3rd Polish Economic & Technology Forum in Switzerland

	About Organisers Speakers Programme Contact
	Conference programme in PDF »

The 3^rd Polish Economic & Technology Forum in Switzerland to be held in Bern, Switzerland, will gather a wide spectrum of representatives of business, science and technology as well as institutional stakeholders from Poland and Switzerland. The two day event will be full of inspiring panel discussions and networking opportunities.

The event is being organised by the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Bern with generous support and in partnership with the Polish Investment and Trade Agency, the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology of the Republic of Poland, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, the Polish Tourism Organisation, Switzerland Global Enterprise, the �ukasiewicz Research Network, the Polish-Swiss Blockchain Association and the Polonium Foundation.

Key topics to be discussed during the Forum will include: prospects and sectors with the strongest potential for enhanced bilateral cooperation, Poland’s role as a technology hub, urban development, latest trends in industrial development as well as cutting-edge technologies, including blockchain and artificial intelligence.

The panelists will represent leading Polish and Swiss enterprises from various sectors, major universities and research institutions, national and local governments as well as business-facilitating public institutions. Prominent policy makers from both countries will be present.

The Forum will be:

a chance to hear first-hand from leading Polish and Swiss government officials, business executives, experts and scientists;
a platform for exchanging business, technology, and education experiences as well as insightful information on opportunities and challenges for both countries in today’s increasingly complex world;
a unique chance for potential business or research partners from Poland and Switzerland to hold one-on-one meetings and explore new exciting projects..

Day One (the Economic Forum) will focus on general prospects for Polish-Swiss cooperation, current geopolitical situation and its impact on the economy, examples of promising areas of bilateral cooperation and the role of joint projects on local level.

Day Two (the Technology Forum) will look into the future of key areas that are driven by advanced technologies and innovation, such as health care, biotechnology, smart industry or cybersecurity, exploring the potential for Polish-Swiss cooperation, looking at chances and risks.

Details about the event:

The conference languages will be Polish and German. Simultaneous translation will be provided.
A separate area outside of the main event venue will be provided for business networking.
Participation in the event is free of charge, refreshments and lunches will be offered during the Forum.
The cost of travel to and from Bern, the cost of accommodation and local transportation as well as any other expenses need to be covered by the participants themselves.
Registration to the event until 10^th of September.
The number of participants is limited due to the size of the conference venue. Early registration is therefore encouraged.

The secretariat of the Forum has been launched at the Embassy of Poland in Bern (Berno.amb.forum@msz.gov.pl) and is ready to answer all questions regarding the event.

Programme »

Registration »

Organiser

Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Bern

Co-organisers

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Republic of Poland

Partners & Sponsors

Ministry of Economic Development and Technology

Chamber of Commerce Switzerland Central Europe (SEC)

Media Partners

Speakers

Welcome address and official opening (day 1)

Mateusz Morawiecki Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland
Iwona Koz�owska Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to the Swiss Confederation
Helene Budliger Artieda Secretary of State, Director of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) of the Swiss Confederation
Pawe� Kurtasz President of the Polish Investment and Trade Agency
Gerhard Pfister Member of the National Council, President of "Die Mitte" Party, Chairman of the Swiss-Polish Parliamentary Group
Benedikt W�rth Member of the Council of States, President of the Science, Education and Culture Committee

Discover innovative Poland!

Tomasz Jamr�z Director of the Department of Economic Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
introduction and moderation

1st session - Prospects of Polish-Swiss cooperation against the backdrop of common challenges and threats

Ulrich Schwendimann Managing Director, Polish-Swiss Chamber of Commerce;
session moderator
Tomasz Jamr�z Director of the Department of Economic Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Maciej Falkowski Deputy Director, Department of Trade and International Cooperation of the Ministry of Development and Technology
Mariusz Iskierski Vice-President, PGE Energia Odnawialna
Christopher Hartwell Director, International Management Institute, ZHAW School of Management and Law
Oliver Bertschinger President, Chamber of Commerce Switzerland Central Europe
Alexandra Baumann Head, Prosperity and Sustainability Division, Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
Piotr Augustyniak Partner & CEO, PATH Family Office (Suisse)
Simon Elsener Managing Director, Impulsort Rapperswil

2nd session - Construction sector as an important factor of strengthening Polish-Swiss economic relations – opportunities for enhanced cooperation

Viktor Stefan Deputy Director, Export Centre, Polish Investment and Trade Agency;
session moderator
Markus Mettler CEO, Halter AG
Gian-Luca Lardi President, Swiss Building Sector Association (SBV), Honorary Consul of the Republic of Poland in Lugano
Mateusz Wojdy�o Founder & CEO, Share.P; Advisory Board Member, EKO OKNA S.A.
Damian Kublik CEO, Founder and Owner of Cubelic

3rd session - Poland - the emerging technological hub of Europe

Katalin Dreher-Hajnal Senior Consultant Central Eastern Europe, Switzerland Global
Piotr Lesiak Head of the Swiss Business HUB Central Europe, Warsaw
Thomas Eckert ABB VP / Group IT Manager / Manager for Global IT Technology Architecture & Delivery
Urban Schnell Managing Director at Helbling Technik Bern AG, Partner
Angelo Mathis Digital Assurance, PwC Bern

4th session - From assistance to partnership – development of small and medium-sized towns and cities

Marcel Hirsiger Lecturer, School of Business FHNW;
session moderator

Part I - Financial support: objectives and challenges

Bernhard Beutler Director, Vocational Training Centre BBZ Solothurn-Grenchen
Andrea Studer Assistant Director General, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
Daniel Birchmeier Deputy Head, Swiss Contribution Division, SECO
Ma�gorzata Zalewska Deputy Director, Department of Assistance Programs, Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy
Peter Burkhalter Attorney, Baukultur Schweiz Foundation

