From 21 to 24 October 2026, the International Congress on Sustainable Development in the Human Environment & Current and Future Challenges (ICSDEV 2026) took place in Side, Türkiye. Researchers from the Poznań Science and Technology Park (PPNT), Rafał Kukawka, PhD, and Maciej Spychalski, participated in the event, presenting their research findings and experiences in commercialising technologies developed at PPNT.
The congress brought together representatives of academia and business, providing a platform for exchanging knowledge and experiences in sustainable development. The programme covered topics such as agricultural sciences, environmental engineering, natural resource conservation, water management, and innovative technologies supporting sustainable agricultural production.
Maciej Spychalski delivered two presentations focusing on the practical aspects of technology transfer and the commercialisation of scientific research. His first presentation highlighted the activities of ATI Sp. z o.o. as an example of successfully transferring technologies developed at a research institution into commercial applications. In his second presentation, he outlined the development process of tailor-designed salicylate technology, from the design and synthesis of new active compounds, through biological testing and field trials, to the development of products with practical applications in agriculture.
Rafał Kukawka, PhD, presented research findings from the LIDER (LIDER13/0211/2022) and SONATA (UMO-2022/47/D/NZ9/02327) projects, which focus on the development and evaluation of new biologically active compounds.
One of the congress sponsors was ATI Sp. z o.o., a PPNT spin-off company established in 2024 by researchers developing innovative tailor-designed salicylate technology. Its co-founders, Rafał Kukawka, PhD, and Maciej Spychalski, combine their scientific work at PPNT with entrepreneurship, translating research findings into solutions with market potential.
Another sponsor of the event was Biostyma Sp. z o.o., an agrochemical company operating since 2014 and specialising in the production of fertilisers and biostimulants. Cooperation with research institutions is an important part of the company’s activities, enabling the development and implementation of innovative technologies. One example of this collaboration is BioSAL, a biostimulant developed jointly with PPNT and successfully introduced to the market, based on tailor-designed salicylate technology.
During the congress, Tomasz Piotrowski, President of the Management Board of Biostyma, presented the story behind the development of BioSAL from a business perspective. He discussed the collaboration with researchers, the process of bringing the product to market, and the significance of this innovation for the company’s future development.
The participation of PPNT representatives in ICSDEV 2026 provided an opportunity not only to present research findings to an international audience but also to demonstrate how collaboration between academia and business contributes to technological development and the practical application of innovative solutions in agriculture.
