Executive Forum En : Executive Club

27-28 November 2024, The Westin Warsaw

An event where innovation and new technologies – the main driving forces of today’s economy – play pivotal roles. Among distinguished experts and entrepreneurs, we will discuss the latest trends and how they are changing the face of Polish business. The aim of the conference is to show that companies that build a culture of innovation and are able to transform ideas into new products, services and technologies achieve a huge competitive advantage. The conference also provides an ideal opportunity to showcase achievements and innovative ideas.

The event will culminate with the ‘Innovation Diamonds’ gala, honouring outstanding managers, business leaders and companies that develop and effectively implement new technologies and innovations.

AGENDA

DAY I – 27 NOVEMBER 2024

09:30

Registration

10:00

Opening of the Conference

10:10

Inaugural Speech: prof.Tomasz Sobierajski – Centre for Sociomedical Research, University of Warsaw, “Innovation on prescription – managing employee health as a key to success”

10:30

Panel 1: Innovative organisations

What distinguishes organisations that are particularly successful in introducing innovative solutions? Global innovation lifecycle management strategies, from idea to implementation and scaling.
Risks associated with testing new ideas and how to control them. Is creating internal incubators and accelerators the answer?
Ways of effective collaboration between companies and universities, institutes and other organisations to share knowledge and develop innovations. Examples and case studies.
The impact of innovation on the value of the company to stakeholders and shareholders. How to convince them to invest in internal R&D departments?

11:30

Networking break

12:00

Case study: Piotr Frankowski – Managing Director, Ayming Polska “How to fuel business innovation? Conclusions from the latest Ayming Polska report”

12:15

Panel 2: Digital transformation of business

An effective digital transformation strategy. The role of leaders and management in initiating and supporting digitalisation.
Building a culture of innovation and managing change in the organisation. How to prepare your employees?
Impact of digital transformation on customer experience. Personalisation of offers and communication through technology.
Impact of digitalisation on the labour market and future professions. New skills and competencies required in the digital business environment.

13:15

Lunch

14:15

Case study: Agnieszka Witaszek – Partner, SSW Law & Beyond “AI in HR – what should you know?”

14:30

Panel 3: AI in business

AI assistance in the development of new products and services. Will it help build a company’s competitive advantage in the market?
Process automation as a tool for operational efficiency and cost optimisation.
The price of implementing artificial intelligence. Methods for minimising the cost of introducing and maintaining AI-based solutions.
Ethical principles in the development and implementation of AI. Advantages and disadvantages of strict regulation and taxation of artificial intelligence.

EVENING GALA “INNOVATION DIAMONDS”

19:00

Registration for the Gala and Networking

19:45

Grand opening of the Gala

20:00

Speech: Toby Hunt – CEO & Co-Founder, Earth Cubs “The Power of Storytelling & Innovation to Change the World”

20:10

Awards Ceremony

21:10-24:00

Evening banquet

DAY II – 28 NOVEMBER 2024

09:30

Registration

10:00

Opening of the Conference

10:10

Speech: Karel Obluk – General Partner, Evolution Equity Partners “When Cyber Strikes the Boardroom”

10:25

Case study: Krzysztof Pacierpnik – Proxy and Sales Department Director, SEEN Technologie “14MWt of heat without burning fuel. Innovative Condensation Heat Recovery Project implemented by SEEN Technologie in Krakow, Poland”

10:40

Panel 1: Cybersecurity

Best practices for protection against cyber threats. Implementation of multi-layered security strategies. The role of artificial intelligence and machine learning in detecting threats.
The latest types of cyber-attacks and their evolution. The rise of ransomware and phishing threats. Specialised attacks on critical infrastructure.
The challenges of storing data in the cloud. Secure management of access to cloud resources. Modern authentication and authorisation methods.
How to effectively respond to security breaches. Building and testing incident response plans. The role of CERT/CSIRT teams.

