In 2023, Łukasiewicz – PORT secured 17 projects, launched four new research groups, and established its first start-up. It was also a year of numerous scientific events hosted at our Institute. Below, we recap the most significant developments of the past year.
New Director of the Institute
In February 2023, the position of Director of the Łukasiewicz – PORT Polish Center for Technology Development was assumed by Dr. hab. Eng. Alicja Bachmatiuk, who succeeded Dr. Andrzej Dybczyński, appointed President of the Łukasiewicz Research Network. The new Director continues the mission of developing the Institute as a dynamic research center in this part of Europe and of building a bridge between science and industry.
New Research Groups
In 2023, the Life Sciences and Biotechnology Center at Łukasiewicz – PORT expanded with four new research groups: the Neurodegeneration Mechanisms Research Group (Leader: Dr. Agnieszka Krzyżosiak), the Innate Immunity Research Group (Leader: Dr. Marek Wagner), the Cancer Neurophysiology Research Group (Leader: Dr. Mateusz Kucharczyk), and the Immunotherapy Research Group (Leader: Dr. Grzegorz Chodaczek).
Prestigious Scientific Projects
Łukasiewicz – PORT secured 17 projects in 2023 (individually and in consortia), with a total value exceeding PLN 122 million. The funding allocated to the Institute amounted to over PLN 50 million. Among the most prestigious grants obtained last year is the SAUFEX project (Secured Automated Unified Framework for Exchange), funded under the Horizon Europe program. Its goal is to counteract foreign interference and information manipulation (FIMI). The project will be implemented in 2024–2026 by a consortium composed of Łukasiewicz – PORT (as leader) and partners from Finland, Lithuania, Poland, and the Netherlands.
Researchers at Łukasiewicz – PORT also achieved notable successes in competitions announced by the National Science Centre, including OPUS 24 (Dr. Patrycja Gazińska, Dr. Muhammad Danang Birowosuto) and SONATA BIS 12 (Dr. Heng-Chang Chen, Dr. Marek Wagner, Dr. Łukasz Krzysztof Janicki). The Biobank Research Group, as a member of research consortia, received two Medical Research Agency (ABM) grants totaling nearly PLN 60 million. The projects are implemented in cooperation with other research institutions, including the 4th Military Clinical Hospital with Polyclinic in Wrocław and the University Clinical Hospital in Opole as consortium leaders. More information on ABM grants.
First Start-Up at Łukasiewicz – PORT
Last year was also successful for the team of Dr. Eng. Magdalena Wilk-Kozubek and Dr. Eng. Bartłomiej Potańec, who received one of the main awards of the Łukasiewicz Accelerator for the INDICATO project carried out at the Materials Science & Engineering Center. Based on this project, the researchers established a start-up whose goal is to commercialize the technology they developed, based on visual thaw indicators. These indicators enable monitoring of storage and transport conditions for products requiring a stable and specific temperature. The team is currently working on implementing the technology in the food, medical, and gastronomy industries.
Three Scientific Conferences
In 2023, Łukasiewicz – PORT organized three international conferences that became platforms for exchanging knowledge in the fields of neurobiology and bioinformatics: PORT for Health: Neuroscience 2023, IB 2023, and ISBRA 2023. Altogether, nearly 330 participants attended the events both in person and online.
Third WIB Competition – PLN 380 Million for Polish Science
On July 10, 2023, the third competition of the Virtual Research Institute (WIB) was announced, aimed at financing innovative research projects with high commercialization potential. In this edition, research teams specializing in medical biotechnology were eligible to apply. Five proposals were submitted with a total value exceeding PLN 223 million. Substantive evaluation of the proposals is ongoing. The winners will be announced in March 2024. Łukasiewicz – PORT serves as the managing institution in the WIB program.
Active Sectoral Contact Point
In 2023, the team of the Sectoral Contact Point for Medical Technologies and Health participated in more than 20 events, independently organizing six of them. All activities aimed to familiarize participants with opportunities for securing funding from European Partnerships in the area of health and medical technologies and to facilitate engagement with entrepreneurs, researchers, and representatives of public and private institutions. A key highlight of 2023 was the co-organization of Horizon4Poland’23 – the largest matchmaking event in Poland.
Social Responsibility of Science
A vital area of activity at Łukasiewicz – PORT is science outreach. In 2023, the Gardens of Experience team organized 901 workshops for children and young people in the Lower Silesia region. Nearly 8,400 participants took part in activities designed for various age groups. In 2023, the Gardens of Experience also implemented the project “Future Competencies as the Key to Poland’s Technological Development,” funded by the Ministry of Education and Science. The initiative targeted teachers, representatives of local government units, and organizations involved in active youth education, aiming to present the latest methods of working with children and young people that foster creativity, soft skills, and motivation to learn.
Another intensive and challenge-filled year lies ahead. We invite you to follow our activities!