Part II - Partnership

Anna Berwert Communal Partnerships Initiative Poland-Switzerland
Jacek Wi�niowski Mayor, Lidzbark Warmi�ski
Peter Wettstein Secretary, Municipal Council of Illnau-Effretikon
Franziska Stadelmann Mayor, Muttenz; Member of the Board, Association of Swiss Cities and Towns
�ukasz Borowiak Mayor, Leszno
Ernest Iwa�czuk Head of the Executive, �roda Wielkopolska District

IT Business Breakfast - Discussion session: Dealing with IT-Professionals shortage

Marek Ostafil Co-Founder, SSNetworks, a market integrator of IoT in Poland;
discussion moderator
Katarzyna Lasota-Heller President, Polish-Swiss Blockchain Association
Balz Z�rrer Online Consulting AG, Switzerland
Rafa� Pisz CEO, QuantUp
Pawe� Heyne Business Development & Consulting Manager, Advellence Solutions AG, Switzerland

Opening of the Technology Forum (day 2)

Iwona Koz�owska Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to the Swiss Confederation
Jacques Ducrest Head, International Affairs Division, State Secretariat for Education, Science and Innovation

1st session - Europe on the path of development and technological competition: industrial revolution 4.0 or rather 5.0?

Anna Lupina-Wegener Professor of International Management and Organizational Behaviour, Head of the Centre for Culture and Creativity in International Business;
session moderator
Joanna Cygler Institute of Aviation in Warsaw; Warsaw School of Economics
Nicolas Mayencourt CEO, DreamLab
Andrew Caruana Galizia Deputy Head of Europe and Eurasia, World Economic Forum
Adrian Kutnik Director, Private Market Department, Warsaw Stock Exchange
Nicolas Bovard Vice President, Product Management Digital Television, Nagravision
Andreas Wieland Hamilton SA
Marcin Rzetecki President, Polish Blockchain Association

2nd session - Technologies of the future as development drivers for modern states and societies - Polish-Swiss technology cooperation

Marcin Kraska Vice President for International Cooperation, �ukasiewicz Research Network;
session moderator
Andreas Gut Head of International Programmes, Innosuisse - Swiss Innovation Agency
Marek Dutkiewicz Founder HR Campus AG & President of the Board, Member of the Board CEE Swiss
Pawe� Bielski Director, �ukasiewicz Research Network - Institute of Industrial Chemistry
Pawe� St�ycki Director, �ukasiewicz Research Network - Institute of Aviation
Pascal Brenneisen CEO Topadur Pharma AG - Entrepreneur
Andrea Landolt Head of International Funding, Swiss National Fund SNF
Maciej J�drzejek Deputy Director of Operations Department, National Center for Research and Development NCBR

3rd session - Exploring blockchain, artificial intelligence and digital finance & economy in the service of science and business

Katarzyna Lasota-Heller President, Polish-Swiss Blockchain Association;
session moderator
Tim Weing�rtner Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts
Alexander Brunner President, Home of Blockchain
Sirpa Tsimal Director, Global Marketing, Switzeland Global Enterprise (S-GE)
Roman Kocemba CFO, Authena
Gauthier Voron Postdoctoral Scientific Collaborator, EPFL
Michael Krauthammer Comprehensive Cancer Centre Z�rich
Sylwia Bie�-Chudarek Head of Growth, Rumble Fish

4th session - The role of artificial intelligence in the future of health care - bilateral perspective

Monika Zbytniewska-M�gret Polonium Foundation;
session moderator
Piotr Sankowski CEO, IDEAS NCBR
Magdalena Kulczycka Director, BioForum
Zofia Dzik Founder, Humanites Institute; Member of Scientific Council, IDEAS NCBR
Mateusz Dolata Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Informatics, University of Zurich
Anja Ries Digital Health Scientist, Roche
Kerstin Vokinger Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Z�rich; Harvard University
Rafa� Pisz CEO, QuantUp

Programme

Day 1: Economic forum
September 18, 2023 (Monday)
Time: 8:00 - 17:30
Language: Polish and German (simultaneous translation)
Place: Bern, "Kursaal" Convention Centre

8:00-8:55		Participants’ registration
9:00-9:45		Welcome address and official opening
9:45-10:15		Discover innovative POLAND! Presentation of one of the most innovative Polish companies.
10:30-11:45		1^st SESSION Prospects of Polish-Swiss cooperation against the backdrop of common challenges and threats.
12:00-13:00		Lunch break and networking
13:00-14:30		2^nd SESSION - Polish Investment and Trade Agency Construction sector as an important factor of strengthening Polish-Swiss economic relations - opportunities for enhanced cooperation.
14:30-16:00		3^rd SESSION - Switzerland Global Enterprise Poland - the emerging technological hub of Europe - panel discussion and success story/testimonial company.
16:15-17:30		4^th SESSION From assistance to partnership - development of small and medium-sized towns and cities in the context of global climate-related, economic, demographic and social challenges. Part I - Financial support: objectives and challenges Part II - Partnership
17:30		Conclusion
19:00		Reception at the Residence of the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland

Day 2: Technology forum
September 19, 2023 (Tuesday)
Time: 9:45 - 17:00
Language: Polish and German (simultaneous translation)
Place: Bern, "Kursaal" Convention Centre

8:00-9:00		IT Business Breakfast - Side event by special invitations only Discussion session: Dealing with IT-Professionals shortage.
9:45-10:00		Opening of the Technology Forum
10:00-11:15		1^st SESSION Europe on the path of development and technological competition: industrial revolution 4.0 or rather 5.0? - Polish and Swiss perspectives on chances and risks.
11:30-12:45		2^nd SESSION - �ukasiewicz Research Network Technologies of the future as development drivers for modern states and societies - Polish-Swiss technology cooperation: areas, priorities and challenges.
12:45-14:00		Networking lunch
14:00-15:15		3^rd SESSION - Polish-Swiss Blockchain Association Exploring blockchain, artificial intelligence and digital finance & economy in the service of science and business: a digital bridge between Switzerland and Poland.
15:30-16:45		4^th SESSION - Polonium Foundation The role of artificial intelligence in the future of health care - bilateral perspective.
16:45-17:00		Summary and conclusion of the Forum

Registration and contact

To register for the 3^rd Polish Economic & Technology Forum in Switzerland, please click below. Participation is free of charge.

