The National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR) established the ‘IDEAS’ initiative at the beginning of 2021, serving the development of human resources and technologies related to artificial intelligence in Poland. IDEAS NCBR Ltd. is to make a valuable contribution to the direct implementation of tasks in the AI field in a broad sense, including research and innovation, and providing education, in particular in cooperation with universities/institutes authorized to educate doctoral students and young scientists.
Creating a strong entity in one of the most innovative development areas, which constitute an unprecedented development opportunity, will increase Poland’s chances of achieving scientific and research success, and thus economic and social success. Over several years, bringing together over 200 R&D employees in AI field into one innovative company will allow for the creation of one of the largest AI centres in Poland and probably one of the largest centres internationally, focusing their activity on the area of digital economy.
For Poland, issues connected with creating and implementing AI are now becoming an important element of the state, economy and society development. Thus digital technologies supported by artificial intelligence may turn out to be key in recovering the Polish economy from the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The analyses prepared by the NCBR show that Poland does not fully keep up with global trends in AI development, and the NCBR support which is provided only in the form of financing relevant R&I programmes may prove insufficient to turn things around.
The NCBR experience and growing potential made it possible to adopt a new strategy of active participation in R&I activities – the NCBR not only provides financing but also expands the innovation ecosystem by establishing a subsidiary - IDEAS NCBR Ltd.
Establishing IDEAS NCBR Ltd. will allow to bring together all staff potential in one place, provide scientists and practitioners the possibility of direct daily contacts and exchange of experiences, as well as, on a multi-annual basis, the accumulation of knowledge and competences in one organization. IDEAS NCBR Ltd. activities will be carried out in accordance with the directions of scientific research specified in the National Research Programme (NRP) and in particular, they will support the implementation of the strategic goal of the development of Polish science. The planned work fits in all strategic, interdisciplinary directions of research and development work specified in the NRP, with particular emphasis on direction 3: advanced information, telecommunications and mechatronic technologies.
Establishing IDEAS NCBR Ltd. falls also very firmly into the Polish Policy for Artificial Intelligence Development for 2019-2027 and takes into account goals defined in the following strategic documents: Programme for opening public data, Programme ‘From paper Poland to digital Poland,’ Strategy for Innovation and Economy Efficiency ‘Dynamic Poland 2020’, EC communication: The EU Coordinated Plan on AI, Position of the Visegrad Group on artificial intelligence, Recommendations for Policy and Investments in Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence, OECD Recommendations for Policy and Management of Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence, Memorandum for the development of artificial intelligence in Poland. The proposed implementation activities within the IDEAS NCBR Ltd. will also be in line with the new Polish productivity strategy.
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