember.

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I know that music appeared in your life very early, and that you owe your first experience of music to your parents. But I also know that at the very beginning of your artistic path, you divided your interests between music and visual arts...

My parents were musicians. My father was a violinist and choir singer, and my mother was a pianist. I started my music education at the State Music School in Gdańsk, where I learned to play the violin. I can't say that I was doing particularly well. Maybe because in the same class was [future virtuoso Ed.] Konstanty Andrzej Kulka, who was miles ahead of us all at the time. I was also interested in many other things. I studied at the Fine Arts High School in Gdynia-Orłowo. Under sculptor Elżbieta Szczodrowska, I developed my interests in visual arts, while practising music. As a teenager, I took up guitar playing in Tri-City [Gdańsk, Gdynia and Sopot Ed.] jazz clubs. Fine arts didn’t stand the test of time. I’m still a fan of visual arts, but it’s all in the genes. Music won, the guitar in particular.

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They say that music is the most abstract of arts.

What’s your view on that?

In my opinion, it is the most abstract of arts.

Music, regardless of genre, is a universal language, though it is puzzling and ambiguous. Music is also the easiest way to communicate with other people.

It is the language of culture of a given country. In music, there is virtually nothing to limit the content and depth of the message.

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There seem to be no limits when it comes to the guitar. Is that why you eventually picked it as a companion in your musical travels?

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Photo. Katarzyna Milkiewicz

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CULTURE The guitar has its limitations, like any other instrument. These are dynamics and scale. I have been playing classical guitar for over 50 years, and this instrument shapes my everyday life. I can't leave it more than a couple of metres away. It accompanies me everywhere. The versatility of the guitar is amazing. It works brilliantly in all music genres, from folk, to songs, jazz, pop, rock, not forgetting classical music.

Do you collect guitars?

No, I don’t. The instrument must work all the time, not gather dust. I work with a great Polish luthier, Bogusław Teryks. He makes instruments for me to meet my expectations, because I find the sound of the instrument very important.

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You are one of the artists who successfully combine classical music, jazz and pop.

Stylistically, it’s an amazing range. You’ve been on stage for the past 50 years.

I consciously combine selected elements of classical, jazz and bossa nova music, and that’s what my music is all about. From the very beginning, I have eluded definitions, not allowing myself to be pigeonholed. I enjoy each level of my work. Composing, arranging, giving concerts and writing songs are like chapters of a single book.

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You wrote dozens of songs which have become evergreens. How important is song writing as a chapter?

It’s one of the most difficult ones. The song is such a brief form, and yet it must contain all the features of a monumental work. What’s more, it’s the result of the creative work of the composer and lyrics writer. I’m glad that I wrote music to lyrics by the most outstanding artists such as Magda Czapińska, Jonasz Kofta, Jan Wołek and Wojciech Młynarski.

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A good song lies somewhere at the meeting point of creative personalities: the composer, the lyrics writer and the performer. Sometimes, only one person has all these qualities. What can you say about song writing today?

The songwriter has disappeared as a profession. Many artists write songs for themselves. It's supposed to be very personal, your own. It may be inept, worthless in literary terms, but it’s your own. However, a song with good lyrics is still important for many artists and has its audience.

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A few years ago, you invited the great singer Nula Stankiewicz to a collaborative project. You entrusted her with wellknown songs previously performed by

other artists, but also with songs which had not yet seen the light of day. You now write and arrange songs specially for her.

Sitting on a jury at one of the literary song festivals 20 years ago, I met Nula, and I knew at once that she had incredible potential as an artist. Her adventure with music, like mine, also began with the violin, only that she played it much longer than I did, for 12 years.

But her fascination with songs determined her choices. We now work quite intensively.

Together, we have recorded the "Strobel Kofta Wołek" double album. In 2017, to mark the 20th anniversary of the death of the great poet Agnieszka Osiecka, we recorded an album and prepared a series of concerts entitled "Not so much about love." This was followed by a concert devoted to Jonasz Kofta’s works, which was entitled "Go Your Own Way." We are currently working on recording this material, and at the same time, on another venture devoted to songs written by Jeremi Przybora.

Let's talk about what’s going to happen in these many fields of your activity in the near future.

At the beginning of January I’m planning to enter the studio with my jazz trio, featuring Paweł Panta on double bass and Sebastian Frankiewicz on drums. I have invited Luis Ribeiro, a Brazilian drummer, to join the recording sessions.

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Polish jazz, Polish songs, all these chapters of Polish culture developed in communist Poland. Is it not one of the ironies of Polish history, showing the strength of Polish art?

People were thrown out of music schools for playing jazz music in my younger years.