Registration closed

The secretariat of the Forum has been launched at the Embassy of Poland in Bern (Berno.amb.forum@msz.gov.pl) and is ready to answer all questions regarding the event.

If you have any questions regarding registration to the Forum, please contact at lukasz.chrabanski@paih.gov.pl.

Master's degree in international relations at the Warsaw School of Economics and Japanese studies at the University of Warsaw. He completed postgraduate studies in the field of quantitative methods in the analysis of financial markets at the Warsaw School of Economics. He gained professional experience working at the Department of Asia and the Pacific, the Polish Office in Taipei, the Consulate General in Shanghai and the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Tokyo.
State Secretary Helene Budliger Artieda (*1965) has been director of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) since 1 August 2022. Prior to that, she was Switzerland’s ambassador in Bangkok, Thailand, with additional accreditations to Cambodia and Laos. Until 2019, she held the same position in Pretoria, South Africa, with cross-accreditations to Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mauritius and Namibia. From 2008 to 2015, Helene Budliger Artieda was head of the Directorate for Resources at the FDFA. In this capacity, she was advisor to the Head of Department on resource matters and a member of the FDFA Management Board. In 2000 she graduated from the Universidad Externado de Colombia in Bogot� (Colombia) with a Master of Business Administration (MBA). After graduating from commercial school in Zurich with a Federal VET Diploma in Commerce, she completed internal training at the FDFA as a consular officer. Helene Budliger Artieda is married.
Pawe� Kurtasz is a manager with many years of experience and has a PhD in technical sciences. He graduated from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Automatics and Computer Science of the Opole University of Technology. A graduate of Master of Business Administration (MBA) studies, completed with honors. Before joining PAIH, he was the Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of the Wa�brzych Special Economic Zone. The former Chairman of INVEST-PARK DEVELOPMENT - a company belonging to the Wa�brzych SEZ capital group. Co-founder and former Chairman of a company dealing with air and road safety systems. Privately, he is passionate about flying, gliding and trekking.
No biography yet.
Benedikt W�rth has been a member of the Council of States of the Canton of St. Gallen since June 2019. Previously, he was a jurist member of the St. Gallen government and President of the Conference of Cantonal Governments. He lives with his family in Rapperswil-Jona, where he served as the first mayor from 2007 to 2011 after the merger of Rapperswil and Jona.
In his current role, Ulrich Schwendimann focuses on fostering economic relations between Poland and Switzerland and supporting businesses active in both countries.

He graduated in Slavonic and Business Studies from the University of Zurich and completed an Executive MBA at the Warsaw University of Technology. Before his assignment with the Chamber he worked as a journalist and scientific researcher.
No biography yet.
No biography yet.
Mariusz Iskierski has 30 years of professional experience in the fuel and energy industry, gained in operational and financial management and in the implementation of infrastructure and capital projects with the assembly of financial ventures on the domestic and international markets.

From 1993 to 2010 he worked at Rafineria Nafty Jedlicze S.A. He specialised in the management and supervision of manufacturing refinery facilities, including distillation processes, hydrotreating processes, hydrogen reforming processes and rectification of crude oil processing streams. Mariusz Iskierski is a co-developer of patented industry technologies, including a catalytic technology implemented on an industrial scale in 2008; Method of Used Oils Processing, awarded a silver medal by the International Trade Fair for Technological Innovation Eureka 2009.

From 2010 he held the roles of director and attorney-in-fact for the company at CLIMBEX S.A. in the area of acquisition and project management of Oil & Gas Services industry, including R&D for global oil production and processing companies. Between 2012 and 2014 he supervised offshore oil field services projects for Saudi Aramco on the Persian Gulf in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He also has extensive business project management experience in the markets of Germany, Denmark, Hungary, Israel and North African countries.

Since 2019 he has been associated with PGE Capital Group. In April 2020 he became Vice President of PGE Energia Odnawialna S.A. where he supervises and coordinates investments in the construction of wind power plants, photovoltaic plants and electricity storage facilities. He oversees development and innovation. He also holds management functions of SPVs within PGE, including those dedicated to the construction and operation of onshore wind farms and the development and construction of photovoltaic farms. He also serves as Director of the PGE strategic PV Program which aims to build 3000 MW in solar energy by 2030.

He is a graduate of the Faculty of Oil and Gas Drilling at the AGH University of Science and Technology in Krak�w. He holds an Executive Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the Institute of Economics of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw. He also holds a postgraduate degree in Project Management in Organisations from the Faculty of Production Engineering and Logistics at Opole University of Technology, which he completed by passing the international PRINCE2® methodology certification exam.
No biography yet.
Oliver Bertschinger President and Managing Director, Chamber of Commerce Switzerland Central Europe; Oliver studied business/marketing at the University of Z�rich before working at UBS as marketing & sponsorship head e.g. in Z�rich, Basle, New York, Tokyo and Hongkong. Later he was part of the executive board of the internet startup Lunchgate AG before joining Switzerland’s economic promotion agency Switzerland Global Enterprise. As member of the international executive board and Regional Director for Europe, Africa and Central Asia, he was responsible for approximately 100 countries and 50% of S-GE’s export and investment promotion business.

