Poland's NCBR announces bilateral research cooperation with Taiwan

Representatives of the National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR) participated in the 12th Polish-Taiwanese Seminar, which took place on November 3-4 in the port city of Keelung, Taiwan. The event was organized as part of the long-standing cooperation between the National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR) and the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC). This intensive two-day meeting dedicated to marine science and technologies aimed to deepen bilateral relations and exchange experiences in innovative solutions for the maritime sector.

As part of the cooperation agreement between NCBR and NSTC, scientific seminars combined with study visits are organized annually. The meetings are held alternately in Poland and Taiwan, with the aim of strengthening contacts between the two scientific communities on jointly selected topics. During the 11 visits so far, participants have had the opportunity to visit key research centers and scientific institutions in the host country.

The highlight of each visit is a seminar devoted to research topics identified as priorities by both sides. In 2024, the theme was aviation technologies and space research, and the event took place in Poland. This year's seminar was held in Taiwan. Participants focused on marine science and technology, emphasizing the growing importance of this sector in the context of global environmental and technological challenges.

Emphasis on Scientific Content

The seminar's scientific coordinators were Prof. Tymon Zieliński from the Institute of Oceanology of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IO PAN) and Prof. Wen-Chen Chou from the Institute of Marine Environment and Ecology, National Taiwan Ocean University (NTOU).

Six researchers from Poland presented plenary lectures during the 12th Polish-Taiwanese Seminar:

PhD Eng. Piotr Szmytkiewicz, Deputy Director of the Institute of Hydroengineering, Polish Academy of Sciences, presented his lecture on: "Engineering Challenges in Ports, Coastal Protection, and Wastewater Management in the Era of Climate Change."

Assoc. Prof. Natalia Szymańska from the Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, presented her lecture on: "Studying Marine Microorganisms to Understand the Impacts of Environmental and Climatic Change in the Coastal Regions."

Prof. Eng. Adam Szymkiewicz, Head of the Department of Geotechnics and Hydroengineering, Gdańsk University of Technology, presented his lecture on "Development of Modeling Tools for Polish Coastal Groundwater Systems."

PhD Tomasz Kijewski from the Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, presented his lecture on: "eCUDO.pl – Integrated Marine Data Infrastructure for Sustainable Coastal Management: Science and Engineering Together for Coastal Resilience".

Prof. Jacek Zaucha, Head of the Department of International Economics and Economic Development at the University of Gdańsk, delivered a lecture entitled "Coastal Defense in Polish Marine Spatial Planning."

Prof. Tymon Zieliński, Head of the Department of Climate and Ocean Research and Education at the Institute of Oceanology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, delivered a lecture entitled "Ocean Role in the Climate System with Focus on Coastal Areas. The Most Recent Findings Based on the UN World Ocean Assessment III."

On behalf of NCBR, the seminar was attended by Cezary Błaszczyk, Deputy Director of the Department of International Cooperation, and Paulina Puchalska, Coordinator for Polish-Taiwanese Cooperation.

The importance of maritime innovations for Poland and Taiwan

The meeting was opened by Dr. Jec-Kong Gone, Deputy Director of the Department of International Cooperation and Science Education at NSTC, who emphasized the importance of the 13-year bilateral cooperation between NCBR and NSTC. He also expressed his willingness for its further development. On behalf of NCBR, Cezary Błaszczyk thanked the hosts for organizing the event at a very high scientific level. He emphasized the role of NCBR as one of the largest funding agencies for scientific research and innovation in Central and Eastern Europe – both in terms of budget and the number of programs implemented. He noted that the institution plays a significant role in strengthening cooperation between science and business. NCBR's extensive portfolio, including international initiatives, offers Polish scientists and entrepreneurs the opportunity to increase their competitiveness in key research areas for Poland. NCBR's cooperation in research, development, and innovation reaches many countries, but its collaboration with Taiwan is one of the longest-running and most effectively implemented bilateral programs in the institution's portfolio, noted Cezary Błaszczyk. The Deputy Director of NCBR's Department of International Cooperation also mentioned the EUREKA initiative, in which Taiwan actively participates, and the GlobalStars call as other platforms of effective collaboration.

