The 2nd Conference “Energy – Science – Industry” was the centerpiece of the Open MBA Day at Silesian University of Technology – a space where science meets industry, and visions of the future become the starting point for real action. During the expert panel “Science for Industry and Business”, participants explored the directions of energy transformation, the role of innovation, and the challenges facing the Polish economy in an era of global change.
The panel brought together leading academics and business leaders, including:
- Marek Gzik, BEng, PhD, DSc, ProfTit – Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education
- Borys Budka, PhD – Member of the European Parliament, Chair of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy
- Jolanta Itrich-Drabarek, BEng, PhD, DSc, ProfTit – Vice President, Łukasiewicz Research Network for Research Affairs
- Krzysztof Pikoń, BEng, PhD, DSc, ProfTit – Silesian University of Technology
- Anna Skorek-Osikowska, BEng, PhD, DSc, ProfTit – Silesian University of Technology
- Marek Warzecha, BEng, PhD, DSc , Prof. CUT– Rector, Częstochowa University of Technology
- Grzegorz Wszołek, BEng, PhD, DSc – EMT Systems
- Adam Mikołaj Zieliński, BEng, PhD, DSc, ProfTit – Director, Łukasiewicz – Upper Silesian Institute of Technology (Łukasiewicz – GIT)
The presentations and discussions highlighted that the future of the economy is shaped where science and business work hand in hand. As Minister Gzik noted:
„Our economy, currently growing at the pace of the world’s 20th largest economy, with a GDP growth rate of 4%, is set to transform. This represents a positive signal for science, as the current growth—largely driven by consumption—will gradually shift toward a competitive, innovative, knowledge-based economy. This transition will bring science and business closer together and provide Polish science with a much stronger impulse for its own further development.”
The entire event was moderated by:
- Małgorzata Dobrowolska, BEng, PhD, DSc, Prof. SUT – Director of the Business School at Silesian University of Technology
- Hanna Purzyńska, DEng – Director of the Materials Research Center at Upper Silesian Institute of Technology (Łukasiewicz – GIT)
In the background of the conference, the MBA graduation ceremony and the inauguration of a new cohort of the Energy and Digital Transformation postgraduate program also took place. While this was a secondary element, it seamlessly combined reflection and dialogue with the celebration of academic achievement.
For Łukasiewicz – GIT, the conference was the heart of the day – a space where knowledge, experience, and future visions converged, inspiring further action and innovative solutions for industry and energy.
