From Community to Innovation Ecosystem. PKB+ Anniversary at Gdańsk Tech
A quarter of a century of building relationships, exchanging experiences, and fostering cooperation between academia and business. On October 23, a ceremonial gala was held at Gdańsk Tech to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the PKB+ Polytechnic Business Club. The anniversary was not only an opportunity to summarize past achievements but, above all, to discuss the future and joint ventures. An important highlight of the event was the presentation of the first "Beacons of Innovation" – awards for companies demonstrating how to turn scientific knowledge into technologies that succeed in international markets.
A quarter of a century of building relationships, exchanging experiences, and fostering cooperation between academia and business. On October 23, a ceremonial gala was held at Gdańsk Tech to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the PKB+ Polytechnic Business Club. The anniversary was not only an opportunity to summarize past achievements but, above all, to discuss the future and joint ventures. An important highlight of the event was the presentation of the first "Beacons of Innovation" – awards for companies demonstrating how to turn scientific knowledge into technologies that succeed in international markets.
The jubilee gala gathered representatives of the academic community, entrepreneurs, alumni of Gdańsk Tech, as well as representatives of state and local government administration. The event took place immediately after the debate of the Economic Advisors Team at the Rector of Gdańsk Tech, dedicated to innovations and their commercialization in the Baltic Sea region.
The ceremony was opened by Prof. Krzysztof Wilde, Rector of Gdańsk Tech, and PhD Jan Strawiński, Chairman of the Alumni Association of Gdańsk Tech.
From 25 alumni to an environment connecting science and business
The history of the Polytechnic Business Club dates back to October 16, 2001, when the first founding meeting took place with the participation of 25 alumni of Gdańsk Tech. Their goal was to create an environment based on mutual trust, exchange of experiences, and readiness to support each other in professional and economic activities.
Over the following years, PKB+ became a space for cooperation among entrepreneurs, managers, and university representatives. Joint initiatives included, among others, research and development projects, technology implementations, cooperation in education programs, and activities for students.
During the jubilee speech, PhD Eng. Tomasz Klajbor, moderator of PKB+, recalled the beginnings of the Club but above all outlined the vision of its development in the next decade. As he emphasized, the experience and relationships gathered over 25 years should increasingly translate into concrete economic and technological ventures.
– When we meet again at the anniversary in 2036, I would not want us to say that 35 years have passed and we are still organizing very good meetings. I would like us to be able to say: thanks to this community, new companies have emerged, Gdańsk Tech technologies have reached the market, businesses have found partners, and young graduates have received their first opportunity –
He also highlighted the potential for cooperation not only among Gdańsk Tech graduates but also graduates of other Pomeranian universities. In his opinion, combining the experience of entrepreneurs, the knowledge of scientists, and the energy of the younger generation can contribute to the creation of a strong regional innovation ecosystem.
Thanks and distinctions for cooperation with the university
An important part of the anniversary was honoring those who 25 years ago contributed to the establishment of the Polytechnic Business Club. Thanks were extended to Georgis Bogdanis, Zbigniew Borkowski, and Ryszard Markowski. Professor Aleksander Kołodziejczyk, then Rector of Gdańsk Tech, who supported the initiative to create the Club, was also recognized.
During the gala, for the first time, the “Exelencia in Cooperatione” awards were presented, granted to companies particularly distinguished in their cooperation with Gdańsk Tech.
The distinction was created on the initiative of the alumni community to appreciate enterprises and institutions involved in the implementation of joint research and development projects, implementations, commercialization of research results, education, and initiatives developing the Gdańsk Tech academic community.
The first recipients of the award were three companies:
- POLMOR Bytów sp. z o.o.
- ZF Polpharma S.A.
- Techno-Service S.A.
The awards emphasize the importance of long-term cooperation between the university and the business environment, the results of which include not only new technologies but also the development of future engineers’ competencies and the creation of conditions for implementing innovative solutions.
The First "Lighthouses of Innovation" Awarded at Gdańsk Tech
For the first time, the Rector of Gdańsk Tech also presented the Special Awards "Signum Innovationis" – the "Lighthouses of Innovation."
The distinctions were awarded to four companies from Finland and Denmark, which grew out of the academic environment and successfully transformed innovative ideas and scientific research results into technological solutions of international significance.
The laureates are:
- Steady Energy (Finland) – a company developing small nuclear reactor technology intended for heat production, including for district heating systems.
- IQM (Finland) – a company specializing in the design and construction of quantum computers.
- Polar Night Energy (Finland) – the creator of innovative thermal energy storage systems using sand to store heat.
- Copenhagen Atomics (Denmark) – a company developing modern nuclear reactor technologies using molten salts.
The award is intended to inspire scientists and entrepreneurs to boldly develop new technologies and to highlight examples of successful transition from scientific research to their commercial use.
The symbol of the distinction is the lighthouse from the facade of the Main Building of Gdańsk Tech, a replica of which is the statuette presented to the laureates.
PhD Zbigniew Canowiecki, Chair of the Economic Advisors Team to the Rector of Gdańsk Tech, spoke about the significance of the award. He pointed out that Polish science and economy have enormous potential; however, the key challenge remains the creation of an efficient system for implementing innovations.
– We have both good scientists and excellent entrepreneurs. We only need to streamline the entire system that enables fast and effective innovation implementation – he emphasized.
Meanwhile, Grzegorz Stanisławski from the Baltic Institute of Energy Transformation, the award's initiator, explained why the lighthouse was chosen as its symbol. He noted that a lighthouse not only warns of dangers but primarily indicates direction. Innovative companies should play a similar role, with their successes serving as inspiration for future generations of scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs.
The selection of companies from the Baltic Sea region was not accidental. Their achievements demonstrate how effectively scientific potential can be used to create technologies addressing contemporary challenges, including in energy and quantum computing.
On the Future of the Polish Economy
The special guest of the gala was Prof. Marcin Piątkowski, an economist, who in his speech addressed the scale of economic transformations in Poland over recent decades.
He emphasized that the past several decades have been a period of unprecedented development for the Polish economy, and the growth of national income per capita has allowed Poland to significantly reduce the gap with the most developed countries.
The presentation served as an opportunity to look at the country's economic achievements from a broader perspective and to reflect on further developmental possibilities based on knowledge, technology, and entrepreneurship.
The ceremony was also enhanced by a performance by baritone Leszek Skrla, who presented operatic and musical pieces.
Port Gdańsk as the Sponsor of the Anniversary Gala
The sponsor and main partner of the gala was Port Gdańsk – the largest Polish seaport and one of the key logistics centers in the Baltic Sea region.
The event program also included a presentation dedicated to the activities and development of Port Gdańsk, its role in the economy, and its achieved cargo handling results.
The 25th anniversary of GDP+ was not only an occasion for memories and thanks but also for discussions about the future cooperation between Gdańsk Tech and entrepreneurs and alumni. Both the awards for companies cooperating with the university and the first “Innovation Lighthouses” demonstrated how much can be achieved when scientific knowledge meets business experience and willingness to implement new solutions.