In 2017 he founded his own consulting company Triple Eight Solutions AG where he focusses on business development, marketing and internationalization for SMEs and NPOs as well as personal work productivity trainings. In 2021 he became president and managing director of the Chamber of Commerce Switzerland Central Europe SEC, which fosters a community of likeminded companies and individuals who are active in the intersection between Switzerland and the 17 CEE countries. Oliver as board member is supporting various other non profit organizations. He lives closes to Z�rich, is married, has two teenage daughters and loves sports and culture.
No biography yet.
No biography yet.
No biography yet.
Viktor Stefan - manager with international experience, gained in logistics companies in Slovakia, the UK and Poland. He has been at PAIH since 2020, where he held the position of project manager, regional manager overseeing the North & Latin America. Since 2023 he has been supporting the Agency in implementing the promotion plan and promoting the brand of the Polish Economy in the world as Deputy Director of the Export Department.
Markus Mettler holds a degree in civil engineering from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) and a postgraduate degree in business administration. After his studies, he worked for two renowned consultancies in the areas of life cycle management and real estate valuation. Since 2006, he has been working for Halter AG, one of Switzerland's leading developers and total providers: initially for four years as Managing Director of the Developments business unit and since 2010 as CEO; since 2015 as co-owner. In this capacity, Markus Mettler also serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Tend AG, Raumgleiter AG, Integral AG, Movement Systems and as a member of the Board of Directors of Luucy. As Co-President of the Branch Do Tank Association, Markus Mettler is strongly committed to a sustainable construction and real estate industry in Switzerland, and in this capacity he sits on the board of the umbrella organisation of the Swiss construction industry, Bauen Schweiz.
Gian-Luca Lardi is the President of the Swiss Constructors Association since 2015, one of the most important industry associations in Switzerland. After many years as CEO of a large construction company, he now works as an independent board member and management consultant. He lives with his family in Ticino.
Inventor, investor and successful founder of several companies including 2 exits. In 2017 Mateusz he co-founded and successfully launched a tech start-up, Safeside.life, the Swiss online life insurance company trusted by Baloise Bank, which became its strategic partner. Mateusz is a man who turns ideas into reality. He made that, after only a year of activity his latest Start-up Share.P has an experienced team, a product that solves the Parking problems of customers and signed contracts with big players on the market including Google. Mateusz likes inspiring others to push the boundaries. ShareP has become the most awarded parking app in Europe. With experience on the international level and an extremely positive attitude he always inspires others to go beyond the impossible. Matthew is also a member of the Supervisory Board of EKO OKNA - a leader in the global production of window joinery, supporting the company in innovation processes and the implementation of new solutions.
Damian Kublik is an experienced senior-level executive with international as well as domestic experience in commercial and operational company’s management in the building and construction industry as well as M&A and company’s transformation and internationalization. During 2005 – 2014 CFO & COO in Heilit+W�rner (a company of Strabag SE), responsible for the company’s restructuring and consolidation after acquisition. FORBES award winner in 2010, 2011 and 2012 in the category: “Company value increase”.
Katalin is consulting and accompanying Swiss SMEs in their internationalization project being responsible for the Central- Eastern European region at Switzerland Global Enterprise for 16 years. Switzerland Global Enterprise (S-GE) is the official Swiss consultancy, promotion and platform organization for export and investment promotion with around 200 employees throughout Switzerland and in 30 countries. As a private association, S-GE has acted on behalf of the Swiss Confederation and cantons since 1927 to ensure Swiss strength in foreign trade. Born in Hungary, Katalin bridges the region and Switzerland in an optimal way. Together with the Swiss Business HUB in Warsaw and the local network in Poland she ensures most promising market entry for the Swiss exporters.
Since July 2023 Head of the Swiss Business HUB in Warsaw, located at the Swiss Embassy. Piotr has a substantial experience in export and trade promotion based upon his 9 years’ service at the German Chamber of Commerce in Warsaw. He holds a master’s in international economics from the Warsaw University.
Since July 2023 Head of the Swiss Business HUB in Warsaw, located at the Swiss Embassy. Piotr has a substantial experience in export and trade promotion based upon his 9 years’ service at the German Chamber of Commerce in Warsaw. He holds a master’s in international economics from the Warsaw University.
Since July 2023 Head of the Swiss Business HUB in Warsaw, located at the Swiss Embassy. Piotr has a substantial experience in export and trade promotion based upon his 9 years’ service at the German Chamber of Commerce in Warsaw. He holds a master’s in international economics from the Warsaw University.
Experienced Director with a demonstrated history of working in the Telecom, Energy and Accounting industry. Skilled in operational excellence and digital transformation of processes, Internal Audit, Risk Management and in providing trust on new technologies like blockchain and drone based services. Strong professional with a Master in Information Technology and Telecom Engineering and a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) focused in Finance, General from University of Rochester - William E. Simon Graduate School of Business Administration (CH).
Marcel Hirsiger studied business administration at the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland and later Eastern European Studies at the Universities of Bern and Fribourg. After several years in management positions in industrial companies, he currently works as a lecturer in business administration and Eastern European expert at the FHNW School of Business. He regularly organises student exchange programmes and study trips to Poland.
Bernhard Beutler is the director since February 2021 of the Vocational Training Centre Solothurn-Grenchen (which includes: EBZ Solothurn-Grenchen, GIBS Grenchen, GIBS Solothurn, KBS Solothurn, ZeiZentrum Grenchen). From 2013 to 2021 Mr Beutler was rector of the Vocational and Further Education Centre Lyss. Previously, from 2005 to 2012, he held the position of Director and General Manager of the Swiss schools in Curitiba and São Paulo in Brazil. In the course of his professional career, he has already worked in various areas of education. After completing his basic commercial training, he studied to become a business economist and then trained as a teacher of economics. Mr Beutler obtained his diploma as a school headmaster at the Institute for Business Education at the University of St. Gallen.
Andrea Martina Studer is since September 2022 Head of Middle East and North Africa - Europe (MENA-Europe) Division and Vice-Director of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

She first worked in the private sector before entering the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) through the International Cooperation Career. Her work includes various positions in Benin, the Kyrgyz Republic and Bern, last as Head of MENA Humanitarian Division and Deputy Head of Humanitarian Aid and SHA.