Aside from politics, it was claimed that jazz distorted the image of "real" music. Polish schools did not introduce the guitar to their music curricula until the late 1960s. In the 20th century, art was, in a sense, a propaganda tool of the political system under which we lived.

But independent art, for sure jazz music, was our window to the outside world, something that could not be banned in its entirety. Those were the times when great personalities appeared on the scene, such as Włodzimierz Nahorny and Andrzej Kurylewicz, who in those years, as older colleagues, had a strong influence on me. The end of the 1960s was a time of student and jazz clubs. It was about art and socialising. We would also get together in each other’s homes. Relations were based on friendship, togetherness, mutual interests and trust. Money didn’t matter that much.

We built our world around other values. Now almost everyone is fighting for what they don’t yet have, that is, for material possessions.

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And now, instead of art, we have show business.

First, there’s a show, closely followed by business. It somehow doesn’t go hand in hand. I'm not against any music genres. I’m only terrified that the proportions have been skewed. This applies not only to the stage, but also to the media. They mostly pay attention to commercialised events. They no longer feel they have a mission of educating through art.

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On its part, “Polish Market” is doing what it can to show that economy and culture, including its necessary promotion, shouldn’t be worlds apart.

There is money behind the promotion of art, but those who have it shouldn’t decide about the quality of art. The word "sponsor" has crept into our language, but mostly in the sense of "the sponsor has withdrawn." Of course, art needs to be promoted to be seen. That is why people and institutions that support the development of Polish culture are so important.

But to support artists, you need to talk about them and their achievements, you need to attend their concerts. For two years Nula Stankiewicz and I have been hosting a threehour show "You Need to Dream" on RDC. Each show is about a different artist and their work.

Believe me, I never realised what a boundless treasury Polish culture is.

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"Janusz is unique mainly because he is one of those artists who, above all, value a sense of good taste in all artistic endeavour." That’s how the late jazzman Jarek Śmietana described you. This year we have two Honorary Pearls in the culture category. I would like to ask you about artist and composer Krzesimir Dębski, who will also collect the award this year.

I have known Krzesimir since the mid1970s, when he came to the legendary Warsaw jazz club Akwarium with a violin amplifier in his backpack. We don’t see each other much these days, but we are good friends. I am sad to say that you mainly see those you working with at the time. Krzesimir has many musical faces.

He is a great jazz musician, an outstanding arranger and composer of film music. He writes great pop music. He has written dozens of hits.

He is a phenomenal artist. I asked him a long time ago to write symphonic arrangements for several of my songs. They came out beautifully.

I play them to this day.

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And what does the "Polish Market" Honorary Pearl award mean to you?

It’s a wonderful distinction. The fact that you have noticed my, essentially niche, creativity is very moving and obliging. I’m very excited.

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CULTURE

SPOTLIGHT ON THE VASA

DYNASTY

A large-scale exhibition devoted to the Vasa dynasty, which ruled the Kingdom of Sweden (1523–1654) and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (1587–1668), has opened at the Royal Castle in Warsaw. It focuses on key personalities and art of the period.

It recreates the Vasa court against the background of Polish and European history. The exhibition will last until January 14.

Maciej Proliński

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80 art works and documents, on loan from over 77 domestic and foreign institutions, are on display in 11 rooms of the Royal Castle. Among them is the “Warsaw Panorama," which is back at the Castle 350 years after it was painted by Christian Melich. The famous "Rape of Europe" by Guido Reni, commissioned by Polish king Władysław IV, is shown courtesy of the National Gallery in London. Wax miniature portraits coming from Berlin, are shown in Poland for the first time. From Dresden comes a unique Władysław IV medal once considered lost.

A French museum has contributed "The Battle of Kircholm" painting by Pieter Snayers, commissioned by Sigismund III in 1619. The show is complete with a selection of portraits of Vasa dynasty members from European collections, including from Madrid, Vienna and Stockholm. The final part of the exhibition features a selection of architectural relics recovered from the Vistula River in 2011-2015.

"The Vasa epoch, during which the Castle was built, was a thoroughly European epoch.

Cultural contacts were pursued with West European countries, many foreign designs were adopted. The present exhibition is a great opportunity to broaden our perspective. The Royal Castle is usually associated with the

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reign of king Stanisław August Poniatowski in the 18th century. We want to highlight its earlier history related to the Vasa dynasty.

This is not just a display of fine works of art.

It is not just a historical exhibition featuring documents which present some aspects of life in Poland at the time. It has the ambition to embrace the whole of the era, the whole of the Vasa world, the world of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth which spanned almost a century," says Prof. Wojciech Fałkowski, director of the Royal Castle in Warsaw. "In a literal sense, the space created during the Vasa dynasty reign includes the Marble Room, which was designed in the 1640s, and was reconstructed following the wartime destruction by the Nazis during WWII. The upper part of the room was redesigned during the reign of king Stanisław August Poniatowski, but decorations in the lower part of the room have stayed exactly as the Vasa kings envisaged them. There are also movable artefacts: paintings and decorative objects dating back to the Vasa period," Prof. Falkowski explains. He notes that the exhibition is also devoted to ideas born in the 17th century. "There are references to the literature, court theatre and music of the time.

