This year, the 3W Congress - the largest meeting of experts dealing with water, hydrogen and elemental carbon technologies in Poland and this part of Europe took place in Warsaw on November 27-28. The third edition of the Congress gathered 1,500 people, over 150 speakers from Poland and around the world, and approximately 130 accredited journalists who discussed these three key resources for building a sustainable future for two days. The Congress was held in six rooms and lasted for 14 hours.
It was an extraordinary conference. The 3W Congress, organized by Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego, was an event full of meetings, lectures and discussion panels in new, interactive formats. They were focused on sharing knowledge and talks about the creation of the 3W ecosystem and the development potential of this sector and the challenges it faces. Interest in the Congress exceeded the organizers' wildest expectations, attracting the attention and involvement of thousands of participants not only as a place for exchanging expertise, but also as an inspiration to take action to create a sustainable future based on innovative technologies.
During the ceremonial opening of the Congress, Beata Daszyńska-Muzyczka, President of Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego, talked about the 3W Idea as an evolving reality and emphasized the importance of the three resources in our everyday life.
“3W resources: hydrogen, water, carbon – recall important aspects for humanity. Water is the source of life and is the most important foundation of our existence. Hydrogen is the fuel of the future, and carbon plays a key role as a basic component supporting the functioning of our world” said Beata Daszyńska-Muzyczka, and added “We can and will achieve the greatest efficiency in the use of resources by synergy. For example, we can obtain hydrogen from water, and it can be stored in tanks made of carbon fibre; however, the number of combinations of these solutions is unlimited. We strive for greater synergy in the use of these resources and between different environments - business, science and public administration.”
The President of BGK also reminded that “3W is a rapidly developing sector, and its value in Poland reaches as much as USD 4.86 billion. By 2030, the value of the entire 3W market will increase to USD 5.6 billion. This shows how promising the 3W area is.”
Michio Kaku: 3W technologies to lead us into a new, safe era
The special guest of this year's congress was the outstanding physicist and futurologist Michio Kaku, PhD, who in his inspiring speech "New opportunities for business and society" drew attention to the enormity and pace of changes faced by us:
“We are entering the fourth industrial revolution – the era of artificial intelligence. We are also discovering the secrets of human DNA and carbon, which will be the basis for many modern solutions and technologies. Our children will witness the fifth industrial revolution, related to the use of hydrogen, e.g. in fusion power plants.” noted Michio Kaku.
Mr Kaku also emphasized the extremely important topic of environmental protection and the fight against global warming. He pointed to the hottest day in 2023, the warmest - in 125,000 years, which proves the impact of climate change, especially on water resources. In the context of the 3W Idea, he drew attention to the importance of reasonable management of water resources, pointing out that they are crucial for our future. He also warned that water can be both an ally and an enemy, and focused his attention on current climate challenges, incl. floods caused by heavy rainfalls, droughts and hurricanes.
“Advances in medicine, computer science, energy and quantum physics will change our lives and shape the path of civilization. It's a race against time - 3W technologies will lead us into a new, safe era” said Michio Kaku.
The 3W Congress was also an opportunity to talk about advanced technologies, incl. artificial intelligence. Prof. Andrzej Dragan focused on the opportunities and risks related to AI and its impact on work and the future. In his speech, the physicist wondered whether GPT chat was really a breakthrough. He warned against excessively rapid progress in artificial intelligence. In his opinion, if this development is not properly controlled, it may pose a serious threat to the human species in the future.
Premiere of the "3W World. Reality and the future" Report
During the Congress, the third consecutive 3W report was issued. "3W World. Reality and the Future”, which was developed by organizations involved in creating technologies in the areas of water, hydrogen and carbon. The main conclusions were presented by Dominik Sypniewski, PhD from the Warsaw University of Technology, who presented the main assumptions of the 3W Report.
“In the face of the challenge of energy transformation, the importance of water, carbon and especially hydrogen management is growing – said Dominik Sypniewski and put emphasis on an important conclusion regarding regulatory issues saying “The administration bodies here play an extremely important role as institutions that not only provide financial resources and appropriate legislation, but also actively participate in the implementation of these solutions. Its role at both the central and local levels cannot be overestimated.”
Can the three life resources be the answer to the climate challenges that already affect our entire development? How quickly is the market value of the three key resources growing? And does Poland have the opportunity to respond to the growing potential of the 3W economy? The answers to these and many other questions can be found in the 3W Report, which can be downloaded at www.idea3W.org.
International prospects for 3W
This year's edition of the congress gathered numerous guests from abroad who talked not only about the potential international 3W, but also emphasized the importance of the 3W concept itself in the context of facing current challenges in the region of Central and Eastern Europe.
