Silesian University of Technology in Silicon Valley
Intensive program devoted to innovation, scientific and business cooperation, and commercialization of research results – scientists of the Silesian University of Technology participated in “Top 1000 Innovators of Poland in Silicon Valley”. They presented their research and projects at the world centre of modern technologies and breakthrough solutions. The event took place at Stanford and Berkeley from the 9th to 12th December 2025.
It brought together representatives of the world of science, business, and public administration, creating a unique space for exchanging experiences and establishing strategic partnerships. Meetings with over 200 scientists from 12 selected Polish universities were held for four intensive days. Silesian University of Technology was represented by 15 participants who presented 6 design concepts, 3 spin-off companies and 1 patent-protected solution.
The first day of the conference was held at the prestigious Stanford University. The official opening was led by Jerzy Orkiszewski, Vice President of Software & Electrical Engineering at Cutera, Inc. Then, Prof. Piotr Moncarz, President of the US-Polish Trade Council and Professor at Stanford University, the initiator and chief architect of this platform of Polish American cooperation took the floor. The participants were also welcomed by representatives of public administration and diplomacy, including: Krzysztof Gawkowski, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Digital Affairs; Bogdan Klich, Head of Diplomatic Mission in the USA; Mark Chandler, Director of International Affairs, City of San Francisco and Paulina Kapuścińska, Consul General of the Republic of Poland in Los Angeles. On behalf of the Conference of Rectors of Polish Technical Universities (KRPUT), the participants were welcomed by Prof. Dr Hab. Eng. Krzysztof Jóźwik, the Rector of the Łódź University of Technology. One of the main plenary speeches was the lecture entitled “Endless Innovation,” delivered by Prof. Barry Katz of Bridge2 Silicon Valley Advisors. Subsequent plenary sessions focused, among others, on the transition from theory to practice, international academic cooperation, patents as business assets and innovative strategies. The event was also attended by prominent Stanford University representatives, including Artun Mujumdar, Dean of Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, and Renate Fruchter, director of the Project-Based Learning Laboratory. The afternoon workshop sessions, attended by academic leaders and numerous representatives of Silicon Valley companies, focused on issues related to academic cooperation, industrial partnerships and building lasting relationships between universities and the innovation ecosystem. Every day there was also a poster session, which was an opportunity to talk directly, exchange contacts and establish cooperation, and, in the long run, to obtain funding for research work.
– It is a great honour to represent the Silesian University of Technology in the world’s innovation cradle. A visit to Silicon Valley gives us the opportunity to gain key competences that will allow for even more dynamic development of our University. What is worth emphasizing, is that the achievements presented by us have been highly appreciated, confirming that they have a great potential to influence the shape of the world science, and in a broader perspective - also the economy. Participation in this prestigious program, enabling direct contact with leaders of science and innovation, will bring the implementation of these ambitious goals closer – said Prof. Dr Hab. Eng. Dawid Janas from the Faculty of Chemistry, who presented the project: “Tailored Nanomaterials for Groundbreaking Applications” on methods of generating different types of nanomaterials with unique properties.
- This is a very interesting conference, where we have the opportunity to see what the approach to innovation and projects in Silicon Valley is like in the place that is a symbol of innovation. I hope that acquired knowledge and contacts established here will allow us to move to a higher level – added Prof. Dr Hab. Eng. Paweł Kasprowski from the Faculty of Automatic Control, Electronics and Computer Science at SUT, who presented his research related to teaching LLM language models of perception of the world in a way similar to human, using technologies of eye movement tracking and human attention analysis.
The second day of the event was devoted to artificial intelligence - from current trends, through a better understanding of modern AI, to its practical application in health care. The afternoon workshop focused on issues related to US patent acquisition and global innovation readiness. Meetings led by experienced experts and representatives of companies from Silicon Valley created a unique opportunity to gain practical knowledge and direct contact with innovation leaders. The next day was held at the University of California campus in Berkeley. The meetings were attended by representatives of universities and research institutes, including Julie Maigret Shapiro of CITRIS and Banatao Institute, Shana Penn of Taube Philanthropies, Jill Finlayson of CITRIS Innovation Hub, Alexandre Bayen, director of CITRIS and Banatao Institute, and Justin Wiley of UC Berkeley’s Institute of Transportation Studies. The conversation about the future of artificial intelligence with Prof. Łukasz Kaiser of OpenAI was an important point of the day. During numerous discussions, topics related to AI policy, public-private cooperation, and endowment funds, as well as health, robotics and the relationship between technology and a human being were discussed. The researchers also met with Polish students studying in Berkeley.
The culmination of the day was a session in the form of short, three-minute presentations of ten selected, most advanced solutions, the so-called 3 min pitches. Two of them were presented by representatives of our university. Dr Hab. Eng. Konrad Tudyka from the Institute of Physics - Centre for Science and Education, talked about the measurement systems μDOSE+ used in dosimetric dating and μGRAPHILINE in radiocarbon dating, while Dr Eng. Witold Janik from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering talked about innovative temperature sensors, their calibration and tribological testing.
– The participation of scientists from the Silesian University of Technology in the “Top 1000 Innovators of Poland in Silicon Valley” is a great success. Our teams have demonstrated great potential in creating mature, innovative solutions. We brought to Poland not only valuable contacts but also a new approach and inspiration for further development and implementation of innovations. In addition, a working platform supporting technology transfer has been launched, opening new opportunities for cooperation and commercialization of research – concluded Prof. Dr Hab. Eng. Anna Chrobok, Vice-Rector for Student Affairs and Education at the Silesian University of Technology
On the last day of the event, scientists visited the headquarters of Triple Ring Technologies Inc. - a technology incubator cooperating with the medical technology, life sciences, agriculture, and environmental protection sectors. The full process of innovation development was discussed: from early research and idea, through prototyping and product development, to commercialization and market entry. Presentations and discussions were devoted to practical aspects of building technological ventures, including regulatory, production and investment issues. In addition, a selected group of people visited CIRM (California Institute for Regenerative Medicine) where the possibilities of scientific cooperation and exchange of academic staff in the area of cancer and civilization diseases were discussed. The talks were led by CIRM President Dr Jonathan Thomas and members of the board.
At the end of the day there was another session of 3 min pitches. Among the 10 projects, two were presented by scientists from the Silesian University of Technology. Prof. Sławomir Boncel from the Faculty of Chemistry presented the research activities of the NanoCarbonGroup scientific group as part of the implemented projects in the field of application of carbon nanomaterials, and Dr Eng. Anna Wolny talked about the use of engineered ionic liquids for (bio)catalysis and phase-changing materials.
