Universities have closed ranks. They are cooperating with schools, companies and local governments

• Three technical universities - Białystok University of Technology, Lublin University of Technology and Rzeszów University of Technology - have created a network called Via Carpatia.
• - As part of the Via Carpatia Polytechnic Network project, universities cooperate with entrepreneurs and secondary schools - says Prof. Marta Kosior-Kazberuk, Rector of the Białystok University of Technology.
• It also answers the question why good cooperation between research centres, entrepreneurs and local governments is crucial for the development of the region.

Universities from the provinces of Eastern Poland decided to formalize their cooperation, creating a network called Via Carpatia. What is the purpose of such a formula?

Dr. DSc, Eng Marta Kosior-Kazberuk, prof. PB, rector of the Białystok University of Technology: The Via Carpatia Polytechnic Network is a joint initiative of the Białystok University of Technology, the Lublin University of Technology and the Rzeszów University of Technology.

The name comes of course from the location of our universities in Eastern Poland, but the key word here is the network, because in its formula not only universities cooperate with each other, but also our regional partners . I mean enterprises and secondary schools.

The ten tasks that we are implementing as part of the Polytechnic Network Via Carpatia project are primarily aimed at joint action of universities - together with entrepreneurs and secondary schools. In this way, we have covered the whole of Eastern Poland with a really dense network, not only showing that we can cooperate, but also fulfill the missions of individual universities.

An example of tasks carried out within the Via Carpatia network is, among others, the development and support of commercialization activities of secondary school students. This includes the implementation of a program aimed at capturing practical talents in secondary school students , by encouraging and assigning them to solve specific technical, functional or technological problems reported by enterprises.

Watch the entire interview with Prof. Marta Kosior-Kazberuk, Rector of the Białystok University of Technology, in the video below:

For many years we have been saying that good cooperation within the triad - scientific/academic centers, entrepreneurs/business and public administration, including local government - is a key condition for building effective strategies for regions. How successful is this cooperation in Podlasie and, more broadly, in Eastern Poland?

- I would say that it is working, but we still have a lot to do in this area. Every step that strengthens the aforementioned triad in its activities opens up new possibilities.

When it comes to Podlasie and the cooperation of universities with entrepreneurs and local governments - primarily the Marshal's Office of the Podlaskie Voivodeship - we are very pleased with it, because everyone shows great willingness to take joint actions .

Very important is the good atmosphere created by the Podlaskie Voivodeship government, which not only provides financial resources, which allows us to implement joint projects, but also appreciates their specific effects.

An example is the very important distinction, the Podlaska Marka Roku . Importantly, in this way the regional authorities appreciate projects that primarily have a practical aspect and build a competitive advantage for our region.

The concept of cooperation within the triad that we are discussing is, in principle, the only way to effectively use the economic, scientific and social potential of Podlasie and, of course, other regions.

How does the Polish Academic-Economic Forum, which you have chaired since 2022, fit into this cooperation?

- The Polish Academic-Economic Forum is already a nationwide platform connecting universities, research institutes with the broadly understood industry, business, business-related institutions, also in cooperation with banks, the Polish Bank Association, as well as individual ministries, including: digitization, industry, science, funds and regional policy, health, national defense.

The key activity of the Polish Academic-Economic Forum is the annual academic-economic forums , including numerous panel discussions and lectures devoted to specific, very current issues at a given time.

We have already discussed in this expert formula, among other things, the reconstruction of Ukraine, improving the quality of higher education, artificial intelligence, and building a competitive advantage of Polish companies with the participation of universities.

Within the Polish Academic-Economic Forum, we also define the barriers that still prevent us from reaching the next, higher level in terms of the effectiveness of cooperation between universities and their socio-economic environment.

Such recently identified barriers include, among others, the gap in project funding, which makes it difficult for Polish universities - primarily technical ones - to raise their technological readiness level from the sixth to the ninth TRL (Technology Readiness Level is a 9-point scale that allows determining the level of advancement of research, work or product - ed.).

In this respect, we still count on greater support from the government. However, we already know how to cooperate with each other, we trust each other more and more. Scientists, entrepreneurs and representatives of the administration already speak a very similar language. As a result, new opportunities for cooperation are opening up before us.

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The conversation was recorded during the 17th European Economic Congress (EEC 2025, Katowice, 23-25 ​​April) .