11:55

Networking break

12:25

Speech: prof. Andrzej Czyżewski, DEng, PhD, – Head of the Department of Multimedia Systems, Faculty of Electronics, Informatics and Telecommunications, Gdansk University of Technology “Commercialisation of academic innovations. Selected applications of machine learning in industry, administration and medicine”

12:40

Panel 2: Innovation Leaders Debate – Ecosystems of the Future

Innovation ecosystems as a tool for attracting investment and creating new solutions for the economy. The role of companies, universities and mutual cooperation in their creation.
Innovation incubators and technology start-ups. How can cooperation with academia and large corporations support the development of start-ups?
Commercialisation of innovation. How to effectively translate cooperation between science and business into applicable solutions to support automation and digitisation of businesses?
Key competences and skills in the era of digital transformation and robotisation. How can business and universities jointly shape new staff and retrain employees?

13:40-16:00

Networking Lunch

* The Organizer reserves the right to make changes in the agenda

PaRTNERs

ORGANIZER

CO-ORGANIZER

HONORARY PATRONS

STRATEGIC PARTNER

MAIN PARTNER

GOLD PARTNER

PARTNERS

GALA PARTNERS

SOCIAL PATRONS

MAIN MEDIA PATRONS

MEDIA PATRONS

SPEAKERS

DAY 1

Panel 1: Innovative organisations

Piotr Dardziński

Innovation Center Director,
Warsaw University of Technology

Director of the Center for Innovation at the Warsaw University of Technology. From 2019 to 2023, he served as the President of the Łukasiewicz Research Network, which comprises 22 research institutes and provides comprehensive solutions for business. From 2015 to 2019, he was the Undersecretary and later Secretary of State at the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, responsible for fostering cooperation between science and business. He is the author of the law on industrial PhDs and the coordinator of work on a new concept for the operation of research institutes. As a member of the Innovation Team, he oversaw interministerial work on the first and second Innovation Acts. The first of these was recognized by the Employers of Poland organization as the best deregulation law in the area of taxes. Both regulations are considered a turning point in eliminating barriers to cooperation between scientists and entrepreneurs. He is also a former Director of the John Paul II Thought Center and Vice President of the Tertio Millennio Institute. A graduate of the Faculty of Law and Administration at Jagiellonian University and the University of Hamburg, he holds a Ph.D. in the humanities and has been a long-time lecturer at Jagiellonian University in Kraków. He was also a scholarship holder at the University of Freiburg and a graduate of the prestigious management program at IESE Business School in Barcelona.

Małgorzata Furmańska

Head of Litigation and Trial Practice, Legal Counsel,
JWP Rzecznicy Patentowi

Małgorzata Furmańska is an attorney-at-law specializing in industrial property law and combating unfair competition. She also gives lectures and training in this area. Małgorzata gained her considerable experience in representing companies in trademark disputes and in cases for injunctive relief to remedy acts of unfair competition (also on the Internet) in Warsaw’s law firms, and since 2011 she has been associated with JWP Patent and Trademark Attorneys. In addition to representing entrepreneurs implementing state-of-the-art solutions, Małgorzata Furmańska also assists with the development of strategies to secure inventors’ rights in the field of new technologies, including IT (AI) solutions or Metaverse activities. She advises companies on licensing agreements, as well as draws up and verifies documents related to IP protection as regards the implementation of employee’s innovations in enterprises.

Marek Klusek

Director of the Division of Guarantees, Innovation and Contract Terms,
Budimex

Graduate of the Faculty of Civil Engineering at the Warsaw University of Technology, Academy of Leadership Psychology and the Authorities Study at the Business School of the Warsaw University of Technology. While still at university, he started working for a company related to synthetic materials for the construction industry and then continued his career in a company supervising road investments. He has been working for Budimex SA since 2003, implementing road contracts based on FIDIC contract templates. He co-founded and developed the Contract Conditions team. In 2015, he took on the task of building the Guarantees Office in the road division of Budimex SA, and since 2019 he has been in charge of the Guarantees Branch and the Contract Conditions Office throughout Budimex SA. From the end of 2022, he also heads the Innovation Office, where he is responsible for the R&D area, Startups and the company's innovation acceleration strategy. He is an expert in FIDIC contractual conditions. He has extensive managerial experience, also within the construction industry.