“Central Europe needs strong energy infrastructure. It has become clear that the transformation is important because of clean energy and climate change, which are the huge challenges of our times. One way to face them is to cooperate within the Three Seas and 3W region.” said Ryan Bowles, economic advisor at the US Embassy in Warsaw.
3W innovations have the potential not only to become "gamechangers" of the Polish economy and accelerate its development, but also to unleash the potential that lies in technologies around the world. Jacek Pawlak, PhD and the President of Toyota Central Europe, Michał Kępowicz, Member of the Philips Polska Management Board, and Marek Tomczuk, Member of the Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego Management Board shared their afterthoughts on this subject.
3W technologies
In the context of the development of the space sector in Poland, experts emphasized the participation of Polish companies in European space programs and the growing role of Poland on the space map of Europe. Joanna Jurga, PhD, Product and Space designer, space enthusiast, together with Łukasz Kaczmarek, PhD in Eng. from the Lodz University of Technology pointed out that the development of innovative solutions in this sector is often associated with carbon.
Speakers from various countries discussed challenges related to access to drinking water, energy transformation and the use of modern water technologies. Experts drew attention to the need for innovation and systemic support. Edyta Łaskawiec, PhD in Eng. from the Silesian University of Technology, discussed the use of carbon and water-based technologies in the water purification process. During the expert panel, Jui-Wen Chen, Viktor Reimer and Marcin Sawczuk talked about global trends and challenges related to modern water technologies.
“Water is one of the areas that is extremely important for Poland's socio-economic development and, as a development bank, we see the need to support such initiatives. This is where the 3W initiative was born: water, hydrogen, carbon. Water, not without reason, is in the first place here, said Marta Saracyn, Risk Manager at BGK.
During a discussion panel organized in the format of a fishbowl, Katarzyna Pala from Food4Future together and Katarzyna Jodko-Piórecka, PhD in Eng. and coordinator of the Łukasiewicz Green Low-Emission Economy Research Group, Katarzyna Ławińska, Ph.D. and Director of the Centre for Footwear Materials, Dyed and Food Products, Łukasiewicz - Łódź Institute of Technology, and Karolina Zubel from the Centre for Socio-Economic Analysis, together with the participants of the 3W Congress, wondered what changes the world should introduce in the face of the water crisis and how entrepreneurs can redesign their processes production to use water in a closed loop by recycling gray water.
There were also discussions about hydrogen and the dynamic development of this energy sector, which offers a promising fuel and may revolutionize the energy industry. Its applications include the production of clean electricity, powering electric vehicles and energy storage, which is a step towards a sustainable and efficient energy economy. Experts also highlighted the potential of hydrogen in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and supporting the transition to greener energy sources. The panels discussing hydrogen included, among others: Mateusz Sołtysiak from SES Hydrogen, Lt. Col. and DPh. in Eng. Tomasz Białecki from ITWL and Piotr Mikusek, Manager for Energy Regulations at Grupa Azoty S.A.
The fourth "W" – Współpraca (Cooperation)
Both the speakers and the participants of the 3W Congress clearly emphasized the need for cooperation between various environments, from business, science and public administration sector, in order to effectively develop 3W technologies. The Congress therefore served as a platform for exchanging expertise and a source of inspiration for taking actions to create a sustainable future based on innovative technologies. It is also the starting point of future cooperation and inspiring solutions that are yet to come.
Networking and establishing new business relationships were supported by various meeting formats - from classic discussion panels, which are used to transfer expert knowledge, to inspiring interactive formats, which enabled active participation of those with innovative ideas and looking for cooperation partners. During the Congress, the following events took place: numerous on-stage conversations with experts with Q&A sessions, case study presentations, fishbowls, i.e. moderated discussions with audience participation. There were also five sessions, the so-called speed dating dedicated to 3W resources: Drop of inspiration (water), Circular 3W (resource synergy); H2 on the horizon (hydrogen), Materials of the future (elemental carbon) and 3W global perspectives. During these meetings, participants could talk about their projects and products with experts and scientists specializing in areas related to one of the three resources.
Congress participants will be able to continue exchanging knowledge and experiences on the www.idea3W.org platform. The new online space inaugurated during the Congress is a place where users have constant access to the latest reports, industry surveys and specialized articles, as well as to industry leaders and the opportunity to contact them, talk about their project and report the need for support. Artur Kurasiński, who presented the platform, emphasized that the 3W Congress is not only a meeting of experts, but also a meeting with the future. The 3W World under one address will completely change the approach to cooperation and implementation of projects in the areas of water, hydrogen and carbon.
