AstraZeneca Poland and Wrocław University of Science and Technology have signed a cooperation agreement aimed at delivering benefits for the healthcare system. But what is the precise purpose of this partnership?
Wiktor Janicki: The entire industry is built on inventions that often emerge at the intersection of business and science. We very much hope that our cooperation with Wrocław University of Science and Technology will spur new projects and ideas – initiatives that will foster both innovation and skill development. Take artificial intelligence, for example, which is playing an increasingly important role in the operations of companies, including in research and development. This is precisely an area where we believe that, together with the university, we can build new competencies and explore ways of using AI to serve patients.
How will science – in this case, Wrocław University of Technology – benefit from the alliance with business?
Prof. Arkadiusz Wójs: Modern technologies, such as artificial intelligence, are primarily tested against the most important challenges we face, for example in pharmacy. This is a new experience for the university, which does have some tradition in biochemical sciences related to pharmacy, though not as extensive as in fields such as bridge engineering or electric motors. It is therefore a modern and, in a sense, innovative area. We established a medical faculty just two years ago and are still considering the possibility of opening a pharmacy programme – perhaps as early as next year, or in two years’ time – which would be a natural step in the university’s development. As part of this cooperation, we are bringing together our intentions, dreams and aspirations. As a leading university, we want to undertake important projects in partnership with a company that embodies modernity and holds a strong position in its field – an area that is also exceptionally new and innovative for us. It is not merely an agreement, but also a shared dream.
What is so special about Wrocław University of Technology?
W.J.: We see Wrocław University of Technology as an institution that, on the one hand, has an excellent tradition in science and its advancement, and on the other, is highly open to innovation and cooperation with business, which is not always the case. This combination of tradition and the pursuit of new solutions gives us the sense that we are truly engaging in a partnership with the University of Technology. It is a collaboration between two distinct organisations that want to create something new together, and this sense of genuine partnership and sincere commitment to working on new solutions is extremely important to us.
You said that this openness to partnership is not obvious in Poland. What needs to happen for science and business partnerships to become more commonplace, and does this alliance between two organisations also require an element of state administration?
W.J.: I think we should begin with science and business. For a partnership to be meaningful, it is essential to understand the areas in which we can inspire each other and those in which we can bring added value to the cooperation. This is the first and most fundamental element. Equally important is the demand for innovation, and not only in pharmaceuticals; demand for innovation helps build a culture that recognises its value. This, in turn, strengthens the willingness to form partnerships and jointly explore the question: what new things can we create together? The third element – and here I see a role for the government – is legal predictability, particularly respect for intellectual property rights. Every partnership seeks to create something unique, which must be properly protected. To make serious, large-scale investments, we must be confident that property rights are fully respected and that the results of our knowledge, imagination and commitment will also translate into measurable commercial outcomes.
