Inframet, a producer of hi-tech measuring apparatus used in optoelectronic research, is one of just a few firms in Poland that are run by researchers who concurrently pursue academic careers. Inframet is a founding member of the Polish Chamber of Commerce for High Technology.

Prof. Krzysztof Chrzanowski from the Military University of Technology (WAT) in Warsaw founded Inframet in 2002. According to official statistics, only 30 academic professors in Poland have their own companies through which they implement their projects and ideas. Perhaps there are more of these entrepreneurial scientists, but they remain anonymous because they could be working in companies registered in someone else's name. Academia in Poland still frowns upon commercial activity, while in Western Europe and the United States many well-known scientists have their own companies, says Chrzanowski. Direct involvement in their own hi-tech firm increases a scientist's standing because it confirms their scientific and technical qualifications. It is thus high time in Poland to dispel the myth that researchers should exclusively be involved in pure science, Chrzanowski says.

Inframet is renowned internationally as a producer of specialist measuring equipment such as thermal infrared imagers, night-vision equipment and television cameras used in optoelectronic research. Between 2002 and 2007, Inframet exported its products and services to more than 20 countries. Its annual exports are worth more than $1 million. Sales of advanced technology products generate most of the firm's profits.

However, Inframet's beginnings were not easy. At one point the company needed to fight off bankruptcy. Chrzanowski says the firm's current success has come on the back of his scientific knowledge combined with hard work. Because of his engagement in Inframet, Chrzanowski published fewer scientific articles but nevertheless boosted his scientific knowledge. Now that Inframet is successful, he can concentrate on the publication of more worthwhile papers based on his newfound experience. Moreover, because of his international contacts through Inframet, his work reaches a wider readership.

Do academic hi-tech firms pose a threat to universities and research institutes? Absolutely not, says Chrzanowski. The latter are in fact a natural source of knowledge for hi-tech firms. These, to minimize costs, carry out initial industrial research themselves, but later on cooperation with scientific teams from schools and institutes is essential to ensure further development.

Inframet's success bears witness to the huge potential and significance of scientific knowledge and know-how. Inframet should not have had any chance of success internationally vis-a-vis normal performance criteria, Chrzanowski says. It does not have much technical equipment, large or small, and employs just a few people in its research and development team. There is no logistics department and Inframet has not implemented the ISO quality assurance system. Despite this, Inframet is one of but a few hi-tech firms in Poland that operate on an international scale under its own label. The firm possesses the know-how to carry out research and development work, produce technologically-advanced measuring apparatus and export its products.

The large number of highly qualified scientists in Poland is a huge source of potential profits for the country, Chrzanowski says. There are some 60,000 people with scientific doctorates and professorships in Poland. Should just one in 10 of these be capable of implementing their scientific work and achieving $1 million worth of exports annually, as does Inframet, then Poland would have a hi-tech export trade worth $6 billion per year, Chrzanowski says. This would place Poland among the top global producers of modern technology.

Why did Inframet decide to join the Polish Chamber of Commerce for High Technology? "I hope the chamber will do something positive for the development of independent research firms," says Chrzanowski. "I am counting on it to help my firm obtain funds for development work."

Tadeusz Belerski