Thanks to an educational programme which accompanies the exhibition, a complex and

rich whole is evoked, which, we hope, will appeal to viewers and history lovers. We are able to get to know the Polish Vasas better not only by looking at paintings and pieces of sculpture, but also by finding out more about the politics and achievements of this dynasty," he emphasises.

According to curator Jacek Żukowski, the goal of the exhibition is also to bring together a Vasa art collection dispersed over the years, even if it is just for a short time. The collection has been assembled in partnership with the Wawel Royal Castle in Krakow and many other Polish and foreign museums, in Stockholm, Vienna, Munich, Rome, Paris, as well as private collectors. "The portrait gallery features all the Vasa royals who were part of this short-lived dynasty, which stayed in power for three generations. We focus on court culture, ceremonial occasions and everyday life at the court and its structure. We also trace the evolving attitude of Polish subjects toward the Vasa dynasty, their military campaigns, we present complex religious issues. All this combines to give visitors an insight into what society was like at the time.

For the first time, we take up the topic of Vasa-era diplomacy, which is holistically portrayed in a museum space,” says the curator.

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MAESTRO

IGNACYJANPADEREWSKI.COM

REMEMBERED The 6th Ignacy Jan Paderewski International Festival, organised by the Ave Arte Foundation, was held in Warsaw November 2-10.

It marked the 159th birth anniversary of the great Polish patriot, world-famous pianist and composer, prime minister and foreign minister, holder of the Order of Virtuti Militari and honorary citizen of the city of Warsaw. The festival’s aim is to promote Paderewski’s works and achievements. For the sixth time, “Polish Market” was a media patron of the event.

2-10 listopada 2019 ZAMEK KRÓLEWSKI

MUZEUM ŁAZIENKI KRÓLEWSKIE

STUDIO KONCERTOWE POLSKIEGO RADIA IM. WITOLDA LUTOSŁAWSKIEGO UNIWERSYTET MUZYCZNY FRYDERYKA CHOPINA

Maciej Proliński Organizator

ARTIST AND STATESMAN Ignacy Jan Paderewski (1860-1941) was an outstanding Polish pianist, composer, politician and statesman, a truly multidimensional figure. He was a rare combination of an artist whose masterly skills as a pianist, and his creativity as a composer, won him international acclaim and the admiration of concert-goers wherever he performed. He was a man of integrity and a public-spirited figure, which he repeatedly proved as a politician in the harsh realities of a reborn Polish state in the wake of WWI. Paderewski was charismatic, focused and he managed to rally others around the causes he championed.

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very well known nowadays, even though Poland owes him so much. He can be set as an example of a true patriot and public activist," emphasises Dąbrowski.

Over the past decade, the Ave Arte Foundation has carried out a number of spectacular projects devoted to Paderewski.

The festival in his name, which is held each November, is an interdisciplinary event featuring symphonic and chamber concerts, piano recitals, panel discussions and film screenings. Events are organised in prestigious Warsaw concert halls. This year’s venues included the Royal Castle Ballroom, the Witold Lutosławski Polish Radio Concert Studio and the Warsaw Philharmonic hall.

IN TRIBUTE TO PADEREWSKI

6TH FESTIVAL

The originator of the Paderewski festival is the president of the Ave Arte Foundation, Wiesław Dąbrowski, director, screenwriter and organiser of cultural events. "Thanks to his talents and personal attributes, Paderewski clearly stood out among Polish politicians, diplomats and artists of the day. He was a compelling public speaker, a hardworking piano virtuoso and a great composer. Four days before his death, (the late eminent musicologist-ed.) Jerzy Waldorff instructed me to take care of the legacy of Ignacy Jan Paderewski and Karol Szymanowski. I had no choice but to respect his wishes. We want to pay tribute to this outstanding man, whose achievements in the arts, diplomacy and public life are not

The sixth edition of the festival featured a number of outstanding musicians. The varied concert and film fare attracted large audiences. Apart from Paderewski's own works, there were also works by other Polish composers: Stanisław Moniuszko, Fryderyk Chopin, Maurycy Moszkowski, and Władysław Żeleński. The event kicked off on November 2 with a chamber music concert at the Royal Castle. Piano duo Yekaterina and Stanisław Drzewiecki performed works

by Moszkowski, Paderewski and Brahms.