Andrea Martina Studer studied Social Anthropology and Sociology in Zurich and the University of Sussex (UK) with field-research on “Witchcraft and Aids” in Bouak�, Ivory Coast in 97-98.
No biography yet.
No biography yet.
No biography yet.
No biography yet.
Mayor of Lidzbark Warmi�ski. Economist, entrepreneur, graduate of Executive Master of Business Administration (MBA) postgraduate studies. Chairman of the Assembly of the Association of Warm-Masurian Communes, Vice-coordinator of the Polish National Network of Cittaslow Towns, Vice-President of the Association of the St. Warmia.
- Since 2013 Town Clerk and Head of Administration in Illnau-Effretikon, a small town with around 18,000 inhabitants in the Canton of Zurich.
- 2003 - 2013 Municipal clerk in K�snacht, Zurich
- Business economist and qualified municipal clerk
As a pharmacist by profession, I worked in pharmaceutical development for a large chemical company in Basel for 18 years. Today I work as a religious education teacher at a primary school and am, among other things, a practical teacher for prospective religious education teachers. I have been a member of the Muttenz municipal council since 2004 and was responsible for the education, culture and leisure department for 15 years. I have been mayor of the municipality since 2019 and head the Department of Presidential Affairs, Economy and Culture. I am a board member of the Swiss Association of Cities and a member of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg.
No biography yet.
No biography yet.
No biography yet.
No biography yet.
Rafa� received his MSc degree in Theoretical Computer Science from the University of Wroc�aw, Poland and in Finance from the Wroc�aw University of Economics and Business. Participant, coordinator and evaluator on behalf of the European Research Executive Agency of international research projects implemented under the 7th Framework Programme and the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme of the European Union. Project evaluator on behalf of AGAUR Catalonia. Member of the working group on artificial intelligence at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister.

He has been involved in the management of research & development centres and ICT companies (i.a Managing Director, President of the Management Board, partner at AXIT Sp. z o.o., the R&D centre of the AXIT Group, CTO of the AXIT Group (currently Siemens Digital Logistics); Managing Director, President of the Management Board, partner at DATAX Sp. z o.o). By virtue of his duties, he was a member and manager of numerous international projects in such diverse areas as software development, mobile network optimisation, artificial intelligence and machine learning or supply chain management.

Rafa� is QuantUp's co-founder and board member.
No biography yet.
No biography yet.
No biography yet.
Joanna Cygler, Ph.D., SGH Professor, The Director’s Proxy for Scientific Development, The Lukasiewicz Research Network - Institute of Aviation.

Specializes in broadly understood international business cooperation (bilateral and network). She was the recipient of the J. Fulbright Scholarship (Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota, USA), as well as the Foundation for Polish Science Scholarship. Associate Professor at the Department of Management Theory (Collegium of Management and Finance) at the Warsaw School of Economics. Her habilitation thesis titled: Coopetition of Enterprises. Sectoral and Corporate factors (Kooperencja przedsi�biorstw. Czynniki sektorowe i korporacyjne) received the Polish Academy of Sciences Award in the competition for the best habilitation dissertation in the field of Management, defended in 2007-2009. She successfully combines her scientific experience and business practice with substantive collaboration with central governmental institutions, international organizations (the UN and the World Economic Forum), international consulting companies and numerous Polish and foreign enterprises. Author and co-author of multiple publications, and coordinator of many research and business projects (Polish and international). Prof. Cygler was head of Executive MBA Studies at the Institute of Economics, Polish Academy of Sciences (2016-2022). Initiator and one of the main coordinators for R&D projects in the area of UAV (The �ukasiewicz Research Network – Institute of Aviation with NIAS, NASA and UBER) – one of the biggest research projects jointly conducted by Polish and American research institutes.
Nick Mayencourt is CEO as well as founder of Dreamlab Technologies, and with over 30 years of experience, more than a cybersecurity expert from the start. As one of the world's first ethical hackers, he is an obsessive, intrinsically driven by the need to build digitally empowered societies, nations and resilient economies. He pursues this dream relentlessly: Today, Dreamlab Technologies employs over 130 cyber security experts, spread across four continents with 11 offices.

He co-authored the OSSTMM (Open-Source Security Testing Methodology Manual), standards for security testing. These are now part of the ISO IT security standards. Nick is a board member of the Institute for Security and Open Methodologies (ISECOM), a member of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), a partner of various universities and programme director of the Swiss Cyber Security Days SCSD.