Professor Cheng-Yu Ku, Vice President of the National Taiwan Ocean University, expressed gratitude for the selection of the event's theme, emphasizing the importance of exchanging experiences in the field of marine resource management between researchers from Poland and Taiwan. He also pointed to the potential for broad know-how exchange and technology transfer.

Łukasz Weremiuk, Deputy Director of the Polish Office in Taipei, emphasized the significant impact of Polish-Taiwanese cooperation in higher education on the development of bilateral relations. He highlighted the multidimensional nature of this cooperation, covering not only educational aspects but also economic, social, and cultural ones. He also noted the active involvement of Polish institutions and entrepreneurs in industry events organized in Taiwan, which demonstrates the growing interest in collaborating with partners from the East Asian region. Additionally, Prof. Chen-Tung Arthur Chen from National Sun Yat-sen University presented research results on carbon and nutrients in submarine groundwater discharges around Taiwan and Svalbard.

Expert Sessions on Marine Environmental Protection

The first session of the seminar began with a lecture by Prof. Sen Jan from National Taiwan University. The scientist presented the progress of Taiwanese research teams in the field of oceanography, focusing on the challenges posed by climate change. Next, Prof. Tymon Zieliński from the Institute of Oceanology of the Polish Academy of Sciences discussed the importance of oceans in the global climate system. He paid particular attention to coastal areas, referring to the latest recommendations based on the UN World Ocean Assessment III.

Prof. Jacek Zaucha from the University of Gdańsk and Prof. Wei-Po Huang from National Taiwan Ocean University presented their shared experiences in spatial planning and strengthening the resilience of coastal areas.

PhD Tomasz Kijewski from the Institute of Oceanology of the Polish Academy of Sciences presented the eCUDO.pl database – an integrated marine data infrastructure for sustainable coastal management. Ms. Shiau-Yun Lu, Director of the Ocean Conservation Administration from Taiwan, focused on preventive measures taken in the context of threats related to marine pollution.

The presentations were followed by a lively and constructive discussion. Participants raised important issues regarding the further development of Polish-Taiwanese scientific cooperation. The discussion focused on funding opportunities for bilateral projects, the involvement of young scientists in research, and common ground for cooperation in the field of marine innovation. The exchange of views confirmed the need for cooperation for sustainable development and innovative solutions in the maritime sector.

Challenges and Solutions

The second day of the seminar began with a session devoted to engineering challenges in Polish and Taiwanese ports, coastal protection, and wastewater management. The discussion focused on the role of renewable energy in the context of climate change and issues related to coastal waters. Presentations were given by: Prof. Tai-Wen Hsu from National Taiwan Ocean University, Prof. Kai-Tung Ma from National Taiwan University, PhD Eng. Piotr Szmytkiewicz from the Institute of Hydroengineering of the Polish Academy of Sciences, and Prof. Eng. Adam Szymkiewicz from the Gdańsk University of Technology. These lectures provided valuable input into the exchange of knowledge and experiences in the sustainable development of marine infrastructure. During this session, participants also learned about several projects co-financed by NCBR as part of the Water4All JTC 2022 partnership (the AQUIGROW and DATASET projects) and as a result of the 3rd BIOSTRATEG call (the WaterPUCK project conducted between 2017 and 2020).

The next session focused on the issue of "blue carbon",  which is gaining increasing interest around the world. The final part of the seminar was devoted to the ecology and microorganisms found in the coastal zones of the Pacific Ocean and the Baltic Sea. Prof. An-Yi Tsai and Assoc. Prof. Ruei-Feng Shiu from National Taiwan Ocean University, Prof. Chih-Hao Hsieh from National Taiwan University, and Assoc. Prof. Natalia Szymańska from the Institute of Oceanology of the Polish Academy of Sciences presented their research findings, highlighting the importance of marine microbiology in monitoring the environment and supporting conservation efforts.

During the stay in Taiwan, the Polish scientists visited a number of research centers, including the Aquatic Animal Research Center and the Center for Aquatic Organisms and Conservation. The program also included geological centers. This year's seminar created an excellent opportunity to establish valuable contacts. The meetings allowed for the identification of common ground areas, which in the future may result in specific projects in forthcoming editions of the Polish-Taiwanese call organized by NCBR and NSTC.