At the Silesian University of Technology, they have good business ideas
Behind us is the gala of the “My Idea for Business” competition, which has been enjoying great interest among students and doctoral students for years. In the academic year 2025/2026, the Career Office of the Silesian University of Technology has successfully completed the 22nd edition of this competition.
A new system of humidifiers, smart greenhouses, or an ecological packaging system – these are just some of the business ideas prepared by students and PhD students of the Silesian University of Technology who took part in the “My Idea for Business” competition. For years, the competition has been a key element of the university’s strategy in the area of supporting technology transfer and the development of academic entrepreneurship. The aim of the competition is to stimulate innovation among the academic community and to shape entrepreneurial attitudes by encouraging the creation of business projects, with particular emphasis on the idea of green and digital economy. This year, the XXII edition of the competition took place.
The Rector of the Silesian University of Technology, Prof. Dr Hab. Eng. Marek Pawełczyk, who chaired the competition chapter, was impressed by the ideas prepared by young people.
- Many of these ideas awarded or awarded today are very mature projects with a high readiness to enter the market, - said the Rector. - The possibility of meeting originators with a specialist in a given area means that the ideas that were born in the minds of participants and students could be better thought through, refined, and finally presented in such a way that they gained recognition in the eyes of the jurors,- he added.
The Rector reminded that the Silesian University of Technology offers full organizational, financial, and accounting support at the stage of establishing a company, but also the use of a pro-quality program that gives decent funds to start a business for the first 2 years of its activity. Even if the undertaking turns out to be wrong, it also allows to sort out the matters closing the company. - This is a great support, especially for people who have never tried commercialization and entrepreneurship with their own forces. They can feel really safe here. I encourage the winners of today’s contest, - he said.
The Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education Prof. Dr Hab. Eng. Marek Gzik present at the event, who himself was the winner of the competition years ago – in 2003 and 2004, - had no doubt that academic entrepreneurship is something worth betting on and should be developed.
- This entrepreneurship has been instilled among the participants of the competition for years I have been using this experience all my life. I also try to look at scientific issues through the prism of cooperation with business - admitted Prof. Gzik and added that organizing the National Congress of Science for Business drew on the knowledge he gained from the Silesian University of Technology in this area.
Prof. Dr Hab. Eng. Anna Chrobok, the Vice-Rector for Student Affairs and Education of the Silesian University of Technology was also the winner of the competition years ago.
- When I took part in this competition I was a young scientist, but I already knew that what I wanted to do in life is to direct my research to industry, which I successfully manage to this day - said the Vice-Rector and added that to this day she uses knowledge, she received during consultations with industry specialists and entrepreneurs who shared how to sell her idea.
This year, the competition was divided into two stages and consisted of submitting a form with a description of the concept and developing a full business plan. Participants could count on comprehensive substantive support, including specialist workshops on setting up business and creating business plans, individual consultations with an entrepreneurship advisor and expert support in the form of meetings with practitioners from key industries.
Thanks to this approach, the participants gained the tools necessary to commercialize their ideas, which really strengthens the innovation environment at the Silesian University of Technology.
Ready-made projects - 105 people applied for the 22nd edition - were assessed by the Jury of the competition under the chairmanship of the Rector of the Silesian University of Technology, which decided to award 24 projects and present 6 main prizes.
Awarded projects:
First place
· HortoBox – Your private garden wherever you want, author: Jakub Pająk (Automation and Robotics, Faculty of Automatic Control, Electronics and Computer Science)
- TransOpti.AI – a platform for implementing advanced transport models in practice, author: Dr Eng. Artur Budzyński (Department of Transport Systems, Traffic Engineering and Logistics, Department of Transport and Aviation Engineering)
Second place
· Development and production of a new generation of humidifiers Leafy FogBar, author: Fabian Zobawa (Mechatronics, Faculty of Electrical Engineering)
· Repacka – a standardized, eco-friendly RFID packaging system for parcel vending machines, authors: Paulina Wisła, Aleksander Bralich (Logistics, Faculty of Organization and Management)
Third place
· EcoGuardian Home, authors: Zuzanna Brom, Lukasz Łój (Automation and Robotics, Faculty of Automatic Control, Electronics and Computer Science)
· BloomUp! - Smart Student greenhouses, authors: Paulina Ciosek, Przemysław Pańczyszyn (Logistics, Faculty of Organization and Management)
The projects concerned many areas such as civil engineering, biotechnology, materials engineering or applications supporting health and safety (including Silesia Diamant Aerospace, Journal of Epilepsy or Zebra AI).
The winners received attractive prizes, and the winners of the first three places also received financial prizes:
· I place – 2500 PLN
· II place – 2000 PLN
· III place – 1000 PLN.
One of the winners of the first place, Dr Eng. Artur Budzyński from the Department of Transport Systems, Traffic Engineering and Logistics at the Faculty of Transport and Aviation Engineering
said that the award summarizes his long-term work, on the basis of which he also prepared his doctoral dissertation.
TransOpti.AI, which is a platform for implementing advanced transport models in practice, is ready for use immediately.
- Any company that collects data on their transport can contact me. I am able to build a dedicated model, a dedicated tool for forwarders or operational employees or managers to search for, for example, the most overpaid transport services, which are worth looking at, analysing and preparing financial forecasts in the field of transport services – explained the laureate, who has worked as a road freight forwarder himself for years. Because he found a certain research gap, or rather a problem, which people managing the transport process have, for example, the valuation of road freight transport services, which consists of many factors, and the estimation of them takes a lot of time, he decided to prepare a platform that will solve this problem quickly. This is how his business idea came about.
This and many other business plans were discussed yesterday in the backstage during the gala with representatives of business partners and mentors present at the event.
It is worth adding that the competition was supported by the academic, economic, and institutional environment. The honorary patronage over this event was taken by, among others, the Minister of Science and Higher Education, the Marshal of the Silesian Voivodeship, the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development, and the Regional Chamber of Commerce. The partners included numerous companies and institutions supporting innovation, such as Technopark Gliwice, Fluor S.A., EMT Systems or Elowenta.
We would like to congratulate all the winners and wish them good luck in further developing their business passions!
fot. Maciej Mutwil
