The price of knowledge
The city is in the running to host one of EIT's "knowledge and innovation communities" (KICs), networks of universities, businesses and research bodies which will partner with the umbrella institution. Various projects and research are expected to be carried out at the KIC level.
At the beginning there will be three KICs. Universities which cooperate with the institution will be able to add the EIT logo to diplomas they give out.
Not all is lost
The decision to award the seat of EIT to Budapest did not come as surprise to many. Even Wrocław Mayor Rafał Dutkiewicz, an indefatigable campaigner for his city's EIT bid, told Radio Wrocław before the final decision was made that he did not think Wrocław would win, but that it at least deserved to host a KIC.
Wrocław University of Technology's professor Mirosław Miller is the president of EIT+, an R&D company which plans to carry out projects in conjunction with EIT or a KIC in the future. Miller claims that the potential to open a KIC in Wrocław is good.
"[In losing] EIT, we have lost only several European clerks. And that was a political decision. With a KIC, it will not be a political decision. It will depend only on our work, on the quality of the research projects we develop," Miller told WBJ.
"We are constantly working on and developing our research projects, which, together with our modern research center in Pracze Odrzańskie, will encourage scientists to join our work. These could be people who left Poland because they didn't have any opportunities for scientific development, or other scientists from Poland and abroad," said Miller.
The first KICs
The first three KICs will be estabilished by the end of 2009, with more to come after a few years. Wrocław should know by the end of the year whether it will host a KIC or not.
"We will not achieve anything if we do not work above all to gain recognition on the global scientific map. And nobody will invite us to EIT," Miller said. "If we want to be a significant scientific center, we have to have good contacts," he added. "Theoretically, there are good specialists in Poland, but this exists only on a small scale," he said.
The first KICs are expected to be responsible for research into energy and environmental protection, transportation and medicine.
According to Miller, there is no pressure for Wrocław to host a KIC, as neither EIT nor its knowledge and innovation communities have earned a name yet. "Whether we get it or not, the most important thing is that we follow this path of development and comply with the EIT system. A KIC itself is not the aim," added Miller.
He added that even if Wrocław was not given a KIC in the first round, "We will get it later, I am sure."
"Most importantly, EIT is an open institution, so we can always join any large EIT project, cooperate and develop," Miller added.
