Agreement on cooperation for innovation under the umbrella of the Polish Investment Zone in Greater Poland

Supporting education and the development of professional qualifications and cooperation with universities is an essential scope of responsibility of the Polish Investment Zone. More than 90% of the zone’s companies in the Greater Poland region deploy innovative solutions and develop technologies, thus contributing to the further development of professions and competencies of the future. An agreement signed on 9 January 2023 on the joint cooperation  between the Kostrzyn-Slubice Special Economic Zone, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan (UAM), High School nr VI in Poznan, University High School in Slubice and one of the largest economic zone investors in the Greater Poland area – Beyond.pl proves how important this cooperation is. One of the first projects will be focused around the newly-established Quantum Computing faculty at UAM.

The scope of the agreement focuses on supporting , research and development and educational processes that will help create competencies in the area of innovation and develop skills of the future. The agreement also opens options for the further wide-ranging cooperation in the definition and roll out of innovative dual studies and majors with the support of investors in the economic zone. Secondary school students in selected fields of study can participate in various internships, apprenticeships, and vocational training workshops, which will support the placement of these individuals in new and highly specialized jobs. The agreement also provides for the organization of joint conferences, webinars, working groups, and networking events to promote disciplines of educational specialization and innovative advanced technology investments implemented in the economic zones.

The above activities are defined by the Act of 10 May 2018 on Supporting New Investments. The latter imposes an obligation on Special Economic Zones to initiate such cooperation between universities, trade schools, or secondary schools with specialized classes and the leading zone investors in the region.

– From the perspective of the Polish economy and the region’s development, taking the labor market’s needs into account in the education process is crucial. Entrepreneurs and Special Economic Zone investors are aware of the need to properly prepare skills of the future for highly specialized positions and, consequently, create such jobs in their companies. This is visible in the selection criteria used by investors when deciding to set up new locations. More than 90% of companies which are a part of and settle their investments within the Polish Investment Zone select the support  in the acquisition of education and professional qualifications and cooperation with universities and trade schools as a key decision criteria – said Minister Grzegorz Piechowiak, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Development and Technology, Government Plenipotentiary for Foreign Investment.

Such companies include one of the largest zone investors in the Greater Poland area – Beyond.pl, which for more than 15 years has been a leader in the provision of secure and sustainable data center and cloud services in Poland and Central Europe. Beyond.pl operates a data center campus with a target capacity of 42 MW, and the country’s first sustainable and carrier-neutral data center. Data Center 2, strategically located in Poznan, Poland is the only one in Central and Eastern Europe and one of the five most secure in the European Union, meeting the stringent requirements of ANSI/TIA-942 certification at the Rated 4 level.

– Supporting initiatives that promote innovation and secure the deployment of cutting-edge technological competencies is a must, as digital transformation is not slowing down and has an ever-deepening dimension. We are a witness to, among others, an increase in the utilization of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, blockchain, 5G networks, and the Internet of Things (IoT) in business and in private life. All these technologies have a common denominator – data. The volume of data that is being processed is growing exponentially, doubling every three years, which requires an increase in the sustainable computing capacity needed to process and store this data. As a provider of secure and green data center and cloud services, we are closely monitoring trends in the ICT industry. Quantum computers are one of the solutions that are game changers as they will allow us to process large volumes of data faster and more efficiently than currently possible. Building a quantum competence hub in Poznan is, on the one hand, increasing the attractiveness of our region and attracting investors, and on the other hand, increasing our country’s innovation capabilities, said Wojciech Stramski, CEO of Beyond.pl.

The European Union supports the development of quantum competencies in Poznan. In October 2022, as part of the EuroHPC (The European High-Performance Computing) initiative, Poznan was selected as 1 of 6 European cities where the first European quantum computers will be located.

Therefore, cooperation with Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan (UAM), which is creating an innovative quantum computing specialization, is a natural development model for the company and the skills of the future. UAM has over 100 years of tradition. Almost 7,000 graduates leave its walls yearly, with over 130 faculties and specializations. From October 2023, Quantum Computing will become a new specialization available to its students.

– This program will educate specialists in developing and implementing quantum technologies in the ITC sector and researchers focused on fundamental physics. Students will also gain the knowledge and competence necessary to independently develop and optimize programs on quantum computers and their simulators and be introduced to existing quantum algorithms. Today, quantum computers offer new algorithms and ways of processing information, allowing faster solutions to optimize complex problems, e.g. in medicine, chemistry, environmental protection, banking, logistics, and management, said UAM Vice-Chancellor for Digitalization and Cooperation with the Economy Prof Michał Banaszak.

The agreement is not limited to cooperation within one field of study; it can be scaled up to include other economically significant innovative specializations available at UAM Poznan. Secondary schools that sign the partnership agreement will undoubtedly benefit from such opportunities.

– At the Jan Ignacy Paderewski High School No. VI in Poznan, we have been running specialized polytechnic classes for several years with an extended curriculum in mathematics, physics, and English. We have also cooperated with the Laboratory of Physical Experimentation at UAM and the Astronomical Observatory for many years. Our students have also participated in the CREDO project at the Institute of Nuclear Physics in Krakow and in Science on Stage competitions. Now more inspiring projects are opening up to us, said Karol Seifert, Principal of the VI High School in Poznan.

For many years, the Kostrzyn-Slubice Special Economic Zone (K-S SEZ) has been actively supporting the process of vocational educational training at the level of trade schools and higher education while concurrently ensuring cooperation with entrepreneurs within clusters. The Investment Development Plan developed by the K-S SEZ with a view to 2030 envisages, among other things, an improvement in the investment climate in Poland by adapting the labor market to future needs. Such activities contribute to the rapid development of the Polish Investment Zone and increase the number of investors in the region.

– We have positively summarized 2022 in K-S SEZ, in which we issued 25 positive “Decisions of Support”, supporting investment expenditures of – PLN 2,359,245,405.00. Our investors declared the maintenance of over 4,900 jobs and the creation of 653 new positions. This was also possible thanks to the establishment of the Greater Poland Investment Zone – said Krzysztof Kielec, President of the Kostrzyn – Slubice Special Economic Zone.

The agreement was signed under the honorary patronage of the Polish Ministry of Development and Technology and the Polish Ministry of Education and Science.

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• Agreement on cooperation for innovation under the umbrella of the Polish Investment Zone in Greater Poland