Vocalists Joanna Kędzior, Katarzyna Szymkowiak, Sławomir Naborczyk and Karol Skwara performed arias from Moniuszko operas and songs, as well as songs written by Paderewski and Żeleński. A day later, a solo

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recital was given by the young Polish pianist Krzysztof Książek at the Witold Lutosławski Polish Radio Concert Studio, followed by Paderewski’s Polish Fantasy in G sharp minor performed by the renowned English pianist and conductor Ian Hobson who was accompanied by the Polish Radio Orchestra in Warsaw under Michał Kluza. On Paderewski’s 159th birth anniversary on November 6, a concert for students from schools named after the artist was held. The performers were young winners of music competitions.

Two documentaries were also shown, entitled "Paderewski - A Man of Action, Success and Fame" and "Peace Ambassador," both directed by Wiesław Dąbrowski. In the final symphonic concert at the Witold Lutosławski Polish Radio Concert Studio, the up-and-coming young Polish pianist Szymon Nehring performed Paderewski's famous Piano Concerto in A minor and other works, accompanied by the Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra under Ian Hobson. This extraordinary concerto is a truly passionate work, where the temperament of the virtuoso pianist and composer clearly comes across.

Thanks to appearances by artists such as Ian Hobson, the festival proved to be a real treat for concert goers, who were clearly moved by the emotional quality of Paderewski’s works.

The organisers and those who took part in the event paid tribute to the great artist and patriot. But the celebration also showed that his music lives on and is certain to appeal to coming generations of music lovers.

• DOFINANSOWANO ZE ŚRODKÓW MINISTRA KULTURY I DZIEDZICTWA NARODOWEGO POCHODZĄCYCH Z FUNDUSZU PROMOCJI KULTURY W RAMACH PROGRAMU „MUZYKA”, REALIZOWANEGO PRZEZ INSTYTUT MUZYKI I TAŃCA

WSPÓŁFINANSOWANO ZE ŚRODKÓW FUNDACJI PZU

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DOFINANSOWANO Z FUNDUSZU RODZINNEGO IN MEMORIAM SUZANNE LEISI KONOPKA

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CULTURE

SZCZAWNICA

GETS ITS SHINE BACK

HELENA MAŃKOWSKA, vice President of the Thermaleo Group, and NICOLAS MAŃKOWSKI, President of the Thermaleo Group, talk to Jerzy Mosoń.

Szczawnica Zdrój is a place where my grandparents used to go on holiday, then my parents followed the family tradition. I didn’t feel like visiting it myself, but my friends tell me that the descendants of Polish emigre aristocrats who have returned home, have restored it to its former splendour. Am I right?

Helena: We are on our way to make the Szczawnica resort shine again, and maybe to become even more beautiful than before WWII, when Polish and foreign socialites came to stay. Our family has been working toward this goal for over a decade, and the results are noticeable.

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Why Szczawnica?

Nicolas: In 1909, Count Adam Stadnicki – the grandfather of myself, Helena and Krzysztof, who is absent today- bought the Szczawnica resort and invested in its development until the outbreak of WWII. PM

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After 1945, his property was nationalised. Many years later, our father decided to build a new life in France. But he missed his home country, and instilled in us his love of Poland. As soon as the borders began to open up, we started to visit Szczawnica.

Was it easy to regain your family property?

Helena: No, it wasn’t. Efforts to regain the property were first made by Adam Stadnicki’s heirs well over a decade ago. A few years later, our family set up the company Thermaleo, which we currently manage. When it became clear that the property would indeed be returned to us, our family decided to invest. As we made plans, we needed to take into account the interests of existing tenants, this was the pre-condition we were set. It was clear to us right from the start that if we were to undertake this task, we had to take care not only of PM

REGIONS

WE WANT IT TO BECOME A PLACE POPULAR WITH ARTISTS, LIKE IT USED TO BE IN THE PAST, WHEN THE GREATEST ACTORS AND ACTRESSES SUCH AS HELENA MODRZEJEWSKA AND STEFAN JARACZ PERFORMED HERE.

the buildings, but also of the surroundings, to develop the business in a sustainable way.

We started the Szczawnica revitalisation project with the Pump Room on Dietla Square, where you can drink healing water. Then there was the Helenka cafe, art gallery, and the Modrzewie Park Hotel. In partnership with the municipality, we have also revitalised the Lower and Upper Park.

Nicolas: We wanted to show that our goal was to develop the town. We soon realised that this wouldn’t be an easy task. In the immediate vicinity of Szczawnica there are no tall mountains, it’s not on the seaside, and the town itself doesn’t lie close to any large urban centres, which means that it must become the attraction itself. We decided to build the resort’s brand step by step – to develop it as a tourist destination with its own history. If all goes to plan, it could well become Poland’s answer to the Swiss resort of St. Moritz.

