BGK and its partners are establishing the 3W Interdisciplinary Innovation Center

The 3W Interdisciplinary Innovation Center is the implementation of the 3W Idea announced by Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego in 2021. The initiative is a response to the civilisation challenges of sustainable socio-economic development. On the one hand, it is about issues related to climate and environmental protection, and on the other hand, it is about increasing the competitiveness of the Polish economy. The 3W Idea also meets the challenges of the new geopolitical situation.

Aid in commercialisation of inventions

The 3W Interdisciplinary Innovation Center is intended to help introduce new water, hydrogen, and carbon technologies into the market. The Center will develop capacity-building diagnoses as well as strategies for technology development in 3W areas. It will also offer consultancy services.

The agreement on the establishment of the 3W ICI was signed by representatives of eleven Polish technical universities and universities: Poznań University of Technology, Cracow University of Technology, Warsaw University of Technology, Koszalin University of Technology, Rzeszów University of Technology, Opole University of Technology, University of Science and Technology in Cracow, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, University of Zielona Góra, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, and a representative of the Łukasiewicz Research Network.

Common areas that combine these solutions – e.g. water with carbon – will be particularly important. Entities interested in commercialisation of inventions from the 3W sector will be able to additionally apply to the Center for relational support in search of partners for commercialisation, as well as in obtaining funds – announced Beata Daszyńska-Muzyczka, President of BGK and initiator of the 3W Idea. – All these activities will have an impact on the marketisation of many projects that previously had no possibility of doing so.

The 3W ICI will support scientific centers and Polish researchers who:

• solve problems with access to water
• develop ways to use hydrogen in the energy transformation
• create innovative technologies related to various forms of carbon: graphene, nanotubes, fullerenes, and others.

The 3W ICI will also, among other things, promote implementation doctoral programmes and create study programmes and training related to 3W.

Universities have intellectual and technical potential to develop issues related to water, hydrogen, and carbon. We also need integration of the community so as not to compete with each other, which is sometimes the case – said prof. dr. hab. inż. Teofil Jesionowski, rector of the Poznań University of Technology. – We know that new technologies are costly, but they are also very beneficial for the further development of the economy. Earlier investment will pay off with the creation of new work places, know-how, and new green solutions, because it is difficult to forget about climate change.

Support for best technologies

The 3W ICI will support the best solutions from the 3W sector. Members of the Center will issue opinions on projects in terms of their innovativeness and compliance with the 3W Idea, as well as verify their technology readiness level.

The 3W Interdisciplinary Innovation Center will create new incubators and network existing ones. The Center will also aim to effectively support start-ups or spin-offs specialising in 3W and its applications.

I am very glad that the Łukasiewicz Research Network, i.e. 26 institutes and 4.5 thousand engineers and scientists can be part of an initiative led by BGK. It is not a typical situation that the bank is engaged in mobilising the scientific community to develop modern technologies, so it is good news for all scientists in Poland – said Piotr Dardziński, PhD, President of the Łukasiewicz Research Network. – It is necessary to join forces rather than compete, so we very much hope that the 3W ICI will build consortia to submit projects that will develop technologies useful for Polish entrepreneurs.

Popularisation of the 3W Idea

The Center is an important element in promoting the 3W Idea. The 3W ICI will organise, among other things, seminars, scientific workshops, and conferences that will raise awareness of the 3W initiative and present good practices.

The Center wants to develop social awareness of the importance of daily consumer decisions, in the spirit of sustainable development. Thanks to innovative 3W technologies, the Polish economy has a chance to accelerate the transformation to zero emissions, which will allow it to become more competitive. The 3W ICI was established to create a friendly ecosystem that facilitates the exchange of knowledge, helps establish relations and receive support for projects with the highest potential for development. The founders also want domestic ideas to receive grants more often - not only in Poland, but also abroad.

3W at ImpactCEE’22

Impact is one of the largest and most prestigious economic and technological events in Central and Eastern Europe. It is attended by managers of the world’s largest companies, as well as politicians, regulators, scientists, and experts. This year’s edition included a discussion on 3W: “New model of cooperation between science and business as part of the 3W Idea”. During the workshops, rectors and representatives of universities could discuss the next tasks of the 3W Interdisciplinary Innovation Center.