Poland’s most talented young scientists have been selected. 4 winners from Gdańsk Tech | Gdańsk University of Technology

FNP START is the oldest scholarship programme in Poland. The Foundation for Polish Science awards grants to the 100 best female and male researchers under 30, representing all fields of science. The winners receive a total scholarship of PLN 30,000. Among this year’s scholarship recipients from Gdańsk Tech are: Patryk Błaszczak, PhD, Eng., from the Faculty of Electronics, Telecommunications and Informatics; Adam Olszewski, PhD, Eng., from the Faculty of Chemistry; Aleksandra Mirowska, PhD, Eng., from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Ship Technology; and PhD candidate Chen Xiu, MSc, Eng., from the Faculty of Management and Economics.

Patryk Błaszczak, PhD, Eng., Department of Functional Materials Engineering, Faculty of Electronics, Telecommunications and Informatics, materials engineering

He is an assistant professor at the Department of Functional Materials Engineering at the Faculty of Electronics, Telecommunications and Informatics. His research focuses on the development of advanced materials and technologies for oxide fuel cells and high-temperature electrolysers (SOFC/SOEC), used, among other things, for hydrogen production and CO2 conversion. He defended his doctoral thesis entitled ‘Nanostructured ceramic-bimetallic materials for efficient energy conversion’ in 2026.

In his research, he demonstrated for the first time in the scientific literature that modifying the widely used Ni–YSZ cermet with nanoparticles of transition metals, such as Mn, Co, Cu and Fe, leads to a significant increase in the electrochemical activity of electrolysers, enabling a nearly twofold increase in current density compared to unmodified materials. He also developed an innovative liquid-phase impregnation method using ß-cyclodextrin, allowing for the uniform distribution of nanoparticles without toxic reagents. The proposed solutions are cost-effective, scalable and compatible with the existing SOC technologies.

The results of his research have been published exclusively in prestigious journals (including Applied Energy and International Journal of Hydrogen Energy), and he has conducted experiments at numerous national and international research centres: the SOLARIS National Synchrotron Radiation Centre, Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste, and the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility. He gained experience in large-scale cell research during an eight-month stay at the VTT centre in Helsinki as a winner of the NAWA Bekker programme. His academic output comprises 20 publications, and his current Hirsch index in the Web of Science database is 12.

Chen Xiu, MSc, Eng., Doctoral School at Gdańsk Tech, Department of Management Engineering and Quality, Faculty of Management and Economics, management and quality sciences

She is a PhD candidate at the Doctoral School of the Gdańsk University of Technology and a researcher affiliated with the Faculty of Management and Economics, where she works under the supervision of Anna Lis, PhD, DSc, Eng., professor at Gdańsk Tech.

Her research focuses on energy transition, renewable energy development, and the management of energy-based industrial clusters. The innovative character of her work lies in developing management solutions for regions with concentrated energy industries, with particular emphasis on the synergistic development of different energy sources, resource circulation, and the reduction of environmental pressure.  

She is a member of two EU COST Action research networks dedicated to energy development and renewable energy clusters. Her research combines perspectives from energy studies, regional development, and management sciences, contributing to interdisciplinary discussions on sustainable industrial transformation and the future of energy systems.

She received the Young Scientist Distinction from the Polish Academy of Sciences in Gdańsk in 2024. Notably, she is the only recipient of the FNP START scholarship this year in the discipline of management and quality sciences.

Aleksandra Mirowska, PhD, Eng., Department of Manufacturing and Production Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Ship Technology, mechanical engineering

She works as an assistant professor at the Department of Manufacturing and Production Engineering at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Ship Technology. She wrote her PhD thesis on friction stir welding under the supervision of Prof. Marek Szkodo, PhD, DSc, Eng., and defended it with distinction in 2023.

Her current research focuses on developing measurement procedures for the advanced topography of surfaces resulting from both manufacturing processes and degradation and wear. In her research, she also analyses the impact of surface topography on the performance properties of materials.

She is managing the MINIATURA project at the National Science Centre, entitled ‘Assessment of the corrosion resistance of aluminium alloys with complex surface topography using analysis of surface geometric structure parameters’.

She gained her experience during numerous international trips, including a six-month internship at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm and a two-month internship at Tarbiat University of Technology in Iran. Her academic output comprises 40 publications, and her current Hirsch index in the Web of Science database is 14.

Adam Olszewski, PhD, Eng., Department of Polymer Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, materials engineering

He is a graduate of the Doctoral School at the Gdańsk University of Technology and is currently conducting research as a postdoctoral researcher at the West Pomeranian University of Technology. He prepared his doctoral thesis on the thermochemical liquefaction of biomass and the production of low-emission polymeric materials under the supervision of Łukasz Piszczyk, PhD, DSc, Eng., and defended it with distinction in 2025.

His research interests cover plastics technology in the broadest sense, particularly the design of polymeric materials, the modification of their properties, and their processing. In his research, he combines an engineering approach with a sustainable development perspective, focusing on materials with reduced environmental and human health impacts, and on managing difficult waste streams.

He is the co-author of 23 Scopus-indexed articles, two chapters in monographs, and patent applications. His current Hirsch index is 11.

He gained his experience, among other things, as a project manager for the NCN Preludium project and as a researcher in R&D projects. He has extensive experience in developing national and international projects, including: M-ERA.NET, international bilateral projects and Horizon Europe.

For many years, he has also been actively involved in the young researchers’ community. He was chair of the NCN offer team within the Polish National Association of Doctoral Candidates (KRD) and a board member of the Polish Association of Doctoral Students at Technical Universities (PDUT).