Is this your plan for Szczawnica?

Helena: The Szczawnica health resort will be better than St. Moritz, because we want luxury to be available to a broad spectrum PM

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of visitors. We make sure that the service we provide is up to the highest standards, whether you stay at the Villa Marta B&B or at the five-star Modrzewie Park Hotel. That's what makes the resort so unique. We want it to become a place popular with artists, like it used to be in the past, when the greatest actors and actresses such as Helena Modrzejewska and Stefan Jaracz performed here. The aim of the Andrzej Mańkowski Foundation, which was set up in April 2013, is to revive the cultural life of Szczawnica, drawing on its rich tradition. Thus, when designing cultural venues, we make sure that artists enjoy the same sense of comfort as their viewers.

Nicolas: We want to revitalise the old resort to make it look as close as possible to the original, while at the same time offering modern solutions. 100 years ago Szczawnica stood out in terms of its original architecture.

The highlanders’ style from the Zakopane area is based on the use of rough-cut heavy wooden structures such as roadside inns. By contrast, Szczawnica features Hungarian influences house designs are lighter, buildings are taller and smarter.

Where did these original designs come from?

Helena: We owe it to Józef Szalay, who took over his family estate in the 19th century, developed the resort and gave it a special feel.

We are doing our best to restore it. We have rebuilt, among others, a guest house which was consumed by fire in 1962, an architectural pearl of the resort. It now houses the cultural and business centre of Szczawnica and the region. We also make a point of providing the comforts the most demanding guests are accustomed to. They can stay at the fivestar Modrzewie Park Hotel, which is located in the refurbished Willa pod Modrzewiami, built in 1939.

Nicolas: But we don’t just want to attract the most affluent visitors to shop for luxuries. We want to offer high standard accommodation, but at a reasonable price.

Our biggest treasures are nature and healing waters. We want to let visitors enjoy these riches. We prefer to invest in quality and sustainable development, rather than trying to start an investment boom. That’s our philosophy.

• PM

tel. 22 582 61 30 e-mail: andrzej.swiderski@bcc.org.pl

special edition

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ECONOMY 4.0

WONDERFUL

WORLD OF

coffee

TOMASZ OBRACAJ, President of Apro Trade and owner of the Tom Caffè® brand, talks to Danuta Bierzańska.

Can you remember your first coffee? Was that when your coffee adventure began?

Yes, I can remember I didn't like it. But it was in my childhood that my passion began.

In my family home, in the Warsaw suburb of Michalin, my mother was a great coffee lover. Since my childhood, my duty was to grind coffee for my mum every morning.

I used a hand grinder which was hanging on the kitchen wall. After this ceremony, the wonderful aroma of coffee filled out home for hours. I think I’m very lucky to have been working in the coffee industry for over 35 years.

It has given me a chance to explore the world, meet wonderful people and find out about many secrets of my favourite drink.

PM

When did you start working with coffee on a professional basis?

I started out in the industry as a floor trader on the London Coffee Exchange in 1982. Three years later, the company moved me to the main office, also in London. That was the start of my adventure with buying coffee at plantations in various parts of the world and its

sales in Europe. For the next 25 years I worked in companies in London and Geneva. It was a job which required spending about 60% of my time traveling around the coffee world, which I loved. Along with sampling some great coffees, I had the opportunity to visit many wonderful places and meet some wonderful people. This helped me understand that coffee is not only a magic brew, but above all it’s about people, their culture and environment. In the meantime, I held a number of additional functions. I sat on the board of the UK Coffee Trade Federation and the Coffee Advisory Group for LIFFE (London International Financial Futures and Options Exchange).

I was also the Private Sector Advisor for ICO (International Coffee Organisation).

PM

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At the same time, you became a coffee promoter and started to work as a public activist.

In 1998, together with colleagues from several European countries, I was one of the founders of SCAE (Specialty Coffee Association of Europe), whose goal was to PM

promote knowledge about coffee and its culture.

In 2004-05 I served as the president of the organisation, and I am its ambassador to this day. Since 2017, following a merger with the American sister organisation (SCAA), the new SCA has been the largest independent organisation bringing together thousands of members around the world - from individual coffee lovers to large international companies.

In 2000, we set up a SCAE branch in Poland.