Paweł Retmaniak

Network Development Manager,
EMKA

Paweł Retmaniak – Network Development Manager at Emka S.A., graduate of the Warsaw School of Management, martial arts enthusiast, taking part in national competitions. He started his professional career at Transgourmet Polska Sp. z o.o., where he was responsible for the expansion in the central region of the country. As part of his work, he cooperated with the largest national restaurant chains, including Michelin-starred restaurants, gaining valuable experience in trade and managing relations with HoReCa customers. At EMKA S.A., he initiated dedicated services for business entities. He is currently responsible for the implementation of a nationwide system for the collection of used cooking oil from households using oil collection machines.

prof. Tomasz Sobierajski

Centre for Sociomedical Research,
University of Warsaw

Tomasz Sobierajski, Professor at the University of Warsaw, holds a postdoctoral degree (habilitation) in medical and health sciences as well as a Ph.D. in humanities. He is a sociologist, social vaccinologist, health expert, public health specialist, and methodologist. He also serves as the Head of the Center for Socio-Medical Research at the Institute of Applied Social Sciences, University of Warsaw.

Piotr W. Zawadzki, PhD

Expert in the Strategic Management Department,
The National Centre for Research and Development

Piotr W. Zawadzki, PhD, is an operational expert in the Strategic Management Department of the National Center for Research and Development (NCBR). Responsible for providing factual support to the Director and key organizational units of NCRD. Serves as content coordinator of the GOSPOSTRATEG program, which focuses on the country's strategic economic and social challenges. Author and co-author of scientific publications, reports, as well as industry and strategic analyses. He has extensive experience in implementing research projects and managing teams, especially in the areas of public policies, social sciences, including the implementation of artificial intelligence technologies (HR, education, logistics, marketing - AI, ML, VR/AR, NLP). Areas of expertise: artificial intelligence (AI), social sciences, labor market, public policies, international cooperation, research projects, analyses, reports.

Panel 2: Digital transformation of business

Tomasz Gutkowski

Head of Sales & Business Development,
Univio

Łukasz Berko

Founder & CEO,
JCC Solutions

Łukasz Berko – CEO of JCC Solutions, a trusted SAP partner on the international market. For over 17 years, he has been supporting companies from Poland and abroad in the implementation, development and security of ERP systems, in particular SAP. He puts particular emphasis on educating customers on the role of security in an era of dynamic digitalisation, stressing that technological innovation must go hand in hand with a solid foundation of data protection. His goal is to support companies in the effective use of modern technologies that drive their growth, while ensuring stability and security in the face of modern challenges.

Tomasz Dziki

Vice President of the Management Board,
Britenet

Executive Vice President of the company - joined Britenet in 2012. He has been involved in the IT industry for more than 24 years. He started his career as a Java programmer. He is currently involved in sales strategy and development of new sales opportunities. Coordinates sales in domestic and international markets. Strongly focused on building business relationships and international expansion.

Zsolt Fekete

CEO,
Algotech Polska

Zsolt Tadeusz Fekete, MBA, founder and CEO of the tech company Algotech Polska, brings over 20 years of expertise in the contact center industry and IT solutions. He is a highly respected expert, mentor, and consultant for leading companies in Poland and internationally. His work focuses on enhancing companies' communication with their clients. Improving processes through automation and selecting the right communication tools ensures a better customer experience while maintaining cost optimization. According to him, an excellent customer experience stems from the perfect blend of vision, organization, processes, and technology. Zsolt graduated from the University of Quebec in Montreal and Warsaw School of Economics – Executive MBA. He is also a member of the Canadian Executive MBA (CEMBA Alumni Association) and belongs to the Executive Club – a business organization comprising top management representatives from key Polish and international enterprises. Currently, in his work with clients, he focuses on the digitalization of the last mile of Customer Experience and hyper-personalization. The company Algotech, represented by Zsolt, has been a longstanding member of the Banking Technology Forum under the Association of Polish Banks. Furthermore, Zsolt is actively involved in the Special Olympics, an organization aimed at supporting the development of individuals with intellectual disabilities by ensuring their participation in training and sports competition. Another crucial mission is raising societal awareness by spreading knowledge about the potential of people with this form of disability.

