From 8 to 10 September, Karpacz hosted the 35th Economic Forum, one of the largest and most significant socio-economic conferences in Central and Eastern Europe. At the invitation of the Minister of Science and Higher Education, the event was attended by Dominika Narożna, Prof. AMU, PhD, DSc, Member of the Board of the AMU Foundation.
For over 30 years, the Economic Forum has provided a platform for dialogue between representatives of politics, business and civil society. This year’s edition brought together more than 6,000 participants from over 60 countries. The programme covered eight thematic areas: AI Forum, Digitalisation Forum, Healthcare Forum, Forum of Regions, Economy, International Politics and Security, Society, and Sustainable Development.
Dominika Narożna, Prof. AMU, PhD, DSc, participated in the panel discussion entitled “Science4Business: Science Driving the Economy.” The discussion was moderated by Marcin Iskra, Director General at the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. Other panellists included Anna Grzegorczyk from Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, Natalia Osica, Chair of a working group at the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, and Piotr Wachowiak, Prof. SGH, PhD, DSc, Rector of the SGH Warsaw School of Economics.
The discussion focused on the “Science4Business – Science for Business” project, which aims to improve the effectiveness of Technology Transfer Centres and special purpose companies affiliated with research organisations in cooperating with businesses, including through the commercialisation of research and development (R&D) results.
“In five years, I would like to see Technology Transfer Centres as professional partners in technology development and business cooperation, rather than merely offices handling patent applications. Intellectual property protection remains important, but it should be part of the path towards implementation, not its final destination,” emphasised Dominika Narożna.
She also highlighted the importance of cooperation between Technology Transfer Centres and special purpose companies, technology parks, laboratories, investors and industry representatives.
“Technological readiness does not necessarily mean market readiness. Success requires bringing together technology, users, production, regulations, teams and capital. (…) In this model, PPNT can contribute its infrastructure, R&D capabilities, business networks and support for business development and internationalisation”, she noted.
Participants in this year’s Forum included Andrzej Duda, President of the Republic of Poland from 2015 to 2025; Václav Klaus, former President and Prime Minister of the Czech Republic; Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence of Poland; Mateusz Morawiecki, Prime Minister of Poland from 2017 to 2023; Krzysztof Gawkowski, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Affairs of Poland; and Filip Ivanović, Deputy Prime Minister of Montenegro for Foreign and European Affairs.
Discussions at the Forum addressed security, economic development prospects, contemporary challenges and ways to overcome crises. The programme also featured presentations of innovative solutions and concepts, alongside author meetings, concerts and film screenings.
Dominika Narożna’s participation at the invitation of the Minister of Science and Higher Education provided a valuable opportunity to highlight PPNT’s role in technology development, cooperation between science and business, and the commercialisation of research results.