In 2002, we organised the first Polish Barista Championships to nominate Polish entrants for the World Barista Championship, which is held during the World of Coffee fair every year. In 2008, we first organised the Coffee Olympics, which is an opportunity for young baristas to take their first steps in front of the jury, audience and cameras. It turned out that the competition for perfectly brewed coffee attracts many young people who want to excel at what they do. This makes them even more passionate about coffee, and helps them to acquire new skills and knowledge, thus further improving the quality of coffee we are served. Brewing coffee has become a profession, instead of being

ECONOMY

I SEE A GREAT FUTURE FOR COFFEE IN POLAND. IT’S THE "IN" THING. WE NOW HAVE COUNTLESS COFFEE BRANDS AND VARIETIES ON THE MARKET, MANY METHODS AND INSTRUMENTS FOR BREWING IT, MANY COFFEE SCHOOLS AND PROFESSIONALS, ENTHUSIASTS AND ADMIRERS OF GOOD COFFEE WHO BENEFIT FROM ALL THIS CHOICE.

Apro Trade Sp. z o.o. T : +48 22 781 7777

just one of the many jobs performed in a café.

A hobby has been turned into a career path. In 2018, Polish entrant Agnieszka Rojewska was the first woman in the world to win the Barista World Championship in Amsterdam.

What are the current challenges facing the coffee industry?

There are many challenges: overproduction, which means that coffee prices are low and subject to fluctuations, reduced supplies from major coffee producers, rising production costs, the need to ensure food safety and combat poverty in coffee growing countries, to couteract the negative impact of climate change on the quality and efficiency of production. Fortunately, declining coffee consumption trends have been reversed. In the 1980's, young people stopped drinking coffee in favour of coke and other soft drinks.

Coffee was no longer as popular as among their parents’ generation. But a campaign promoting coffee consumption among young people has proved a success, among others thanks to the popularity of the TV series “Friends,” which PM

NarutowiczaPM 37 info@tomcaffe.com was largely set in cafes. Young people ul. today What kind of competition are you facing?

05-091 Ząbki, Poland www.tomcaffe.com drink a lot of coffee, which is prepared in lots Is a craft coffee scene emerging? of ways.

We have a huge amount of competition.

We were one of the first on the market 20 PM In what ways has the coffee market changed years ago, and now there are hundreds, if not in Poland? thousands of small coffee roasters in Poland.

In communist Poland, coffee was Many of them were set up with the use of a luxury. It was often in short supply. But it EU funding, and are currently developing was very good quality coffee. The collapse their coffee business. There is no way small of communism coincided with a crash on roasters can compete with giants like MK the coffee market caused by a breakdown of Cafe, Prima, Lavazza and Tchibo head on. We the International Coffee Agreement. Over can only beat them in terms of quality. We time, the coffee market in Poland recovered have to buy top quality beans and roast them and, as I’ve mentioned, coffee promotion using the traditional method. Coffee coming from craft roasters is thus better, but it must campaigns have made it popular among young people. In 1998 I founded Apro Trade be more expensive. I see a great future for / Akademia Kawy® in Poland. Its main goal coffee in Poland. It’s the "in" thing. We now have countless coffee brands and varieties on is to spread the high-quality coffee culture in Poland through education and the running the market, many methods and instruments of coffee competitions. A few years later, our for brewing it, many coffee schools and craft coffee roaster and our brand Tom Caffè® professionals, enthusiasts and admirers of were developed. The brand is faithful to the good coffee who benefit from all this choice. traditions of high-quality Italian espresso I’m very happy because this was my dream and seasonal specialty coffees. Our coffee is many years ago, and I think that my mother available in our online store.

• would be proud of me.

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ORGANIC FOOD

WE ARE 135 years old

T

his year the Średzka Spółdzielnia Mlecza rska “Ja na” d a i r y cooperative is celebrating the 134th anniversary of its establishment.

On October 15, the firm was featured at the Polish Economic Exhibition in Warsaw, organised by the Polish President’s Office to mark the centenary of the regaining of independence by Poland.

With the assistance of the National Museum of Agriculture and Agricultural-Food Industry in Szreniawa, Średzka Spółdzielnia Mleczarska “Jana” from Środa Wielkopolska, held a workshop on Warsaw’s Piłsudskiego Square. The main purpose of the workshop was to present the traditions of dairy production and to teach the participants how to use traditional methods for manufacturing dairy products. The presentations involved methods of churning and making cottage cheese using traditional presses.

“We have managed to maintain all our customs and traditions for 134 years, while introducing new methods to support the traditional technologies in use at our dairy cooperative. That is why many of our products bear the ‘Jakość Tradycja’ (Quality & Tradition) certificate.

To be worthy of this mark, our products had to undergo a very long series of highly specific tests. We also needed to prove that we had been making these products for at least 50 years. Our products are known for their excellent quality and are free of preservatives, which is very important.

Our cream cheese, cottage cheese and kefir products are available both in Poland and

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abroad. In 2016 our exports reached 16.5% in value terms. This is a lot, particularly for a producer of fresh goods with a short shelf life that need to be refrigerated. Throughout the last 25 years almost everything has changed here except for the address of our cooperative,” said the cooperative's President.

