Innovation Europe > News > Innovation EU Vol1-1 > The Technical University of Lodz

The Technical University of Lodz (TUL) is one of the largest technical universities in Poland, with nine faculties and a total of 70 institutes and departments offering 33 fields of study with over 120 specialisations. TUL has a staff of around 3,000 with 1,500 teachers, including more than 280 professors, and approximately 20,000 students. TUL offers Bachelor and Master degrees in a wide range of technical disciplines: mechanical engineering, electrical, electronic, computer and automatic control engineering, chemistry, material technologies and textile design, biotechnology and food sciences, civil, architecture and environmental engineering, technical physics, computer science and applied mathematics, organisation and management.

Additionally, TUL offers 10 different study programmes taught entirely in English and French at the International Faculty of Engineering (IFE). It is a unique unit in Poland, and offers courses in biomedical engineering, mechanical engineering, computer science, telecommunications, biotechnology, business and technology. Currently, over 1,000 students are studying at IFE. TUL has been actively engaged in international co-operation and has agreements with around 300 foreign academic centres in 40 countries. It is involved in a number of international research projects and student exchange schemes. Each year TUL sends and receives a few hundred students within the framework of EU programmes such as Socrates, LLP Erasmus, Campus European and Tempus. TUL is also the leader in summer internship placements co-ordinated by IAESTE. TUL belongs to the exclusive group of European further education institutions and, as the only university in Poland, was awarded a prestigious certificate – the ECTS Label – by the European Commission for ensuring good quality of studies and international exchange.

For several years, the university has worked intensively to develop science and technology transfer to industry, supporting co-operation between TUL’s scientists and entrepreneurs in terms of undertaking new business ventures (start-up, spin-off companies). Furthermore, TUL collaborates closely with the largest companies, such as Philips, Dell and Gillette, to implement innovative engineering techniques and advanced technologies of international standards.

The establishment of effective co-operation between science and industry is intensified by consortia which bring together leaders from business and the university. TUL takes part in research works of six Advanced Technologies Centres and it co-ordinates two of them: BioTechMed and ProHumanoTex. The first centre works out solutions for biotechnology and medicine, the second one creates technologies for new, human-friendly textiles production. At TUL, there exist five Centres of Excellence which are units at the highest technical and scientific levels. TUL participates in Polish and European technological platforms, industrial parks and clusters and other scientific-industrial projects.

Business activities of TUL directed to enterprises are supported by the Technology Transfer Office (TTO), which was created in order to take better advantage of intellectual and technical potential of the university. The mission of the TTO is to foster a culture of innovation at the university and to facilitate transfer of useful advanced technologies created by the TUL’s researchers to the commercial sector focusing on the benefit of the university.

The Office assists scientists in evaluating the commercial value of their discoveries, and protecting those new ideas before they are published or presented to the public. The TTO prides itself on its know-how and licences, especially in biotechnology and chemistry, sold due to its commercial activity in the university. The TTO’s activities in the field of managing intellectual property rights make it possible for TUL, as the only Polish university, to take part in a pilot project on “Technology transfer from university to industry” carried out by the European Patent Office and Polish Patent Office.

The TTO implements the Ministry of Science and Higher Education programme “Creator of Innovation. Supporting innovative academic entrepreneurship”.

TUL
Technology Transfer Office:
Grażyna Antonowicz – Head of TTO
E-mail: grazyna.antonowicz@p.lodz.pl
6/8 Skorupki Street, Building B1
90-924 Lodz, Poland
Tel: +48 42 631 20 41
Fax: +48 42 631 21 41