Adrianna Kilińska

CEO,
Engave

Co-owner and, since 2017, CEO of the IT company Engave S.A. and several other Engave Group companies. She successfully breaks the ‘glass ceilings’ every day. She knows how to look at her business from a broader perspective and understand its complex nature. She breaks stereotypes in leading an IT company, becoming an inspiration and mentor for many women involved in the IT industry. She studied Philology at the University of Wrocław and Management and Marketing at the Warsaw College of Promotion. She graduated from the London School of Public Relations, EMBA studies at the Institute of Economics of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw and SME Management at the Kozminski University. Adrianna Kilińska is a professional whose versatile skills and extensive experience make her an exceptional leader in the IT industry. She has been involved in the new technology industry for almost 20 years, where, as a strategist, effective leader and promoter of the development of women in IT, she actively supports diversity and inclusivity in the technology sector. Fulfilling ethical and formal requirements in business, she is a member of the Business Centre Club (BCC). For years, she has been active in helping other women develop as a mentor for the SPK association. With a relentless pursuit of personal and professional improvement, Adrianna Kilińska remains at the forefront of the latest trends in management and technology, inspiring others to continually evolve in the rapidly changing world of IT.

Ksawery Stojak

Team Leader,
ZTCP Enterprise Digital Transformation Team,
Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego

prof. Tomasz Trzciński, DEng, PhD,

Professor, Warsaw University of Technology,
Study Group Leader, IDEAS NCBR,
Chief Scientist, Tooploox

Tomasz Trzciński (DSc, WUT'20; PhD, EPFL'14; MSc, UPC/PoliTo'10) is a Full Professor at Warsaw University of Technology, where he leads a Computer Vision Lab. He is also a Computer Vision Group Leader at IDEAS NCBR, a publicly-funded Polish Center for AI. He was an Associate Professor at Jagiellonian University of Krakow in years 2020-2023, and a Visiting Scholar at Stanford University in 2017 and at Nanyang Technological University in 2019. Previously, he worked at Google in 2013, Qualcomm in 2012 and Telefónica in 2010. He frequently serves as a reviewer and area chair in major computer science conferences (CVPR, ICCV, ECCV, NeurIPS, ICML) and journals (TPAMI, IJCV, CVIU). He is a Senior Member of IEEE, member of ELLIS Society and director of ELLIS Unit Warsaw, member of the ALICE Collaboration at CERN and an expert of National Science Centre and Foundation for Polish Science. He is a Chief Scientist at Tooploox and a co-founder of Comixify, a technology startup focused on using machine learning algorithms for video editing.

Panel 3: AI in business

Kuba Dobroszek

Managing Editor,
My Company Polska

Born in 1991, three years before Oasis' debut album. He started his career in ‘’Polska The Times‘’, where he mainly interviewed the most important politicians and people from the cultural world. Later he was associated, among others, with TVN24 and LOGO – for two years he was editor-in-chief of the magazine's website. In “My Company Polska”, he covers start-ups and new technologies and is the managing editor of mycompanypolska.pl.

Arkadiusz Gumiński

AI Solutions Architect
& Technical Lead,
Britenet

Python Leader at Britenet. Experienced developer and technical leader, specializing in designing and implementing systems based on Generative AI. He leads a team developing cloud-based Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) solutions using large language models (LLM). With diverse experience gained in startups and product-oriented environments, he excels at delivering pragmatic and efficient solutions tailored to real business needs. Whether as a solution designer, consultant, or hands-on developer, he bridges the gap between the operational implementation of products and strategic business goals. A lover of simplicity, he passionately uses analytical skills to find the simplest solutions, even for complex problems.

