Poznań Science and Technology Park launches a new support program for young scientists – BioChem Start. This initiative is aimed at young PhDs in chemistry and biotechnology who want to develop their innovative ideas outside of the university. The best projects submitted will receive up to 200,000 PLN in financial support and the opportunity to work with PPNT experts on the implementation and commercialization of their research results.
We invest in ideas and people!
BioChem Start is an original program of the Poznań Science and Technology Park of the Adam Mickiewicz University Foundation in Poznań. Unlike traditional research grants, it does not impose topics—the participants themselves define the direction they want to take. PPNT invests in scientists and their ideas, providing annual financial, mentoring, and technological support to jointly assess the project’s development potential and prepare it for market implementation.
„We want young doctors to not have too choose between science and business. Many of them have excellent ideas that never make it beyond the laboratory—often due to a lack of funds, facilities, or support for commercialization. BioChem Start is a space where they can safely test their ideas, develop them, and check their market potential, drawing on the experience of the PPNT team and our laboratories. It is an investment in people who want to and are able to combine the world of science with economic practice—because that is where true innovation is born. ” – emphasizes Dr. Marcin Śmiglak, Vice President of the Management Board, Head of the Material Synthesis Team at PPNT.
What we offer to our participants?
Participants qualified for the programme will gain:
• funding of up to PLN 200,000 for the implementation of an original research and implementation project,
• possibility to work in technological and biotechnological laboratories of PPNT,
• substantive support of experts in the field of research, commercialization and intellectual property,
• market validation of the idea, i.e. an assessment of its technological and business potential,
• preparing the commercialization path and the launching plan,
• employment at the AMU Foundation for the incubation period.
For who is this programme?
The following individuals are eligible to participate in the program:
• individuals with a PhD in chemistry or biotechnology,
• authors of innovative ideas with implementation or market potential,
• scientists who want to develop their projects outside the academic environment, in a real business setting.
How does the process work?
Programme is divided into two stages:
- Recruitment – formal and substantive evaluation of applications by the Evaluation Team.
- Incubation – a one-year stage of work on developing the idea under the supervision of the PPNT Coordinator.
Participants will work with experts to develop a business plan, conduct laboratory research, and prepare a validation report, which will form the basis for decisions on further implementation.
How to apply?
Applications for the programme BioChem Start are made via the on-line form available here.
The deadline for the applications passes on the 15th of February 2026
All the details, especially the ones regarding recruitment rules, projects evaluations and incubation rules are placed in the BIOCHEM START PROGRAMME RULES AND REGULATIONS.
Why it is worth it to participate?
For 30 years, PPNT has been supporting the development of innovation in Poland – from the idea, through the prototype, to market implementation. The BioChem Start program is another step towards building a bridge between science and entrepreneurship, with an emphasis on real results and the practical application of research findings.
If you have an idea that could change the world of chemistry or biotechnology, now is the time to make it happen.