Since founding Dreamlab Technologies in 1997, Nick has supported government organisations around the world in a range of areas including audit, pentesting, cyber security consulting and policy development. Nick lives with his family in Bern, Switzerland.
Andrew Caruana Galizia has served as Deputy Head of Europe and Eurasia at the World Economic Forum since 2021. He previously managed the Forum's engagement with several South Asian and Asia Pacific economies and led the Forum’s strategic intelligence work on geopolitics as a Global Leadership Fellow. Before that, he served as a Maltese diplomat from 2012 to 2017 with postings as deputy head of mission in Berlin and New Delhi. He is a co-founder of the Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation.
No biography yet.
No biography yet.
No biography yet.
No biography yet.
A manager and scientist with over 20 years of experience in management, doctor of economic sciences, member of the Business&Science Poland Advisory Team. A former director of the Institute of Logistics and Warehousing.

An expert on research, development and management of national and international projects in the field of digital economy. For many years, he has been actively involved in the development of e-government in Poland and the European Union. He implemented a pilot version of the Single Point of Contact in Poland (biznes.gov.pl), cross-border digital public services as part of EU Large Scale Pilot projects, and co-created proposals to simplify the law and optimise processes that remove barriers to the digitisation of public services. A business leader of the Digital Public Services stream and the Republic of Poland Portal within the “From paper to digital Poland” programme.

Previously, he worked in the banking sector in the area of credit risk management. A co-author of the first two books on credit-scoring in Poland.

An author of over 50 publications, intern at the University of Bordeaux and the University of Geneva.
No biography yet.
Dr. Andreas Gut, Professional position at Innosuisse - Swiss Innovation Agency: Head of International Programmes.

Responsibilities
- Development of strategy and project related initiatives of Switzerland and Innosuisse in the do-main of international innovation cooperation
- Swiss participation in EUREKA, Eurostars, Active and Assisted Living, ECSEL, and engagement of Innosuisse in bilateral cooperation
- deputy head of Innosuisse Division Knowledge Transfer & International Collaborations.
Past professional positions
- 7.2017 - 12.2018: Head of Research and Innovation Programmes, State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation SERI
- 7.2014 - 6.2015: EUREKA Project Coordinator Chairman during the Swiss EUREKA Chairmanship
- 2.2008 - 6.2017: Swiss EUREKA Project Coordinator, State secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation SERI
- 2001 -2008: Scientific Collaborator for Energy Research at Swiss Federal Office of Energy, Bern.
Education
- 1994 -1998: PhD ETH Z�rich / Institute for Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Liebefeld
- 1987 -1993: Studies of Environmental Sciences, ETH Z�rich
Marek Dutkiewicz came to Switzerland from Poland 30 years ago as a student for an internship. He brought with him the dream of finding a job where he could combine family and work. Back then, it would never have occurred to him that he would one day be CEO of one of the most successful Swiss HR companies.

With various jobs such as distributing newspapers, cleaning salad and gas station attendant, Marek made his way through Switzerland until he finally got into the office world and after further stages ended up at Nixdorf Computer AG. It was this job that brought him into contact with SAP for the first time. When it came time to take over Nixdorf Computer AG by Siemens, Marek took the opportunity and founded his own company with two partners: HR Campus. Werner Schenker was an HR expert, Hendrik Friesecke knew all the technologies on the market. And Marek? Marek had a vision. The three of them worked in the barn of an old farmhouse in the Zurich Oberland, with starting capital of 30,000 francs.

"Fresh, humane and smart" are the company's three values. Overall, Marek and the company HR Campus exude positivity and optimism: Happy Employee Happy Company is the slogan and when you open the website in the browser, the small, overjoyed smiley in the tab smiles at you. Perhaps the mix of Swiss and Polish values is also the secret recipe for the success of HR Campus. Without stigmatizing, Marek explains that HR Campus has happy customers because he has always offered them the highest quality and his hard work.
All professional life is associated with the chemical industry, especially in the scope of strategy and development. Has worked in the Grupa Azoty S.A., Grupa Azoty - Zak�ady Azotowe "Pu�awy" S.A., Mennica Pa�stwowa S.A., Mennica - Metale Szlachetne S.A. and Endress + Hauser Polska Sp. z o.o.

Graduated from the Warsaw University of Technology, Faculty of Chemical and Process Engineering with a PhD degree. He also completed postgraduate studies at the Warsaw School of Economics in the field of Management and the Strategic Leadership Academy program at the ICAN Institute.
Pawe� St�ycki started at the Institute of Aviation in 2002. During his career he worked in engineering and managerial positions in GE Aviation, Energy, Oil & Gas and Aviation Systems businesses. On all positions he was developing large teams and projects. He supported aviation programs related to CF6, GP7200 and GE90 engines but also A350XWB wing design. From March 2018 he is the Institute of Aviation in Poland General Director.

Pawe� graduated from the Warsaw University of Technology, Faculty of Power and Aeronautical Engineering with an Msc in Mechanical Engineering. In January 2018, he defended with honors a doctoral thesis related to the Mechanical Engineering.

Outside of his everyday duties, Pawe� is the board member of key Polish Aeronautics and Astronautics Associations and a member of international aviation organizations: Chair of the European Research Establishments in Aeronautics, the International Council of the Aeronautical Sciences, and the European Aeronautics Science Network. He is Poland representative to the Advisory Council for Aeronautics Research in Europe (ACARE) and to the AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD).
Dr. Katarzyna Lasota Heller has over 20 years of experience in IT, IP and FinTech law. Founding Partner of LEXcellence - Swiss Law Firm in Baar (Zug). President of Swiss-Polish Blockchain Association. Founding Member of Polish Professional Women in Switzerland.

Dr. Lasota deals with issues related to Blockchain, FinTech, NFTs and Metaverse on daily basis. As visiting professor at Kozminski University in Warsaw she lectures on Blockchain, IP and Technology Law; attorney at law admitted to practice in Switzerland and in Poland.

