Innovativeness / R&D
The presence of companies from the R&D sector in Łódź is great value to the city, increasing its importance as a developing technology center in Poland. The best examples are: Ericsson - where engineers from the R&D Center in Lodz will mainly work on the development of 2G / 3G / 4G and the latest 5G radio communication technology, BSH - the R&D Center was established with the thought of developing washing machines and dryers manufactured in BSH factories around the world, Aflofarm - the first company in the world to change the category of the availability of a drug containing meloxicam - an effective and safe painkiller - from a prescription drug to an over-the-counter one, Airbus Helicopters - they are working on improving the currently manufactured machines, but also on solutions for new constructions.
The cooperation between companies, business and science sector is one of the most favourable factors for the innovation of the economy. However, in Poland this area is still representing a high potential for development. At the moment, only 15% of Polish high-tech companies carry out international cooperation in the R&D area, whereas for example Łódź-based academic and research institutions offer a wide range of science-business cooperation opportunities.
Main Łódź-based public universities established their own technologies transfer centres, to fully exploit the business potential of the academic institutions in research and innovation and to respond to increasing needs of investors looking for high-class qualified specialists and for modern solutions lying at the intersection of science and business:
- Technology Transfer Centre at the University of Łódź: http://www.ctt.uni.lodz.pl/
- Centre for Technology Transfer at the Łódź University of Technology: https://ctt-lodz.pl/
- Centre for Innovation and Technology Transfer at the Medical University in Łódź: http://ciitt.umed.pl/?lang=en
- Technology Transfer Centre at the Strzemiński Academy of Fine Arts in Łódź: https://ctt.asp.lodz.pl/en/
Łódź is home not only to the most recognised research institutes, such as those focusing on the textile industry eg. Textile Research Institute, Institute of Biopolymers and Chemical Fibres and Institute of Leather Industry [Textiles], but also to Bionanopark - a unique science and technology park with an attractive research, investment and incubation offer addressed to companies and institutions operating in the field of advanced technology. The modern research implementation centre was created with the aim to enable the entrepreneurs to order research at every stage of development of their products or technologies. [Bionanopark website: http://bionanopark.pl/en/ ].
Furthermore, Investors undertaking R&D activities may benefit from a number of forms of support offered at a national or European level, in particular:
- incentives offered by the Łódź Special Economic Zone: https://sse.lodz.pl/pomoc-publiczna/
- incentives offered by the Polish National Centre for Research and Development (NCBiR): https://www.ncbr.gov.pl/en/
- incentives offered by the Polish governement: https://www.gov.pl/web/rozwoj/program-wspierania-inwestycji-o-istotnym-znaczeniu-dla-gospodarki-polskiej-na-lata-2011-2030
