Euraxess Poland 
Research Landscape
| Research Landscape |
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R&D PolicySince Poland’s accession to the European Union on 1 May 2004, the country’s research policy has taken into account the participation in the creation and implementation of scientific activity on a pan-European level. Also the research itself has become a crucial element of the country’s development strategy and its membership in the European Union. Recently, new opportunities for development and financing research, new technologies, innovation and informatisation of the country have emerged. National Development Plan has been created in order to capitalize on Polish membership in the European Union and take advantage of the opportunities it brings. The Plan covering the period of 2007-2013 is being developed as a compound socio-economic lay-out integrating all national undertakings and activities financed on the national and community level (financed both from public and private sources, including structural funds).
In October 2008 the National Programme for Scientific Research and Development Activities was published by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. Its main aim is to intensify the role of the research society in shaping modern and long-term circumstances for society and economy development. It defines priority research areas valid for 5 -10 years and strategic programmes for the research and development activities within each priority research area, valid for 3-5 years. The current National Programme encompasses five interdisciplinary priority research areas:
A major instrument for the implementation of changes is the Act on Principles of Financing Science of 2004. It strengthens the role of the Minister of Science in the development of the research policy, establishes new consultative and advisory bodies and introduces new instruments for funding the research and development activities. Other instruments are regional innovation strategies supported by the European Structural Funds and implemented in all 16 Polish provinces (voivodships). The strategies ensure that all partners (research institutions, business entities and local government bodies) co-operate with one another in order to enhance innovativeness in a given region. Support is provided for co-operation between the research and industry sectors, technology parks and incubators are established, and Advanced Technology Centres are developed.
R&D FrameworkThe Minister of Science and Higher Education is responsible for the development and implementation of the research policy, the funding of the research (except for military R&D project) and the promotion of international co-operation in the area of research. A new consultative and advisory body for the Minister is the Council for Science was established in 2005. Its responsibilities include: giving opinions on draft documents and legislation and proposed economic as well as financial arrangements concerning the development of the research and technology. The Council is also in charge of the assessment of research institutions and applications for research projects submitted by them. The National Centre for Research and Development (NCBiR) was established in July 2007 with the aim of managing and implementing strategic scientific research and development programmes that translate directly into innovation development. The tasks of NCBiR include support for commercialization and other forms of transferring the scientific research results to economy. This ensures solid conditions for scientists development, particularly the participation of young scientists in the research programmes and implementation of international scientists mobility programmes.
In 2007 the employment in the research and development activity was 121,623 persons, including over 97,000 research staff (full-time equivalents) Women accounted for 39,9% of the total research staff number. In 2007 Poland had 31,814 doctoral students and 51% of them were women. Over 92 of doctoral students are enrolled in higher education institutions and the others in the institutes of the Polish Academy of Sciences and R&D institutes. In the same year, 1,937,400 students (56,4 % women) were following Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programmes at public and non-public higher education institutions. Research InstitutionsR&D activities in Poland are conducted by the following entities Higher education institutions play a major role in the national research potential. They are located in all major Polish cities. Some of those cities boast of long-term academic traditions, having developed strong academic communities. Research is carried out mainly by 150 higher education institutions (2007 data), which are sub-divided into: universities, technical universities, agricultural universities, universities of economics, pedagogical universities, medical universities, academies of art studies, academies of physical education, academies of theology. Most of them are supervised by the Minister of Science and Higher Education, others - by relevant Ministries (i.e. the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of National Defence. The list of higher education institutions in Poland is available at http://www.nauka.gov.pl/higher-education/higher-schools-in-poland/ The Polish Academy of Sciences (PAS) established in 1952, is an independent research institution with units across the country. It organises and integrates the research community, prepares expert opinions for public institutions and conducts research through its research units grouped in 7 departments. The Academy has a number of actively working external research stations abroad. PAS as a research centre currently comprises of 79 research establishments (institutes and research centres, research stations, botanical gardens and other research units) and auxiliary scientific units (archives, libraries, museums, and foreign PAN stations). The tasks of the institute include conducting research and educating research workers and specialists with special qualifications in specific disciplines. The institute can run doctorate and post-graduate studies and other educational activity.
Branch research-development units are state institutions operating as separate entities in terms of their legal basis, organisational arrangements and funding mechanisms supervised by various sector ministries that conduct R&D work in line with the needs of the national economy and social life. Among 189 units there are research institutes, central laboratories and research and development centres. Development units are business entities active in R&D. Besides their primary activity, they also lead experimental development aimed at the application of the already existing knowledge attained through basic or applied research or through practical experience. The knowledge is applied to produce or significantly improve new materials, devices, products, processes, systems or services. Generally, 670 development units (data 2007) are industrial enterprises with own R&D backend (labs, R&D units and centres, research-technological departments, construction and construction-technology bureaux, technology development units, study bureaux and project bureaux, etc.), as well as agricultural and zootechnical units, farms and experimental stations, science-technology centres, etc.
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| Ostatnia aktualizacja: Poniedziałek, 23 Sierpień 2010 14:23 |
