Technology Transfer Office Attends Academic Entrepreneurship Conference

The event brought together university representatives from across Poland dedicated to the development of academic entrepreneurship. The Gdynia Maritime University Technology Transfer Office serves a dual role as both a Technology Transfer Office and an Academic Incubator of Entrepreneurship. In this capacity, it supports academic entrepreneurship among research staff, members of student scientific societies, and particularly undergraduate and doctoral students, while introducing initiatives such as programmes to actively recruit, develop, and retain talent within the University.

The conference aimed to integrate these academic incubators, facilitate the exchange of experience, and establish directions for future cooperation between academic centres, highlighting their significance within the broader landscape of Polish higher education activities.

The first day of the conference, themed ‘Foundations’, was dedicated to discussing the challenges and development prospects of academic entrepreneurship. During a strategic panel, participants discussed the role of universities in building innovation ecosystems and opportunities to strengthen collaboration between the scientific and business communities.

Subsequent sessions showcased best practices in Inter-university cooperation Interdisciplinarity and community building and mentoring to support student initiatives and start-ups in academic centres.

A highlight of the second day's programme was the attendance of a representative from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education responsible for innovation and development, including academic entrepreneurship and technology transfer.

The meeting was opened by Professor Maria Mrówczyńska, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, and Associate Professor Adam Niewiadomski, Deputy Rector for Doctoral and Legal Affairs at the University of Warsaw. In their addresses, they expressed strong support for uniting entities dedicated to promoting and developing academic entrepreneurship, emphasising the importance of collaboration and knowledge sharing to drive innovation in higher education.

The remainder of the programme focused on the university's ‘third mission’, which encompasses collaboration with businesses and non-governmental organisations. Participants explored examples of effective knowledge transfer, building partnerships with the socio-economic environment, and supporting academic entrepreneurship.

The conference concluded with a summary of key conclusions and an invitation to further collaboration within the nationwide network of Academic Incubators of Entrepreneurship.

We would like to thank the organisers for an inspiring meeting and the opportunity to help shape the cooperation network of Academic Incubators of Entrepreneurship.