The end of 2017 is rapidly approaching! For the US-Polish Trade Council (USPTC), this was a year of exciting challenges as we pursued our mission of fostering exchange and cooperation between Poland and the United States in the areas of higher education, science, technology, and innovative business. During the Holiday Season, more than ever, we extend to our friends and partners our appreciation for their unwavering support and energetic involvement in USPTC's work. We wish you peace, prosperity, and happiness throughout this special time and look forward to more adventures together in the New Year! 

With warmest thanks and best wishes,

The USPTC Team

In this holiday issue of our newsletter, we recall some USPTC events and successes of 2017:

Fifteen Years of USPTC!

In 2017 the US-Polish Trade Council celebrated fifteen years of efforts aimed at bridging American and Polish innovation. In appreciation of USPTC’s work, Consul General of the Republic of Poland in Los Angeles Mariusz Brymora (center) presented USPTC President Jerzy Orkiszewski (left) and USPTC Board Chairman Piotr Moncarz with a congratulatory diploma.

Polish-American Science and Technology Symposium 

Weeks of planning by USPTC supporters on both sides of the Atlantic contributed to the success of the Polish-American Science and Technology Symposium on June 28, at Stanford University. This year’s symposium centered around opportunities and challenges in the electromobility space, with discussions among distinguished experts from U.S. and Polish universities and government and industry leaders. Topics examined during the symposium included cutting-edge technological advancements, financing methods and regulatory incentives designed to promote and expand electromobility, and the adaptation of breakthrough electromobility technologies and trends in the Polish and American markets.

(For a photo slideshow from the Polish-American Science and Technology Symposium, please visit here)  

Silicon Valley Executive Workshop 

In November, in collaboration with Stanford University, USPTC facilitated an interactive Silicon Valley Executive Workshop for Polish energy company GK ENEA. Polish executives were actively engaged in the presentations and hands-on projects at Stanford University as well as discussions with Silicon Valley energy experts at Stanford. They visited the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Exponent Inc., and the City Hall of San Francisco.

Testimonial of Piotr Kloda, Director of Sales Support at ENEA SA

„Jeszcze raz serdeczne podziękowania za perfekcyjną organizację, opiekę i inspirujące wykłady. Dla mnie był to jeden z najciekawszych wyjazdów w jakich miałem okazje uczestniczyć.” (”Once again, heartfelt thanks for the perfect organization, care, and inspirational lectures. For me, this was one of the most interesting trips I had the opportunity to attend.”)

(To read more and view a photo gallery, please visit here)  

Andrzej Nowak Honored

USPTC warmly congratulates Professor Andrzej Nowak (center), president of the Council of Polish Engineers in North America, of which USPTC is an active member, who received the honorary doctoral degree Doctoris Honoris Causa from the Warsaw University of Technology in November. This is highest academic honor that can be awarded by a Polish university.  Prof. Nowak is the 70^th person to receive this honor in the university’s hundred-year history. Previous recipients include Maria Skłodowska Curie, winner of two Nobel prizes, and Olgierd Zienkiewicz, a pioneer of the finite-element numerical method. 

2017 Convention of the Council of Polish Engineers in North America

USPTC Chairman Piotr Moncarz and USPTC Director Marek Zywno, participated in the Annual Convention of the Council of Polish Engineers in North America on November 3–5 at Auburn University in Alabama. Participants attended a symposium on Polish and North American collaborative opportunities in engineering, as well as the Council’s annual general meeting.

The elected 2017–19 Board of the Council, photographed above:  (from left to right) Marek Zywno, Andrzej Nowak, Piotr Moncarz, Marianna Polak, Jan Płachta, Mirosław Niedzinski, Krzysztof Kluczewski, Prof. Radosław Michałowski, Dr. Janusz Romanski.

USPTC continues to work with government, educational, and commercial entities in Poland and the U.S. to support exchanges in high technology, science, and between innovative companies in both countries. USPTC’s program of Silicon Valley office timesharing for Polish companies in our Palo Alto Innovation HUB is attracting significant attention. In 2017, several Polish companies from Katowice, under the auspices of the City of Katowice, joined the Innovation HUB to explore and expand their opportunities and growth potential.

Before the year’s end we encourage you to visit our web page (www.usptc.org), and to register for the Poland Silicon Valley Science and Technology Symposium, with its focal point of Poland Day 2018 on March 22^nd at Stanford University. This year’s theme, “The Internet of Things,” will explore topics including smart cites, grid and energy; cybersecurity and blockchain; augmented and virtual reality; IoT cloud and big data; and wearable devices. We encourage individual participation, as well as corporate and institutional contributions and sponsorship!

Happy Holiday Season

and a Wonderful 2018 to You ALL!