Professor Węglarz at EFPA: Science is a source of innovation!

2010-05-19

Professor Węglarz at EFPA: Science is a source of innovation!
“Science is a source of innovation” – Professor Jan Węglarz argued during his speech on the second day of the Economic Forum of the Poznań Agglomeration. According to the director of PSNC Poznań agglomeration is a center of innovation in Poland, but the conditions provided to Polish science lead to her slow decline. On the evidence of those powerful words professor quoted data on government funding of scientific research centers in the country. Despite assurances by politicians to increase budgetary spending for this purpose up to 2% of GDP by 2013, the budget for education in 2010-2011 was only 0.42% of GDP.

Poland still lacks in modern solutions in the economy. According to data from the European Union, Poland is located on the infamous, 5th location of the end among the countries of the community in terms of the innovative activities in the economy.

Innovation has become the leitmotif of the Economic Forum of the Poznań Agglomeration. Proposals for the main directions of agglomeration of 2020 were in „The Green Paper of Poznań Agglomeration”. The document is the result of research work of four universities in Poznań: Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań University of Economics and University of Life Sciences, as well as the policies and actions of 22 municipalities included in the agglomeration.

The Green Paper provides for action programs in five strategic areas: land management and environment, infrastructure and organization of transport, economy and labor market, social services and integrated territorial management and marketing.

As part of the last areas the Green Paper proposes an agenda for the creation of metropolitan information system. This system makes decision-making processes more efficient by combining all major metropolitan areas for the development of public institutions with common data exchange system. The program also aims to create such an infrastructure, which allows urban residents to use public and administrative services by electronic means. An extensive social communication over the Internet would allow a public debate on major projects, and the system combines information in the planning documents of the management of metropolitan municipalities. Finally, through an integrated data bank, it would be easier to obtain information on topics relating to social and economic metropolis.

“The Green Paper of Poznań Agglomeration” is not a final document, but the proposed arrangements. The document was intended for a broad discussion of all people and entities acting in and for the benefit of agglomeration, first of all its residents, activists, local government authorities and local and regional administrations, as well as institutions and social organizations and firms and companies operating in agglomeration.

Downloads:

Presentation of PSNC at the Economic Forum of the Poznań Agglomeration