The year 2022 is now behind us. For Łukasiewicz – PORT, it was an intensive period marked by many important events. We would like to recall the most significant of them.
A New Space for Science
On 4 April 2022, an agreement was signed to equip Łukasiewicz – PORT with State Treasury real estate. As a result, the Institute’s premises expanded by more than 4 hectares of land and 21,000 square meters of building space. The newly acquired facilities will house additional laboratories as well as a clinical unit enabling research in the field of biotechnology.
The Second WIB Call
The beginning of 2022 was marked by activities related to the Virtual Research Institute (WIB). On 17 January, an agreement was signed with the Research Team selected in the first WIB call. The HERO team, led by Prof. Andrzej Dziembowski, received nearly PLN 70 million to conduct research on new cancer therapy methods using therapeutic mRNA technology.
On 10 March, the second WIB call was announced, with a funding pool exceeding PLN 380 million for research in medical biotechnology and oncology. Eight applications were submitted, seven of which successfully passed the formal evaluation stage. The projects are currently undergoing substantive assessment. The results of the call will be announced in March 2023.
Scientific Conferences
In autumn 2022, two international scientific conferences were held at Łukasiewicz – PORT. The Symposium on Advanced Technologies and Materials ATAM 2022 (6–9 September 2022) focused on hybrid materials, photonic materials, 2D coatings, polymers, and perovskites. The PORT for Health: Oncology 2022 conference (28–30 September 2022) provided a unique opportunity to learn about the latest results and research directions related to the causes and treatment of cancer.
Horizon Europe Grant and New Research Projects
In 2022, researchers from Łukasiewicz – PORT secured a total of 20 projects with a combined value exceeding PLN 54 million. They achieved notable success in competitions of the National Science Centre as well as within the Horizon Europe programme. Under Horizon Europe, the Life Sciences and Biotechnology Center team at Łukasiewicz – PORT obtained a grant of EUR 1.5 million to carry out the SAME-NeuroID project focused on neuropsychiatric disorders. In this project, the Institute serves as the coordinator of a consortium comprising leading European research institutions: the Paris Brain Institute, the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Munich, and the Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam.
In 2022, the implementation of eight projects acquired in December 2021 also began, with total funding for Łukasiewicz – PORT amounting to PLN 8.5 million.
New Research Groups
In 2022, the Research Centers of Łukasiewicz – PORT were expanded by three new research groups: the Biobank Research Group at the Life Sciences and Biotechnology Center (leader: Dr Patrycja Gazińska), the Materials for Photonics Research Group at the Materials Engineering Center (leader: Dr Muhammad Danang Birowosuto), and the Epigenetics of Infectious Diseases Research Group at the Population Diagnostics Center (leader: Dr Heng-Chang Chen).
Gardens of Experience
Last year, the PORT Technology Education Center – Gardens of Experience began its operations at the Institute, inviting children and school youth to educational workshops in chemistry, physics, biology, natural sciences, and ecology. In 2022, nearly 140 hours of workshops were delivered at the Gardens of Experience, with approximately 1,500 participants from 35 educational institutions taking part.
Industry Contact Point
In 2022, Łukasiewicz – PORT launched the Industry Contact Point for Medical Technologies and Health (ICP MTH), which supports researchers and entrepreneurs in obtaining funding from the Horizon Europe programme for innovative research and the implementation of novel technologies.
Doctoral School
Łukasiewicz – PORT initiated cooperation with the Piasts of Silesia Wrocław Medical University in the field of doctoral education. As a result, young researchers from the medical university will be able to combine doctoral studies with work in research teams and participation in applied research and projects conducted by international research teams at the Institute.
We would like to thank everyone who contributed to these achievements.
