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    JUN
    2010
    36 thematic sessions and over 350 panellists: the second day of the European Economic Congress 2010 in a nutshell
    Media contact:

    Marta Stach
    Contacts in English and Polish only
    Imago Public Relations
    ul. Dworska 1
    40-584 Katowice
    m.stach@imagopr.pl
    http://www.imagopr.pl
    tel.: +48 32 608 29 85
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    fax: +48 (32) 205 13 66

    Knowledge and Innovation Communities, transport, finance, economy, sport infrastructure and funding, and health care are only a few of the numerous topics discussed during the second day of the European Economic Congress 2010. On 1 June, Katowice saw 36 thematic sessions with over 350 panellists. The debates were attended by Minister of Science and Higher Education Barbara Kudrycka, and Director of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology Gérard de Nazelle.

    The second day of the European Economic Congress 2010 (EEC) was marked by the discussions broadly related to the power industry. Detailed discussions involved such problems as the Polish government’s strategy for the fuel and energy sector; also, the debates raised the future of power transmission and distribution in Europe, and the energy efficiency in cities, regions and companies. Moreover, the participants brought up economic issues and those related with transport, water and sewage disposal, and health protection.

    The session summing the activity of the Knowledge and Innovation Community, which was officially inaugurated during the European Economic Congress 2009, the EEC 2010 participants, including Minister of Science and Higher Education Barbara Kudrycka, and Director of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology Gérard de Nazelle, discussed whether there has been success in merging business and knowledge, and what the Knowledge Community is today.

    A panel dedicated to the investment attractiveness of the Silesia Province was a must in this year’s agenda of the largest business event in Central and Eastern Europe. The session was opened by Marshal of the Silesia Province Bogusław Śmigielski.

    Beside, speakers who addressed the participants today were Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Poland in 2007-2009 Zbigniew Ćwiąkalski, and President of the American Chamber of Commerce Roman Rewald (Law), and in a multimedia address, EU Commissioner for Energy Günther Oettinger (Polish government’s strategies for the fuel and energy sector).

    In addition, distinctions for laureates of the competition held by the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development in categories of the “Innovative Project” and the “Effective Entrepreneur” were given; furthermore, there was an opening ceremony of the Network of Collaboration and Entrepreneurs, “Business Hunters”.

    Tuesday’s sessions were held in the Monopol Hotel (e.g. the Polish Government’s Strategies for the Fuel Sector; the Future of Power Transmission and Distribution in Europe), the Qubus Hotel (e.g. Finance/Economy; Knowledge and Innovation Communities; Law; Food Market), the Silesian Voivode Office (e.g. the Finance of Local Governments; Infrastructure/Construction/Real Estate; Railway Transport), in the Biuro Centrum building (Capital for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises. Investments in SMEs. Dynamic Profits, Extraordinary Growth), in the RIG building (the Eastern Partnership as an International Platform for Economic Integration), in the Science and Technology Park Euro-Centrum (the Power Sector: Renewable Energy Sources), in the Angelo Hotel (the Innovative Economy of Europe; the Economy in the Time of the Crisis: Mechanisms Supporting Entrepreneurs), in the Rondo Sztuki Gallery (the Investment Attractiveness of the Silesia Province) and in the ING building (the Meaning of Audit and Control in Public Administration at an International Scale).

    On Wednesday, 2 June, which is the last Congress day, the participants will join debates on specific sectors of the European economy, including the automotive industry, mining and metallurgy, and on the aviation industry.
    More on the European Economic Congress 2010 and a detailed congress agenda on www.eec2010.eu

    ***

    EEC 2010 participants’ statements:

    Barbara Kudrycka, the Minister of Science and Higher Education: The research on nuclear power engineering and more, also on new energy generation sources which include new technologies to obtain energy from coal, are this government’s priority. It is visible not only through additional research funding but also through funding of selected fields of study. (...) It seems that we have every right to look into the future with optimism. We have excellent researchers who in collaboration with European and world-class scientists are able to conduct the most sophisticated research in power engineering and renewable energy. We invest in research conducted by young scientists, and in students and in power-related fields of study. It seems that with time Poland may become one of the leaders in the research on renewable energy, in particular, in the area of power technologies derived from coal.

    Bogusław Śmigielski, the Marshal of the Silesia Province: The promotion of the province should be continuous and permanent. The Silesia Province has the largest economic potential in Poland; it is a good place to do business. The services of investors are important as well as it is a key to create proper conditions for external capital. My recent Expo 2010 experience in Shanghai shows that for entrepreneurs it is crucial to have the support of authorities. Particularly, for investments done abroad.

    Dariusz Mioduski, the Head of Kulczyk Holding: We are among those daredevils who invest. The foundation of our activity is the faith in reason. It is inconceivable to think that either power will be a luxury good or we will turn it off. We are taking the risk by investing tens of millions euros. We know how to obtain funds; in the peak of the financial crisis we received EUR 1.5 billion to build the A2 motorway. In the north of Poland, there must by a large power source. Analysts say that there are too many unknowns but we believe that the situation will clarify.

    Adam Leszkiewicz, the Deputy Minister of Treasury: Years 2005-2006 raised many hopes connected with the privatisation of the chemical sector. Yet, they turned to be an era of lost opportunities. A period of a boom in chemistry in 2006-2007 was simply wasted. Too little was done to prepare for a worse period in the sector which came after 2007. As a result, we now have a problem to raise investors‘ interest in the Polish chemistry. The global crisis added up to this and brought fewer investment opportunities. The best confirmation is the fact that within the recent months, only one significant acquisition in the sector took place and this was in the Netherlands.

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