Certificates for 3W technology and 3W statuettes
On the first day of the Congress, a ceremonial Gala was held during which certificates of validation of 3W technology - verified by scientists from universities associated with the 3W Interdisciplinary Centre for Innovation - (ICI3W) were awarded. The awards were presented by: Beata Daszyńska-Muzyczka, President of Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego and Teofil Jesionowski, Prof. and Provost of the Poznań University of Technology.
“Such a validated, i.e. positively verified, technology has a greater chance of finding market application or obtaining financing from Venture Capital or Private Equity funds. And this is the effect we want to achieve for 3W technologies, fantastic Polish ideas that are just waiting to conquer international markets” said Teofil Jesionowski, Prof. during the Gala.
The distinguished group included entrepreneurs who were among the first representatives of the business world to believe in the 3W Idea and implement it in their everyday activities. These distinctions emphasize the essence of Polish innovations in the area of 3W technology, which have the potential to significantly influence the development of the sector.
Here are the recognized companies and their technologies:
Sygnis SA
- Technology: Glassy carbon printing.
- Verification: Experts from the Poznań University of Technology.
Panamint sp. z o. o.
- Technology: PIXIETM – Electronic labels printed with carbon allotropic forms.
- Verification: Experts from the Lodz University of Technology and the Poznań University of Technology.
WTT S.A.
- Technology: ZEWERO – Wastewater treatment to the purity of process water.
- Verification: Experts from the Białystok University of Technology and the Opole University of Technology.
WTT S.A.
- Technology: ZEWERO – plasma gasification of waste and hydrogen production.
- Verification: Experts from the Poznań University of Technology and the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn.
NanoCarbon Group team from the Silesian University of Technology
- Technology: Printing of carbon nanostructures – ECG heart rate measurement T-shirt.
- Verification: Experts from the Lodz University of Technology and the Warsaw University of Technology.
HiperH2 sp. z o. o.
- Technology: Photocatalytic hydrogen production from liquid waste.
- Verification: Experts from the Poznań University of Technology and the Łukasiewicz Research Network - Institute of Ceramics and Building Materials.
NGCH sp. z o. o.
- Technology: Spotless, low-pressure hydrogen furnace.
- Verification: Experts from the Warsaw University of Technology and the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn.
The winners of the 3W Competition were also announced at the gala. The jury distinguished entrepreneurs, research centres (universities, institutes, research teams, scientists) and local government units that actively develop, support or apply innovations in the 3W area. Here are the winners in the following categories: 3W Public Administration, 3W Science, 3W Business:
1st place:
3W Science and 3W Public Administration:
- RDLS – a spin-off company of the University of Warsaw and the Wyśmierzyce Commune for the synergistic project of building an ecological sewage treatment plant using hydrophyte technology, taking into account both the needs of the commune's inhabitants and the protection of the natural environment of the Pilica River Valley.
3W business:
- Ex aequo for Promet-Plast for an ambitious and unique project of using the potential of renewable energy to produce hydrogen and for SBB ENERGY S.A. for meeting this challenge and implementing a pioneering hydrogen economy technological system.
2nd place:
Science and Public Administration:
- Regional Water and Sewage Management Centre S.A. and the City of Tychy - for model cooperation in the field of research and development projects related to the energy transformation, including the hydrogen economy. The city of Tychy is becoming a leader in the use of modern sewage treatment technologies and energy production from renewable sources, while supporting research on sustainable hydrogen production.
(No 2nd prize was awarded in the 3W Business category)
3rd place:
3W business:
- ZE PAK SA and PAK-PCE Polski Autobus Wodorowy - for designing and launching the production of the ecological NesoBus hydrogen-driven bus, and for contributing to the development of the local community by creating new jobs and promoting the idea of social responsibility.
3W science:
- Central Mining Institute - National Research Institute for the development of the "H2ash" technology, which enables low-energy and cheap production of "green" hydrogen. The technology was created in cooperation with PROTIUM P.S.A.
Public Administration 3W:
- Białystok Science and Technology Park for merit input in the field of youth education in the field of water resources protection and active support for the development of innovative projects
Congratulations to all the winners!
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The 3W Congress brought together all the environments we have been cooperating with since the beginning of the initiative: representatives of business, science, state administration, as well as representatives of legislative institutions and non-governmental organizations.
Thank you for such a large presence, active participation in discussion panels and behind-the-scenes conversations. We are convinced that the next edition of the event will gather an even larger group joining the 3W World - this world would not have been created without the involvement of everyone present at this unique conference.
We are looking forward to the fourth 3W Congress in 2024!
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