Andrzej Horawa

Enterprise Business Lead CEE,
Amazon Web Services Poland

Andrzej Horawa is responsible for the Enterprise segment of Amazon Web Services in Central and Eastern Europe. He has more than 25 years of experience in the technology industry, with extensive knowledge and experience in complex international technology projects. Prior to joining AWS, he headed various business lines at IBM and Microsoft, and was CEO of Teradata in Poland.

prof. Michał Kleiber, DEng, PhD

Chairman of the Council of the Executive Club,
Former President of the Polish Academy of Sciences,
Former President of ECCOMAS

Chairman of the Enterprise, Management and Innovation Council, Vice-president of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, President of the European Community on Computational Methods in Applied Sciences (ECCOMAS). He was a President of the Polish Academy of Sciences in the years 2007-2015. Winner of numerous scientific awards, including the most prestigious national scientific award granted by the Foundation for Polish Science, awarded high state decorations for research achievements, for example: Belgian, French and Japanese. Doctor honoris causa of many universities in the country and abroad, and a member of many foreign academies of science. In the years 2001-2005 he was the Minister of Science and Information Technology, in the years 2006 - 2010 Social Advisor to the President for Education and Research.

Jakub Kubalski

Partner, Lawyer,
SSW Law & Beyond

Jakub specializes in intellectual property law, particularly in the gaming, advertising and marketing, film and television, and e-commerce sectors. Additionally, he handles consumer protection law and unfair competition matters. He represents clients before common courts and administrative bodies, including the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK), the Office of Electronic Communications (UKE), the Office for Personal Data Protection (UODO), the Polish and European Patent Offices, and self-regulatory associations such as the Advertising Ethics Commission. He is also a professional representative before the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). He lectures on video game and e-sports law at the School of New Technology Law, organized by the H. Grotius Intellectual Property Law Center. He is also a neutral expert at the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center.

Artur Pollak, BEng, PhD

CEO,
APA Group

Member of the Program Council of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the Silesian University of Technology. An expert in the field of computer control systems. He led several projects, creating factories referred to as Industry 4.0 in Europe and China. He cooperated with such concerns as VW, GM, Daimler and Siemens.

Artur Wroński

AI Technology Advocacy Lead,
IBM Polska

Artur is the leader of initiatives related to artificial intelligence in IBM Poland. He is responsible for coordinating the work of teams involved in the promotion of modern technologies and the implementation of AI pilot projects. His mission is to modernise information processing systems by implementing the latest AI technologies that transform the way companies and organisations operate. Arthur specialises in advising clients and system integrators on the end-to-end architecture of AI-based solutions. His expertise covers the full implementation cycle - from data preparation to modelling to maintenance and optimisation of solution quality. He has participated in analytical projects carried out not only in Poland, but also in the entire CEE region. He has been working for IBM for 23 years.

DAY 2

Panel 1: Cybersecurity

Mariusz Rawski, DEng, PhD

Professor, Department of Cybersecurity, Faculty of Electronics and Informatics,
Warsaw University of Technology

Mariusz Rawski, Ph.D., D. Eng. is a professor at the Warsaw University of Technology in the Department of Cyber Security of the Faculty of Electronics and Information Technology. His research interests include the design and implementation of digital information processing systems for cyber security, high-performance computing, software-defined networking and machine learning, among others. Mariusz Rawski is the author or co-author of more than 150 papers published in international scientific journals and presented at conferences. He has participated in many scientific grants and projects funded by, among others, NCBiR, A-STAR (Singapore), the European Union and NATO. He also collaborates with industry through research and development projects. Recent research topics include the application of Moving Target Defense techniques in preventing network reconnaissance and the implementation of hardware-software security mechanisms for IoT devices.

