Ministry of Science
and Higher Education

Gdańsk hosts EU discussions

Gdańsk hosted commissioners from all 27 EU member states and members of the Polish government. The meeting was aimed at discussing the most important challenges facing the European Union as well as Polish priorities during the Presidency of the EU Council. The watchword of the Polish presidency is “Security, Europe!”, which was reflected in the topics discussed during the meeting. Among them were security, defense, international affairs, the economy, competitiveness, prosperity, democracy and the rule of law.

Science and innovation: the driving force of Europe

In his speech, Minister Kulasek noted the key role of science and innovation in building the European Union's prosperity. - Science and innovation are one of the most effective drivers of economic growth. That's why it's worth revisiting data showing how investments in science translate into economic growth” - Minister said.

Successes of EU research programs

The head of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education cited specific data that illustrates how investments in research translate into real economic growth. - According to an evaluation of the now-completed Horizon 2020 framework program, for every EUR 1 invested from the program, there was an average of EUR 0.57 invested by private businesses. The entire program is estimated to have contributed an average annual increase of EUR 15.9 billion to European GDP, Minister Kulasek noted. He added that growth of up to EUR 429 billion is expected between 2014 and 2040, and Horizon 2020 has contributed to the creation of some 220,000 jobs.

The Minister also expressed hope that the current Horizon Europe program will bring even greater benefits, especially in terms of innovation and support for start-ups. - It is already clear that the European Innovation Council launched under Horizon is the most active start-up investor in Europe, he stressed.

Priorities of the Polish presidency in the field of science

In his speech, the head of the Ministry of Science drew attention to the necessity of closing the innovation gap between Europe and world leaders such as the United States and China. - In its work, the Polish presidency will pay attention to the necessity of closing the gap in research and innovation within the Union - without this we will not close the innovation gap between Europe and world leaders, he noted.

The Minister also stressed that Poland's priorities in the field of science are openness, inclusiveness and synergy. - We have more than two million scientists in Europe, more than our competitors, and this must be our market advantage. We need new collaborative networks in research and innovation that better engage European talent in the most sophisticated scientific projects, Kulasek said.

He also mentioned a debate among Ministers of Science planned for March as part of the informal Competitiveness Council, which aims to strengthen the start-up ecosystem in the European Union.

Education as the foundation of prosperity

Minister Marcin Kulasek stressed that prosperity was strongly linked to educating young people and preparing them for the challenges of a rapidly changing labor market. - We have been closely following the announcements related to the implementation of the Union of Skills strategy, which places great emphasis on lifelong learning, up-skilling or re-skilling, based on flexible, modern educational pathways, he said.

The head of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education also referred to the European Commission's declarations on strengthening the European University Alliances Initiative which provides a platform for cooperation among higher education institutions in Europe.

Visit to Gdańsk: discussions on the future of Europe

The visit of the EU commissioners to Gdańsk was not only an opportunity to discuss the key challenges facing the European Union, but also a chance to present Polish priorities for the EU Council presidency. Thanks to such meetings, Poland has the opportunity to actively shape the future of Europe, especially in the areas of science, innovation and education.