EIT Community Hub in Poland
Increasing Readiness for active Collaboration with Pan-European innovation ecosystem
With an overall performance of 65.9% of the EU average, Poland is considered as an Emerging Innovator among European countries. With strengths in entrepreneurial spirit, well-educated population and high job-to-job mobility of human resources (according to European Innovation Scoreboard 2024), the country experiences stable economic growth. With stronger academic business collaboration and a more vibrant startup ecosystem, Poland may join the European economic and innovation champions and play a relevant role in addressing pressing challenges through creative and innovative solutions and ensuring Europe’s global competitiveness. Being a country with multiple academic and business centres, Poland built strong mechanisms to support regional development and create effective regional policies. Now, increasing the active participation of Polish entities from all sectors in the pan-European projects and ensuring their recognition in the European innovation ecosystem becomes particularly important.
About the EIT Community Hub
EIT Community Hub in Poland serves as a vital catalyst for innovation and entrepreneurship by bringing together local researchers, businesses, and students from the country and those active in the EIT Knowledge and Innovation Communities networks across Europe.
Promoting EIT knowledge triangle integration model, the Hub fosters a dynamic environment for collaboration and knowledge exchange, providing access to various programs of EIT Communities offering mentorship, funding opportunities, and networking with a thriving communities of innovators. It intends to play a crucial role in cultivating a strong entrepreneurial culture in Poland, empowering aspiring entrepreneurs and fostering the growth of a vibrant startup ecosystem.
The Hub gathers all EIT´s Knowledge and Innovation Communities (EIT KICs) active in Poland: EIT Climate-KIC, EIT Culture and Creativity, EIT Digital, EIT Food, EIT Health, EIT Innoenergy, EIT Manufacturing, EIT RawMaterials, EIT Urban Mobility, with their local representatives: offices, branches and hubs. each contributing to the country’s sector-specific advancements and Smart Specialisation Strategy. The Hub will actively encourage wide groups of stakeholders to join EIT and other EU HE initiatives working closely with HE national contact point. It intends to ensure that Polish stakeholders contribute to and benefit from the activities of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology.
Being a central source of information for the innovation community in Poland, the Hub provides insights into various services and opportunities in education, business development, and innovation offered by the EIT community, both via this site and our LinkedIn page.
“The strength of the EIT lies in its Knowledge and Innovation Communities, each addressing key technological, social and environmental challenges through innovation, business creation and education. At the same time, Poland has a dynamic and diverse innovation ecosystem made up of researchers, entrepreneurs, institutions, students and local authorities. Connecting these two worlds: European EIT opportunities and local innovation potential is a powerful catalyst for reciprocal growth, collaboration and impact. This is at the core of the mission of the EIT Community Hub in Poland”.
ANTONINA KURMANOWICZ, EIT COMMUNITY OFFICER FOR POLAND
About the EIT Community Officer
Antonina Kurmanowicz
EIT Community Officer Poland
Antonina Kurmanowicz is an innovation ecosystem professional with experience in acceleration, venture-building and social innovation programmes.
At EIT Food, she developed and managed the AMPLE social innovation programme, implemented across RIS countries including Poland, Croatia, Ukraine, North Macedonia and Serbia, supporting local communities through entrepreneurship and skills development. Previously, she worked at The Heart, a corporate venture builder, where she contributed to innovation and acceleration programmes across areas such as fintech, medtech and greentech, supporting startups, intrapreneurs and corporate partners in turning ideas into market-ready solutions. Earlier in her career, at the French-Polish Chamber of Commerce, she created and coordinated the CCIFP Innovation Hub, building a strong local innovation presence by connecting French startups with local corporate members and public institutions. Antonina holds postgraduate studies in Culture Management from the Warsaw School of Economics and academic degrees from Université Paris Cité and the University of Łódź, with an interdisciplinary background combining humanities, management and international cooperation.
She works fluently in Polish, English and French, and has professional experience operating in multicultural and multi-partner environments. Her professional path reflects a consistent focus on building collaboration around innovation, strengthening ecosystem capacity and supporting initiatives that combine economic, social and territorial development.
Contact Details
Email: poland@eitcommunity.eu
Phone: +48 532 178 224
Address: Koszykowa 54, 00-675 Warszawa, Poland
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Upcoming Opportunities
Stay updated with the latest opportunities related to Poland's innovation ecosystem and the activities of the EIT Community Hub.