Przemysław Frasunek

Member of the Board,
Redge Technologies

Computer scientist, entrepreneur, cyber security expert. Graduated from the Polish-Japanese Academy of Information Technology in Warsaw. In the late 1990s, co-founded Nette - one of the first commercial Internet providers in Lublin, which is now part of the Vectra group. Between 1999 and 2010, he authored more than 40 reports on vulnerabilities in publicly available software. In 2002-2020, he was professionally involved with the WSE-listed Atende S.A. group, holding managerial and product development positions. Since 2007, he has been co-creator of the proprietary technology platform for online television, together with the Internet content distribution network (CDN) system. Since 2015, originator and co-author of a technology solution for the mitigation of DDoS attacks. Since 2017, cyber security expert at the Business Centre Club. Co-owner and board member of Redge Technologies, the region's largest technology provider for video streaming and cyber security.

Robert Grabowski

Head of CERT,
Orange Polska

For over 10 years, he has been focusing on defensive and offensive security of Orange Polska, including blue and red team, phishing and malware analysis, vulnerabilities, penetration testing and security research. He places great importance on communicating knowledge of cyber threats and protection against them to Internet users. Holder of OSWE, OSCP, OSWP, CISSP certifications.

Wojciech Józefowicz

Cyber Security Expert,
EIB

Expert with over 28 years of experience in managing the areas of cyber security, IT, SAP and telecommunications. MBA graduate of Franklin University, participant of doctoral studies at the National Defence Academy, where he researched cyber threats. He led international teams executing global projects, creating, among others, an IT/Cyber Shared Services Centre and a Security Operations Center for the chemical industry. During his career, he was responsible for information security and the implementation of many complex cyber defence systems. Since 2018, he has continuously participated in international allied cyber defence exercises. He is a highly regarded speaker and lecturer on cyber security.

Andrzej Karpiński

Security Director
BIK Group

Karel Obluk

General Partner,
Evolution Equity Partners

Karel is a seasoned top executive and investor with a strong background in computer science and security. As a partner at Evolution Equity Partners, a VC fund investing in growth-stage technology companies, Karel leads investments in cybersecurity, enterprise software, and data analytics across North America and Europe. Previously, Karel served as CTO, Chief Scientist, and interim CEO at AVG Technologies (NYSE:AVG, acquired by Avast). He has also invested in innovative security companies such as Cognitive Security (acquired by Cisco), SecurityScorecard, Onapsis, and others. Passionate about supporting the local startup ecosystem, Karel is a founding member and President of the Czech Business Angel Association. He holds a Kauffman Fellowship from the Palo Alto-based Society of Kauffman Fellows.

Bartosz Pastuszka

CEO, Managing Partner,
NaviRisk

Expert in business security and crisis management, founder and president of IBBC Group. He was CEO of the Pinkerton detective agency in the Central and Eastern European region. Managing Partner at SecUA, specializing in supporting international investors in Ukraine, owner of the Eastshield Fund and Partner at Crisis Legal Solutions law firm. Member of ASIS International and co-founder of ASIS International Poland Chapter, an international association of security professionals. Graduate of the Faculty of Management at the University of Warsaw. He completed specialized courses in Resilient Leadership at the University of Maryland and Cybersecurity at Harvard University.

Panel 2: Innovation Leaders Debate – Ecosystems of the Future

Paulina Mazur

Head of the Collaboration Office at the Innovation Center,
Warsaw University of Technology

A specialist in communication and team development support. She heads the Office for Cooperation with the Socio-Economic Environment at the Warsaw University of Technology's Center for Innovation. She has experience in managing investor relations for companies debuting and listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (GPW), as well as in conducting PR activities for various entities—ranging from non-governmental organizations (e.g., the Brother Albert Foundation), to universities (e.g., AGH University of Science and Technology), and large commercial entities (e.g., Scanmed Group). She co-organized the first Polish accelerator for industrial startups at the Kraków Technology Park (KPT ScaleUP). She implemented the communication strategy for the Łukasiewicz Research Network, which comprised 26 research institutes. Organizer of development workshops for women.

