Document / search engine: Overcoming hurdles for innovation in industrial biotechnology in Europe Poland Workshop Report
Framework project: The Industrial Biotech Research and Innovation Platforms Centre - towards Technological Innovation and solid foundations for a growing industrial biotech sector in Europe
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Website link: http://industrialbiotech-europe.eu/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Poland-Workshop-Report.pdf
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The second BIO-TIC regional workshop was held at Technopark, Łódź, Poland on 19th September 2013 and brought together 31 participants to discuss the potential for IB, to identify hurdles and enablers, and to suggest novel mechanisms by which IB uptake could be facilitated in Poland. The most significant hurdles to the IB industry in Poland were related to the academic environment and to the relationship between academia to industry. Academia is more focussed on teaching than the identification and development of new products for industrial applications. Moreover, Polish researchers rarely produce new to the world products, instead modifying existing products. While cooperation with universities, both inside and outside of Poland is good, there is a lack of collaboration between universities and industry and what collaboration does occur is typically with industrial players from outside of Poland. Improved mechanisms to link industry and research are needed, combined with clear and transparent rules on how academia can cooperate with industry. Poland produces a small number of international patents in this area and patent costs, combined with the length of the patenting process, hamper innovation. Matching projects, money, research centres and companies is difficult in Poland and as a result, attracting big name IB players is, and in the absence of action, will continue to be problematic. In general, the potential for the IB sector is not recognised in Poland; medical biotechnology is more visible than IB. Polish IB companies are largely SMEs rather than large players.
There is a lack of tools by which local authorities can aid IB; and what tools do exist (including incentives for students, investors and support for spin-offs) are not well publicised. Poland has a high potential for both research and industrial development in this area; scientists are welltrained, labour costs are competitive and funding is improving. There is increasing support for research centres and facilities, and equipment is thought to be good to world class. It was suggested that one way in which to stimulate innovative industrially-relevant IB projects in Poland would be to develop a tax incentive to stimulate the market. Research projects could then be developed to align with a clear industry need. There are recognised areas of IB expertise which can act as clusters for further developments and Government support is potentially available to help cover the cost of facilities; especially in Special Economic Zones by granting exemption from corporate income tax.
Countries/regions described/represented: Poland
Year: 2014