“Our products are based on raw milk coming from the Wielkopolskie region, notably from the Środa Wielkopolska and Poznań areas, which are ecologically sound, which is a guarantee of. top quality milk. In the early 1990s we took a number of effective measures to promote a professional approach to the quality of raw milk. This was connected with refrigeration directly after milking and the gradual liquidation of buying stations and production divisions. Dairies were replaced by direct collection and the majority of production was moved to the main facility, while the quality of raw milk was gradually increased to keep ahead of the competitors. As part of the measures to ensure compliance with EU requirements we have carried out a number of projects involving changes in the facility’s infrastructure, techniques and technologies and a considerable increase in production capacity. Over the last 25 years the number of suppliers has decreased, although in overall terms milk production increased to a significant degree as a result of consolidation of suppliers and higher milk yield per cow,” said Maria Czwojdrak, President of Średzka Spółdzielnia Mleczarska “Jana”.

•

ORGANIC FOOD

FOOD

YOU CAN TRUST W

e operate globally, but we do not just think globally - this is the motto of the Polish Ecology Association.

For the past 13 years, the Association has developed methods of integrating food producers and processing companies to offer them development opportunities. The goals of a globalised agriculture are quite different from those of the Polish agri-food sector. Our members are present at all kinds of events which bring consumers together with organic farmers and food processing companies. At exhibitions, open-air markets and fairs we promote the idea of healthy eating among visitors, who can sample organic dishes and find out how organic food is produced in line with stringent certification rules. As a result, the ranks of ecoconsumers are growing, and the organic food market keeps developing.

Its current value is estimated at PLN 1.1 billion. We are pleased that customers are increasingly aware of what they eat, they carefully read product labels, check the ingredients and origin, and look for food whose quality is confirmed through a certificate bearing the symbol of the EU green leaf with stars. According to the Institute for Market and Social Studies, 69% of Polish shoppers are ready to pay more for organically produced Polish food.

Activities conducted in foreign markets help our farmers and food processing companies to benefit from fresh development opportunities.

One example of multi-sided benefits are presentations by several dozen Polish exhibitors at the BioFach fair in Nuremberg, the largest event devoted to the organic food industry, which attracts as many as 50,000 visitors. These presentations have been held for over a decade. We show products we can be proud of. We can also compare them with what some 3,000 exhibitors from around the world have to offer. 600 new products were shown at the fair this year. The Polish food on display is of ecoquality, thus raising the profile of Polish products. The latest report by the National Centre for Agricultural Support shows that an 8% increase was recorded in agri-food exports in the past year alone.

In 2020 the Polish Ecology Association will enter a new stage of its activities. As a collective representative of the Polish organic food sector, it will be promoting EU organic food in the United States, Indonesia,

Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. With a combined population of around 767 million, these are huge markets where the percentage of customers looking for eco- quality food is steadily growing. The project, which is jointly implemented with Italy’s BioAgriCoop association of organic producers, is gathering pace. It encompasses a series of activities spread out over a three-year period under the slogan "Organicity. Taste the wellness of EU organic food," which is basically a way of encouraging consumers in the target markets to experience the wellness of European organic food. The two organisations launch information campaigns about the high quality of eco- products, production requirements, the EU certification systems and the significance of the EU organic food logo. The aim is to boost the competitiveness and consumption of EU agricultural products through participation in food industry fairs, seminars, lectures, B2B meetings, workshops, presentations and food tastings in supermarkets. Week-long study tours of Polish organic farms and food processing companies are organised for importers from target countries. These activities directed at consumers, importers, distributors and restaurateurs, will be promoted on a joint website, along with advertising and publications in trade magazines.

The longstanding experience of the Polish Ecology Association and its partners in promoting and disseminating knowledge about organic farming, and the implementation of promotional projects in third countries, are bound to increase awareness of Polish organic food among foreign consumers and importers. In the past 13 years of its existence, the organic food organisation has held in Poland hundreds of culinary workshops, meetings with consumers and talks at national and international trade fair events. The President of the Association is Paweł Krajmas, an experienced organiser and certified master butcher, an authority in the field of organic food production, an award-winning and well-known public activist from the Podkarpackie region. Managing director Jolanta Lyska has been taking care of the association’s day-to-day operations from the very beginning. Organic food production methods contribute to the protection of society’s health and help to preserve biodiversity in line with the slogan: Euroleaf - a symbol of the highest quality product.

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The content of this promotion campaign represents the views of the author only and is his/her sole responsibility. The European Commission and the Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency (CHAFEA) do not accept any responsibility for any use that may be made of the information it contains.

INDUSTRY

Discover the beautiful story of the EU organic certification process with Organicity.