Katarzyna received the doctoral degree in 2003 from Ludwig Maximilian University; as a scholar of the Max-Planck Institute in Munich. She is an alumnus of McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento California, where she finished her LL.M.Studies in 2004. Over the years, she has worked for several large law firms in Munich, Warsaw and Vienna. Between 2010 and 2015 led a global compliance program of a South African Company and was President of EDiMA.

Katarzyna is passionate about economic disruption and data driven economy.

Wife, mother of a teenage daughter, loves hiking in the Swiss Alpes, occasionally plays golf.
No biography yet.
Tim Weing�rtner is a professor at the School of Computer Science and Information Technology at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Switzerland. His research focuses on Blockchain technology (DLT) and Smart Contracts. Tim is responsible for Start-ups at the department and is part of the team Switzerland Innovation Park Central, DIDAS (Self-sovereign identity), and president of DEC Institute.

He obtained his PhD in medical robotics at the University of Karlsruhe, Germany, and subsequently worked over 15 years in the Swiss financial industry.
Alexander E. Brunner studied at the University of St. Gallen HSG in Switzerland before working in alternative investments.

He is the author of several books and reports: “Crypto Nation Switzerland” (2019), the “Swiss Digital Asset and Wealth Management Report 2021”, “Swiss Digital Asset Market Report 2022” and the “Swiss Digital Asset Custody Report 2023”.

In 2022, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, with the support of the Swiss ministry of finance he launched the “Home of Blockchain.swiss” public-private partnership that promotes the Swiss blockchain ecosystem internationally.

From 2015 until 2022 Alexander was a Member of Parliament in the City of Zurich.

Today he is a senior advisor to international tech companies and governments as well as an international speaker.
Sirpa Tsimal is an economic development and foreign direct investment specialist. Currently, she is Director for Investment Promotion at Switzerland Global Enterprise (S-GE), where she leads the Global Marketing team.

At S-GE, Sirpa focuses her work on emerging technologies and ecosystems such as AI, blockchain, health and robotics in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) to Switzerland. Sirpa is a board member of the Home of Blockchain initiative, on the steering committee of the Swiss Biotech Report, and on the advisory board of CityNationPlace. She is a frequent speaker at industry events.

Sirpa has 18+ years of experience working with and leading international teams in marketing communications, business development, market entry and strategic innovation projects. Prior to S-GE, Sirpa was the founder of The Location Lab, an innovation consultancy, and co-founder and Managing Partner at TSIMANN LLC, a communication agency in New York/Washington DC. Sirpa worked as a consultant for various economic development agencies such as BaselArea and Health Industries South Australia. She also ran and scaled the mentorship program at two health tech accelerators, in New York City (ELabNYC) and in the State of Connecticut (ABCT).

Sirpa graduated from the University of Zurich in 2003 with a master’s degree in communication sciences, international law and social anthropology.
Roman Kocemba, is a finance executive with over 15 years of experience in large multinational organization including Cadbury, Ecolab and Swiss Stock Exchange. Most recently is he responsible for finance and operations of Authena. Swiss based blockchain and IoT start-up helping producers to improve their supply chain transparency and create the most secure link between producers and end consumers of products.
Gauthier Voron is a postdoctoral researcher in Computer Science at the �cole Polytechnique F�d�rale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland.

He holds a PhD from Sorbonne Universit�, France, obtained in 2018 for his work on virtualization of Non Uniform Memory Architecture.

His research interests revolve around performance and scalability of concurrent and distributed systems.

With his co-authors, he designed the first oracular consensus protocol which serves as the fundation of decentralized processors.
Nach dem Studium in Z�rich (Medizin) und New York (Biomedizinische Informatik), sowie langj�hrigem Aufenthalt and der Yale University in Connecticut, wurde Prof. Krauthammer 2018 als ordentlicher Professor f�r Medizininformatik an die UZH berufen. Er befasst sich mit der k�nstlicher Intelligenz in der Medizin und der Analyse von grossen klinischen und genomischen Datens�tzen.
Sylwia is an experienced Web3/blockchain marketer currently working as Head of Growth at Rumble Fish, a blockchain development house based in Krak�w, Poland. She’s been helping companies from all over the world increase their reach and revenue by implementing cutting-edge technologies. Her blockchain expertise along with 15+ years of experience in IT, allows her to advise entrepreneurs on how to make the best use of it, creating bespoke Web3 products.

Sylwia holds a master's degree in Business Management from the University of Science and Technology (AGH) in Krak�w.
Monika Zbytniewska-M�gret is a Digital Biomarker Scientist at Roche and a member of Polonium Foundation. She completed her PhD at the Rehabilitation Engineering Laboratory with a thesis entitled “Robot-assisted assessments of proprioceptive and motor hand impairments and their recovery in neurological disorders”. Her research focused on development and evaluation of novel robotic assessments and therapy exercises for stroke patients. Her long-term goal is to bridge the gap between technological advancements and the clinic, contributing to the overall progress within the healthcare sector. She continued her work on robotic assessments as a Postdoctoral Researcher in the topic of Future Health Technologies at Singapore-ETH Centre.
Piotr Sankowski is a professor at the Institute of Informatics, University of Warsaw, where he received his habilitation in 2009 and where he received a doctorate in computer science in 2005. His research interest focuses on practical application of algorithms, ranging from economic applications, through learning data structures, to parallel algorithms for data science. In 2009, Piotr Sankowski received also a doctorate in physics in the field of solid state theory at the Polish Academy of Sciences. In 2010 he received ERC Starting Independent Researcher Grant, in 2015 ERC Proof of Concept Grant, in 2017 ERC Consolidator Grant, and in 2023 another ERC Proof of Concept grant. He is a president of IDEAS NCBR - a research and development centre operating in the field of artificial intelligence and digital economy. Piotr Sankowski is also a co-founder of the spin-off company MIM Solutions.
WHO I AM
I have experience as a molecular biologist obtained in the laboratories of: the Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology of the Jagiellonian University (Poland), Ma�opolska Center of Biotechnology of the Jagiellonian University (Poland), University of California Santa Barbara (USA), Max Planck Institute in Martinsried (Germany), Lund University (Sweden), and also as an entrepreneur - founder and president of MicroBioLab Ltd and LabStorm Ltd. I got to know both worlds well by running an investment fund, and also as a technology broker devoted to Collegium Medicum of the Jagiellonian University in the Center for Technology Transfer CITTRU of the Jagiellonian University. Currently, I am the Director of CEBioForum - the most important event in Central Europe connecting the world of biotechnology and business and managing director of The Association of Biotech Companies BioForum.

