Top 500 Innovators

Dr hab. Agnieszka Noszczyk-Nowak from the Department of Internal Medicine and Clinic of Diseases of Horses, Dogs and Cats, Dr. Błażej Poźniak from the Department of Biochemistry, Pharmacology and Toxicology, both from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Environmental and Life Sciences in Wrocław, and Dr. Aleksandra Mirończuk and Dr. Adam Dobrowolski from the Department of Biotechnology and Food Microbiology of the Faculty of Food Science will go to Stanford University for a two month traineeship as a part of a scholarship program run by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, "Top 500 Innovators". They will take part in a series of lectures given by outstanding practitioners, as well as creative workshops and visits to some of the most innovative companies based in Silicon Valley, during which they will learn about how to efficiently commercialise the outcomes of scientific research.

– I believe that the Americans, who are vastly experienced in this field, will show us how it is possible to commercialise science, and that the outcomes of our research can generate profits – said Dr. hab. Agnieszka Noszczyk-Nowak, already highly experienced because of her previous participation in WROWASK and OVOCURA projects, as well as her certification as a manager from the International Project Management Association.

The main aim of the „Top 500 Innovators” program is to improve individual qualifications in respect of associations with the economy, scientific research management and commercialisation of the research outcomes. During the previous event, Dr. Marcin Wrzosek from the Department of Internal Medicine and Clinic of Diseases of Horses, Dogs and Cats went for a traineeship to the US.

– The classes were organised at Stanford University. They mostly concerned issues of strategy and financing innovative undertakings. One of the aims of the trip was to meet managers from the largest companies located in the Silicon Valley. The workshops were run by representatives of companies, such as: Google, Linked in, NASA, Sisco, Plug and Play, Exponent, and Polycom. There were also meetings with representatives of Venture Capitalists, including Melinda Gates. There was also a Polish meeting in Silicon Valley as I met Piotr Wilam, the founder of Onet.pl, and Agata Wilam, the founder of the Children's University in Poland – said Dr. Marcin Wrzosek.

Top 500 Innovators is the largest government program aimed at supporting innovation in science. By the end of 2015, 500 Polish scientists and workers from technology transfer centres will have attended a series of different traineeships and foreign courses at science and research centres from the top Academic Ranking of World Universities – Stanford University, University of California in Berkeley and University of Cambridge.