Professor Korczyński: – The Implementation PhD programme relies on partnership

• In the Implementation PhD, the responsibility for the implementation of a scientifically developed solution lies with the PhD student and the company that will implement the solution
• Professor Korczyński: – In business, economic viability is key, but the ability to identify a niche in the market is also important
• There is no shortage of people willing to pursue implementation PhDs, but the problem lies in making their research results public

Professor Mariusz Korczyński, the leader of the Leading Research Team DroPOWER, which conducts research in the field of poultry farming, admits that science does not always respond quickly enough to industry needs.

– Of course, this does not mean that they are not recognised, but there is no denying that there is more flexibility from the industry, because it has to react quickly to market needs. I also have the impression that some scientists don’t always understand that business solutions must be economically viable. It all leads down to financial aspects, i.e. investments, and in the long run this means jobs, salaries, maintaining production, everything that is associated with running a company – says Prof. Mariusz Korczyński.

Doctoral students – the link between science and practice

Research topics addressed by the Leading Research Team, which is headed by the scientist from the Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Management, include the assessment and shaping of poultry meat and egg quality, nutritional value and sensory qualities, the development and use of feed additives and new raw material solutions in poultry nutrition, as well as production and use of bacteriophage products in poultry rearing prophylaxis. Marcin Gumowski, who is pursuing an implementation doctorate at the Doctoral School under the supervision of Prof. Mariusz Korczyński, is working on the creation of a phytobiotic product from higher plants – for preventive measures in poultry rearing.

– I have been seeking contacts with practitioners for some time, and the company for which Mr. Gumowski works wants to develop its portfolio and, based on its solutions, promote the production of chicken meat from chickens reared without the use of antibiotics. In this case, the bridge between strictly scientific work and the implementation of its results in practice is the doctoral student, who decided, firstly, to take part in recruitment to the Doctoral School, and secondly, to accept the effort of additional work – says Prof. Korczyński, admitting that when working on an implementation PhD, the responsibility for the implementation of the developed and scientifically verified solution lies with the doctoral student and the company, as they will implement the solution in their daily routine using their business experience and practical knowledge.

Implementation – weakness of Polish entrepreneurship

– For years, it has been discussed in Poland that our weakness is implementation. I would say that everything is a question of economic viability. There are great commercial ideas, which often end up on the shelf anyway. The key is business success. For an entrepreneur, every action taken is ultimately a matter of to be or not to be – explains the leader of the DroPOWER Leading Research Team, adding that the company Adifeed, for which Marcin Gumowski works for, is focusing on the idea of reducing the use of antibiotics in poultry farming and replacing them with active substances of plant origin with antibiotic properties, i.e. inhibiting the growth and development of bacteria.

– This shows that there is a demand on the market linked to growing consumer awareness. And scientists are well aware of this, they carry out research, but it is this research that is most important to them. The aim of the implementation PhD is to transfer the results of objective, verified and reliable scientific work from pure research into practice – says Prof. Mariusz Korczyński, emphasising that in his work as a supervisor, partnership is most important in this particular case. He approaches the work of the PhD students from a research perspective, but also benefits from their knowledge of the market.

– Thanks to the research carried out at our university, Marcin knows what is happening in science, but at the same time conducts training regarding products used in poultry breeding, as well as the philosophy and purposefulness of their use. As a result, I learn things as they come up in practice. In a nutshell, the PhD student gets mentoring on functional and research aspects, learning about the research and analytical framework and how to compile the results. We, in turn, gain knowledge on how to reach potential investors, what might interest them, and how to communicate with them – says Prof. Mariusz Korczyński.

Challenge – protection of intellectual property

The doctorate carried out under his supervision is one of the first three implementation PhDs in the UPWr Doctoral School. There are other candidates interested in applying, but...

– We face issues regarding intellectual property or other non-negotiable provisions in contracts recommended by the institution funding this programme. We had a candidate from a large biotech company with an interesting poultry concept, but companies protect their know-how or, as in this case, also limit the risk of financial losses due to contractual penalties. I’m currently in talks with large feed and poultry producers, who often complain about staff shortages and an insufficient level of practical knowledge when it comes to specialists. So I suggested we could participate in writing joint master's thesees – they would report issues worth looking into and our master's degree student would then look for a solution in their thesis, under the watchful eye of their supervisor and the company representative, of course. An agreement under which the entrepreneur trains a future employee, everyone is engaged in solving the company's technological challenges, and the student acquires practical knowledge is a 'win-win' situation. I received feedback that it was a great idea, but there is also the question of how the company's intellectual property would be protected, because at the end of the day, in the case of a master's or a doctoral thesis, the research results will be made public. We are currently discussing how to resolve this issue. This is basically one of the main problems that will arise in ideas for implementation doctorates or industrially implemented master's theses - says Prof. Mariusz Korczyński.

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Additional information on the new 6th edition of the Implementation PhD programme implemented together with the Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences can be obtained from the Research and Implementation Programmes Coordinator – Dr. Magdalena Gawron-Gajgał, e-mail: magdalena.gawron-gajgal@upwr.edu.pl, tel. 603 637 370.
A detailed schedule of the programme for 2022 is available at https://upwr.edu.pl/badania/doktoranci/szkola-doktorska/doktorat-wdrozeniowy/harmonogram