Kulasek spoke at the opening of the Deep Tech Transformation Forum, part of the New Mobility Congress in the southern city of Katowice.
He described "deep tech" as technology based on advanced scientific research and translated into practical applications such as energy storage, new materials and artificial intelligence.
"Without strong science, we will not build Poland's technological sovereignty," Kulasek said. "We will not ensure the security of Polish men and women."
He said developing deep tech required not only funding but also a willingness to take risks.
Research and discoveries are only the beginning, Kulasek told the conference. The goal is to "get an idea into a factory and onto the market," he said.
He highlighted the role of the state-run Łukasiewicz Research Network (SBŁ) in connecting science and business and supporting economic development.
SBŁ CEO Hubert Cichocki said the automotive sector illustrated some of the challenges facing Poland, including the energy transition and increasing the share of domestic companies in supply chains.
He pointed to difficulties facing Europe's automotive industry, including German automaker Volkswagen's plans to cut 50,000 jobs.
Cichocki said the changes in the sector could also create opportunities for Polish companies to enter new parts of supply chains.
He stressed that Poland needs to participate in developing technologies that can eventually be turned into products or components.
The Łukasiewicz Research Network provides human and intellectual capital as well as research and technological infrastructure, he said.
Cichocki said the value of research and development services commissioned by industry at Łukasiewicz institutes had risen by 25 percent since he took charge.
Under an investment programme financed through Poland’s post-pandemic National Recovery and Resilience Plan, projects worth PLN 1.1 billion (EUR 250 million) have been completed, he told the conference.
(sp/gs)
Source: PAP