Andrzej Bułka

CEO,
Fracht FWO Polska

He has been associated with the transport and logistics industry for over 25 years. In 2010, he headed Fracht FWO Polska as its managing director, and since 2019 he has been the President of the company's management board. He gained his professional experience as a merchant navy officer, and then developed his professional career in international logistics companies. A graduate of the Navigation Faculty of the Maritime University of Szczecin. He completed postgraduate studies in leadership psychology at the Business School of the Warsaw University of Technology and Advanced Management Program at IESE in Barcelona. International logistics expert, panellist and speaker at conferences and economy events in Poland and abroad.

prof. Andrzej Czyżewski, DEng, PhD

Head of the Department of Multimedia Systems at the Faculty of Electronics, Informatics and Telecommunications,
Gdansk University of Technology

Prof. Andrzej Czyżewski has headed the Multimedia Systems Department at Gdańsk University of Technology for more than 30 years. He is the author of more than 600 publications that have appeared in print in scientific journals and conference proceedings, as well as three books and 30 patents, and co-author of more than a dozen solutions implemented in production. His research interests revolve around issues related to data engineering, signal processing, machine learning, and their numerous interdisciplinary applications. Under the leadership of prof. Andrzej Czyzewski at Gdańsk University of Technology, more than 40 research projects have been carried out to date, including seven international projects.

Krzysztof Kanawka, BEng, PhD

CEO,
Blue Dot Solutions

Krzysztof Kanawka, PhD - graduate of the AGH (Krakow, Poland), Fachhoschule Muenster (Germany) and a PhD degree at Imperial College London. Currently, Krzysztof serves as the president of the management board of Blue Dot Solutions, an SME operating in the space sector in Poland. Krzysztof's activity focuses mainly on the practical use of satellite data, i.e. on telecommunications applications, GNSS, EO and technological analyzes of the space sector. Since 2016, Krzysztof and his team have been supporting other technology startups in the form of the Space3ac business accelerator. Since then, the accelerator has supported over 150 technology startups from around the world.

Mateusz Kopacz

Head of the Innovation Department,
Budimex

Graduate of the AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków, where he completed two majors: Environmental Engineering and Mining and Geology. In 2019, he also completed the postgraduate studies ‘Project Management – Project Manager qualification’. He has been with the Budimex Group since 2015 and has been in charge of the Innovation area since 2021, being responsible, among other things, for the management of projects, including international R&D projects co-financed by the European Commission, such as ‘BIMERR’ and ‘CONCERT’. In addition, he is involved in developing collaborations with start-ups and supporting employee projects. His responsibilities include the implementation of innovation strategies, the optimisation of business processes and the management of a portfolio of innovation projects in his area of responsibility.

Maciej Korbasiewicz

CEO,
Bolix

Graduate of the Faculty of Automatics, Electronics and Informatics at the Silesian University of Technology in Gliwice, participant in the American Management Association programme in the USA. Apart from working in Poland (Hobas Poland, Amitech Poland), he gained experience working for many years in Japan and USA (Taiyo Electric Co Osaka., Amitech USA). Since 2009, he has been President of the Management Board at Bolix S.A.

Monika Uzunkaya

Innovation Manager,
Grupa PZU

Has been affiliated with the PZU Group for 9 years, starting with project coordination within the Strategy and Projects Office. For 7 years she has been in the Innovation Lab, where she creates product, technological and process innovations and develops business and technology models. Under the ‘PZU Ready for Startups’ programme, the Innovation Lab works with the best startups in Poland and the world, supporting PZU business units in testing and implementing technological innovations. Annually, the Innovation Lab analyses around 1,000 ideas and startups, of which it implements 8-12 pilot projects, primarily in the areas of artificial intelligence, big data, digitalisation and new customer interactions. Examples of innovations include solutions such as the use of artificial intelligence to analyse motor insurance claims, or the use of satellite imagery to improve the handling of agricultural claims. Monika is a graduate of SGGW, SGH and PJATK in Warsaw, in addition she completed the ‘Leadership & Innovation’ programme at MIT Professional Education.