Organicity is a project co-funded by the European Commission, aimed at sharing the power of European regulation and the importance of organic farming and food production. Organicity is also a new opportunity to discover the beauty and the taste of organic products from the European Union. This process guarantees high quality, safety, and traceability of a wide range of food products; plus, it combines the values of organic farming with the promotion of the European organic products.

Organicity promotes the values of organic regulation: certification; biodiversity, respect for the environment and naturalness; traceability and transparency; animal welfare.

The Organicity network is composed of a network of producers whose production system is controlled and certified by authorized bodies. Consumers, importers, distributors, and restaurateurs are the subjects that Organicity project want to reach out to, especially in our target countries: USA, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Singapore.

The European organic leaf can only be used on products certified by an authorized body, when they contain at least 95% of organic ingredients and additionally respect further strict conditions for the remaining 5%.

This label helps consumers to identify organic products and farmers to market them across the entirety of the EU. It is possible to test the knowledge about the world of organic food and the European regulation by downloading our App, available for free on Play Store and App Store.

The growing request for organic food products is part of a big movement of consumers who are aware and ask for products with higher authenticity. Organicity promotes the cultural values of the organic certification while managing a B2B and B2C promotion strategy.

Visit www.organicityeu.com and follow @organicityproject on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube to know more.

Organicity helps to understand the meaning of European organic labels, the difference between natural and certified organic products, the nutritional aspects, the cooking and consuming habits and the main combinations between the different products.The project also aims at increasing the confidence of consumers, importers, distributors, and restaurateurs in EU organic products.

Everybody likes typical European products such as pasta, olive oil, red fruits juices and jams, balsamic vinegar, cured meat and cheese, while the importance of the organic certification process is not always clear For this reason, Organicity promotes the importance of the “Organic Leaf” logo.

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CONTACTS info@organicityeu.com | www.organicityeu.com @organicity_project

THE EUROPEAN UNION SUPPORTS CAMPAIGNS THAT PROMOTE HIGH QUALITY AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS

G R A P H I C S & P H OTO G R A P H Y

Studio DTP • Photography • Print • Graphics • Editorial design #spirit #nature #meditation #zen #buddhism #moments #food #vege #minimal #sense #awareness #mind

T

he great Dutch painter and graphic artist, considered one of the greatest painters in history, is sometimes called the painter of the soul. He mastered the chiaroscuro technique to perfection, using it to make his works look more dramatic and to heighten their mood.

He was inspired by motifs taken from the Bible and Greek myths, but he also painted genre scenes, landscapes and numerous portraits, including many self-portraits. The exhibition at the Royal Castle promises to be an unmissable opportunity to experience so many of his works in one place at one time. During the Rembrandt Year, the Royal Castle also celebrates the 25th anniversary of a unique gift by Prof. Karolina Lanckorońska (1898-2002). This art historian, activist of the Polish expatriate community in Italy, and the last descendant of the Lanckoroński aristocratic family, decided to donate two famous paintings by the Dutch master, "Girl in a Picture Frame" (1641) and "Scholar at His Writing Table" (1641) to the Royal Castle in Warsaw, where they can now be admired. At the exhibition, visitors will be able to learn more not just about the paintings themselves, but also about their extraordinary history, as well as their popularity over the centuries.

The focal point of the exhibition will of course be the two famous paintings. The first part of the show will be devoted to the history of both works. Portraits of Polish collectors who used to own Rembrandt paintings, will also be shown. A special place among them is occupied by Prof. Lanckorońska.

The "Scholar at His Writing Table" and "Girl in a Picture Frame" originally belonged to the private collection of Poland’s last king Stanisław August Poniatowski. They were both purchased in 1777. The king’s nephew, Prince Józef Poniatowski, heir to the throne, inherited them after the king’s death. The paintings were acquired from him by Kazimierz Rzewuski and then passed through several aristocratic families, ending up in the possession of the Lanckoroński family. The family owned one of the most significant art collections in Europe. In 1994, Prof. Lanckorońska donated 13 works to the Royal Castle in Warsaw which are currently displayed in three rooms on the ground floor.

In one of the rooms, the two glass-encased Rembrandt paintings are on show. In the room you can also find large X-ray images of the paintings. The second part of the exhibition is devoted to 18th and 19th century copies of works by Dutch masters. These include paintings, prints and miniatures,

testifying to the popularity of the original works, and showing how differently the same image may look depending on the technique and scale which have been used. The final part of the exhibition, which consists of 31 prints and 3 drawings by Rembrandt from other Polish Collections, places the two paintings held in the castle’s collection in a broader context. In this part of the exhibition you will find studies of the figures of women, older people and scholars, as well as Rembrandt's self-portraits and images of • his closest relatives.

Window to the World

www.port.gdynia.pl