WHAT I WILL TALK ABOUT
My fields of expertise are: molecular biology and technology transfer and entrepreneurship - which, taken together, help to build bridges between science and business. I believe that networking is the first step for cooperation that enables the creation of new solutions by creative minds that can accelerate the development of biotech companies.
No biography yet.
Dr. Mateusz Dolata is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Information Management Research Group at the Department of Informatics of the University of Zurich. His main research interests include collaboration between human and AI in an organizational context, policy and ethical design for AI systems, digital agents in services and healthcare, multimodal AI & AI in the Metaverse. He leads several projects centered around Patient-and-Data Healthcare.

Mateusz Dolata studied computational linguistics and philosophy (University of Heidelberg, 2010) and media informatics (RWTH Aachen University, 2012). He completed his PhD in Informatics at the University of Zurich in 2018 specialising in Information Management. Since then he has worked as senior researcher at the University of Zurich, Department of Informatics. His research interests span co-located collaboration in IT-supported settings, sociotechnical understanding of emerging technologies, and application of artificial intelligence (AI) for the common good. He applies a multidisciplinary perspective to deal with fairness, acceptance, and social implications of AI in healthcare, financial services, emergency response, and employees training. Mateusz has co-authored numerous conference and journal articles which open the black box of work practices and behaviours in human-computer assemblages.
Dr. Antonella Santuccione Chadha is a medical doctor with expertise in clinical pathology, neuroscience and psychiatric disorders. She is Chief medical officer at Altoida inc. In 2016 she co-founded and pro-bono CEO of the non-profit organization “Women’s Brain Project” which is addressing the influence of sex and gender on mental and brain diseases. Since then, she acts the pro bono CEO of the organization. Antonella has decades of experience in preclinical research, patient treatment, clinical development, medical affairs and international regulatory framework for therapeutics.

Always focused on solving the puzzles related to Alzheimer’s and other psychiatric diseases, she studied possible immunotherapies for AD in the laboratory of Roger Nitsch and Christoph Hock at the university of Zurich where aducanumab, the first amyloid treatment for Alzheimer’s disease was discovered. She also worked with Swissmedic, Roche diagnostic and Roche Pharma, Biogen, several European Universities, the EU Commission Directorate for Health and Food Safety, the OECD, the CEOi and several Alzheimer’s’ disease Organizations. Since 2018 she is listed among the top 100 Women in Business in Switzerland and in 2019, she has been elected Woman of the Year in Switzerland by the Magazine “Women in Business”.

In 2020, she received the World Sustainability Award for her involvement in advancing Precision Medicine. She also received the award “Premio Medicina Italia” for her contribution to the management of the pandemic.

In 2021 she has been acknowledged among the “Women for Innovation” in Switzerland from the University of Basel and received the N.1 award from the Italian Embassy for her contribution to the cooperation between Switzerland and Italy.
Anja Ries, Ph.D., is a Digital Health Scientist at Roche pharma Research & Early Development (pRED), Digital Biomarkers department. She works on the development of Digital Health Technologies in the neuroscience space. Her work particularly focuses on Digital Therapeutics and Digital Outcome Measures in neurodegenerative (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease) and Neuromuscular (e.g., Spinal Muscular Atrophy) diseases.

Anja obtained her B.Sc. degree in Neuroinformatics from the University of Warsaw, Poland and her M.Sc. degree in Neuro-Cognitive Psychology from the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany. She completed her Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience at the Technical University of Munich, Germany, where she investigated brain functional alterations in major depressive disorder using fMRI. Before joining Roche, Anja worked at the Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Zurich as a postdoctoral researcher in the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF) project “SIMON - Suicide Ideation Monitoring”. The project aimed at testing the feasibility of a digital tool to monitor and predict suicidal ideation and hospital readmission in psychiatric patients. In the SIMON project, she applied machine and deep learning to build predictive models from passive mobile sensing data and psychological variables.

Anja’s research interests revolve around digital technology and AI in mental and brain healthcare.
Prof. Dr. iur. et Dr. med. Kerstin Vokinger, LL.M., Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Z�rich; Harvard University

Kerstin No�lle Vokinger was born in Zurich in 1988 and studied law and human medicine in parallel at the University of Zurich (UZH). She then passed the bar exam of the Canton of Zurich and the medical state examination. In 2016, she completed her PhD in biomedical ethics and law at the UZH before obtaining a PhD in medicine from the University of Basel the following year. Vokinger also has an LL.M. from Harvard University Law School and has conducted research at Harvard Medical School.

She wrote her habilitation thesis at the UZH Faculty of Medicine and since 2019 has been a professor in the UZH Faculty of Law. Vokinger is also an affiliated faculty member at Harvard Medical School. During her career, she has received research grants from Harvard Law School, Cancer Research Switzerland and the SNSF.

The 3rd Polish Economic & Technology Forum in Switzerland

The 3^rd Polish Economic & Technology Forum in Switzerland