SPEECHES

prof. Andrzej Czyżewski, DEng, PhD

Head of the Department of Multimedia Systems at the Faculty of Electronics, Informatics and Telecommunications,
Gdansk University of Technology

Piotr Frankowski

Managing Director,
Ayming Polska

Piotr Frankowski serves as Managing Director at Ayming Polska, where he is responsible for leading the strategy, focusing on strengthening the company's market position as a leader in innovation financing in Poland and implementing new services into the company's day-to-day operations. Under his leadership, Ayming Poland supports entrepreneurs in the challenges of ESG transformation and CSRD-compliant non-financial reporting. He has over 20 years of experience in managerial positions, gained at leading companies such as SAS Institute, Empik, mBank, and EY. He co-managed SAS Institute in Poland, where he was responsible for the Customer Advisory area, designing solutions in the area of advanced analytics and artificial intelligence maximising customer experience in the banking, consumer finance, payments, commerce and e-commerce sectors. At Empik, he managed the customer value area and was responsible for building and developing the loyalty and subscription ecosystem, and at mBank he launched consumer loans and innovative payment solutions. Piotr Frankowski also spent almost 10 years at EY, where he was responsible for development, project management and strategic consulting services mainly for the financial sector. He holds a master's degree in engineering from the Faculty of Organisation and Management at the Technical University of Lodz. He is also a graduate of postgraduate studies at the Warsaw School of Economics and Strathclyde University in Glasgow and has completed a number of management courses, including, among others, at Commerzbank and EY.

Toby Hunt

CEO & Co-Founder,
Earth Cubs

Toby is a passionate technologist who has been running his own businesses since 2006. He is a father of two boys (9 & 7), in awe of the natural world and concerned about the planet that the next generation will inherit. Toby has long realised the benefits technology has to inspire and educate. “I wanted to link my passions and my strengths in the direction of making the world a better place. Of utmost importance to me also is not to start from a position of fear about the future, but from wonder and positivity - this is what Earth Cubs is all about.” Earth Cubs is unique in utilising creativity & storytelling to educate, whilst simultaneously encouraging families to create home made projects and explore the world around them. We hope to empower and inspire children, igniting their thirst for knowledge and understanding, and ultimately become ambassadors for a better way of living. Earth Cubs is at the intersection of vital education and entertainment. We are inspiring the next generation of global citizens.

Karel Obluk

General Partner,
Evolution Equity Partners

Krzysztof Pacierpnik

Proxy and Sales Department Director,
SEEN Technologie

At SEEN Technologie Sp. z o.o., he is responsible for the development of the municipal and industrial markets, including the energy sector. He heads the sales and bidding department in the field of water, wastewater and sludge for large and medium-sized investment tasks. Graduate of the Institute of Economic Sciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences (Executive MBA) and the Częstochowa University of Technology. Environmental engineer associated with the water and wastewater industry for more than a dozen years as a practitioner in the field of execution, design and management of investment preparation. Expert in the areas of: water treatment and demineralization technologies, wastewater treatment from wet flue gas desulfurization plants, solving “water problems” and closing water circuits.

prof. Tomasz Sobierajski

Centre for Sociomedical Research,
University of Warsaw

Agnieszka Witaszek

Partner,
SSW Law & Beyond

Agnieszka specialises in personal data and privacy protection law. She has experience as a data protection officer in Polish and international companies in the technology and pharmaceutical industries. She has implemented comprehensive data protection programmes for, among others, service providers in the Software-as-a-Service model, web services or shared service centres for multinational companies. She is experienced in all aspects of data protection, in particular in mapping and managing data protection processes, designing data-driven products and services, conducting compliance audits, drafting risk analyses, policies, standards and data protection agreements, assessing and reporting data protection violations to regulatory authorities and representing clients before such authorities, as well as training. She is effectively able to balance the legal requirements of data protection with the needs and expectations of the business. She is CIPP/E certified and a member of IAPP, the largest international privacy association.