A conference on knowledge transfer and cooperation between academia and business was held at Warsaw's Intercontinental Hotel Oct. 23-24 to discuss ways of developing closer ties between scientists and businesspeople.

The conference, entitled "Knowledge Transfer-Experience Transfer," was held by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, in association with the British Embassy in Warsaw and the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP).

The main objective was to share experience and discuss how experts from both countries can help bring the two worlds closer together to enable companies from both countries to compete effectively on the ever more demanding globalized market.

The first day of the conference started with a roundtable discussion on what works and what needs to be improved in the relationship between industry and academia. The debate involved business executives, academics and officials from technology parks and technology transfer centers. In the second part of the day, British experts presented models and solutions applied in the UK and answered questions concerning problems they faced throughout the process of setting up their science support system.

On the second day, there were workshops on project management, technology park development and user-driven university research, which enabled the participants to discuss those issues in more detail.

Participants agreed that closer ties between science and industry and the development of an innovative economy are the only way in which the European Union can meet the challenge of economic competition with the United States as well as developing countries such as China and India.

British Ambassador to Poland Ric Todd said the British system for utilizing scientific achievements in the economy is currently the best in Europe. The British government wants to help stimulate contacts among businesses and researchers, Todd said. He added that Poland has significant scientific potential that may be used in the economy, while methods developed in Britain for collaboration between the scientific and business communities may prove to be helpful.

Britain started creating technology parks modeled after those in America 30 years ago. Many of them, like the Cambridge Science Park, which was established in 1970, have produced results in the form of companies that rely on the most modern technologies and have been successful on the international electronics market. Today there are dozens of science parks in Britain; most of them operate out of universities.

In Poland, technology parks are also increasingly popular. They have been established in cities such as Poznań, Cracow, Wrocław and Koszalin. The Ministry of Science and Higher Education, in collaboration with Warsaw City Hall, plans to create a technology park in the capital. For the time being, the Polish parks have not been as successful as their British counterparts. "This requires time and investment," says Dr. Olaf Gajl, deputy minister of science in the outgoing government of the Law and Justice (PiS) party, adding that technology parks in Poland benefit from government financial support.

The idea of a technology park was defined in the Polish legal system in 2002 in the Act on Financial Support for Investment Projects. The Ministry of the Economy says the government can help local authorities set up new parks by supplying extra funds for construction projects, infrastructure, information and communication technology, and office equipment. Government support may also take the form of financing training courses for park staff. "It is necessary to differentiate the forms and scope of financial aid depending on a park's needs and stage of development," said Elżbieta Wolman of the Department of Strategy at the Ministry of the Economy. "It is also necessary to share experience in the establishment and operation of technology parks at home and abroad."

Consortiums made up of research centers and businesses may apply for European Union funding for specific projects. However, cooperation between science and business sometimes runs into problems, says Todd, because scientists tend to concentrate on the research aspects of their work and cannot or choose not to look into its commercial aspects. But the example of Britain shows that once research institutes start to derive tangible benefits from collaboration with businesses they discover that this is an opportunity not only for extra income, but also for the development of research, Todd said. In Britain, about 20 percent of all research funding for universities comes from the private sector, he added.

Businesspeople also benefit from working with scientists, says Gajl. "Our studies show that 98 percent of the companies that have worked with science want to continue to do so," Gajl said. "Fortunately, the myth that businessmen and scientists cannot work together shatters once cooperation gets under way. More and more people are aware of this and have the drive and energy as well as the desire to do this because they know it will be useful for everyone, especially for themselves."

Gajl notes that companies and scientists who want to work together can count on financial support from the government. "All they have to do is apply; the funds will start flowing soon," Gajl said. "The 'Innovative Economy' and 'Human Capital' operational programs have already been approved, and competitions will be announced any time now."

The Ministry of Science and Higher Education has already co-financed projects aimed at putting research results to commercial use. These have included "technology transfer" institutions and initiatives to help academic entrepreneurs patent their inventions. Dozens of applications are submitted in every competition. "The system is really beginning to function," Gajl says. "We just need to work in peace and quiet, because such things do not happen overnight. They require changes in mentality and the promotion of desirable behavior."

Many companies are aware that they need to invest in new technologies and organizational methods if they want to maintain their competitive advantage. Several business sectors in Poland are especially promising. One is information technology, where Poland can successfully compete with the most developed countries because this does not require major spending on infrastructure. The aviation industry is another sector that is developing rapidly-something no one expected just a decade ago.

Urszula Rybicka