9. Forum Inwestycyjne (2016)
Tarnów 20-21 czerwca 2016
This year edition of the Investment Forum has been its 9th edition. The following topics: how to support innovative solutions, what is the importance of technology in business development, how energy sector and science create the technology of the future – these were the leading topics of 9. Investment Forum in Tarnów.
The Investment Forum was opened by Christian Buchmann, Chairman of the ECON Committee and the Regional Minister of Economy and Tourism in Styria. He said: ”It is an unusual pleasure to open the conference of the Committee of the Regions. The European economy is slowly recovering after the crisis, but we want to be competitive in the market – we create new ideas, new trends and startups. Of course there are the regions in Europe that are more developed, but Europe as a whole remains a little behind, so we have to strengthen their competitiveness.
Jacek Krupa, the Marshal of the Malopolska Region stressed that Investment Forum in Tarnów, is an important event in our region. He added that thanks to the ECON Committee meeting this year Forum’s addition has key importance. The development of entrepreneurship, better conditions for business – this is our priority, so therefore we support their development/. We invest in people and their potential, knowledge and creativity. Success is not built Individually.
Roman Ciepiela, President of Tarnow said that the Innovation Forum were being held in Tarnow in time of dynamic changes. The support to innovative solutions can become a driving force for innovative development. He stressed the importance of system solutions and the fact that currently we are witnessing the fourth digital revolution. Therefore, as Mr Ciepiela added: “we need to develop innovative solutions and the meetings of the format of 9.Innovation Forum are of special importance and are highly required.
Elizabeth Bieńkowska, the European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services said that Europe needs innovative technologies and innovative businesses – therefore regions are of special importance here. Ms Bienkowska added: “we are trying to remove the barriers stopping innovations. We want to improve the environment for startups development. We will not replace, however, the region and their daily support given to entrepreneurs. Therefore the supra-regional cooperation is also required.
The participants of the first discussion panel of 9. Investment Forum discussed the ways innovations can effect business development. Mariusz Bober, the President of the Azoty Group referred to innovations from the business perspective. He said: “ A few decades ago, innovation was a long innovation. Today innovation can be a brief innovation therefore I would link the concept of innovation with the concept of flexibility. These are the people who have the ability of innovating and who can invent new things. This is not done neither by the machines nor money”.
The meeting was also an opportunity to exchange experience with other countries. The Danish approach to innovation was presented by Diana Arsovic Nielsen, the Director for Innovation in Copenhagen. She said: “We have forty-eight thousand employees. Only the combination of their expertise is the key to innovation and more efficient and productive solutions – she said, adding that it is important to listen to the needs and social problems. Otherwise, the activities may focus on the wrong purposes”.
The issues of investment in R&D were also raised at the Forum. The Deputy Minister of Development, Jerzy Kwieciński drew attention to the insufficient level of innovation in Polish companies, especially in the service sector. He stressed the importance for our government of strengthening the innovativeness of our economy. He concluded: “If we are talking about reindustrialization, it should be done through digitization and innovation. The same applies to foreign expansion of our business”. –“ we truly want to sell products with high added value, giving high margins” – stressed the Minister.
The first day of 9. Investment Forum in Tarnów was closed with the Gala Ceremony, during which the Investment of the Year and the Investor of the Year awards were announced and given and when the winner of the Startup Award was presented.
The title of the Investor of the Year was given to Mr Sławomir Rusinek, the co-founder of Maspex Group, for his investment in Ski Arena Słotwiny in Krynica. The laudation was given by Mr Roman Ciepiela, the President of Tarnow, and a prize handed by Ms Jadwiga Emilewicz, the Minister of Development.
The prize for the best investment was given to Wilk Elektronik – the Europe's leading manufacturers of computer memory modules, the owner of GOODRAM brand. The laudation was delivered by the Chairman of the Economic Forum Program -Mr. Zygmunt Berdychowski. The award was handed over by Mr. Pawel Szefernaker,Secretary of State in the Prime Minister's Office.
This year edition of Startup Award and Robot Show have attracted almost 80 projects, not only from Poland but also from i. a.: Bulgaria and Ukraine. The Selecting Chapter have selected 15 innovative projects. The authors of the LGM generators were announced the winners of Startup Award Competition in 2016. The prize – a check for PLN 100 000 was handed over to the winners by the Speaker of the Senate Stanislaw Karczewski. PKN Orlen, the Economic Forum and the city of Tarnow – these are the founders of the prize in the competition.
The Selecting Chapter House have decided to give the honorary award to one of the finalists- Sidly.
The company has received the opportunity to give the presentation during the XXVI Economic Forum in Krynica (6-8 September). Sidly has also received the audience award and seven hours of consulting firm PwC.
Over the second day of the Forum the participants discussed, among others: an integrated electronic health care system and the need for unification of the system for clinics and hospitals.Stanislaw Karczewski, the Speaker of the Senate stressed – that if we have a good flow of information we will be able to reduce the queues to the doctors in public health centers. Over the discussion the issue of coordinated care system was also tackled. The Speaker of the Senate stressed that it is not a specialized treatment, but primary care that should solve majority of patient’s medical problems.
The Forum was closed with a ROBOT SHOW gala, during which the constructed machines were shown by university students and students of graduation year of technical schools. The winners of the first edition of the contest were the following contestants: – Krzysztof Kieroński, Łukasz Lizak and Daniel Krzyzanowski – the authors of an automated warehouse handling goods. They have received a scholarship for PLN 10,000.
The Competition was held under the honorary patronage of Lesser Polska Marshal.