Organizer:

Polskie Towarzystwo Wspierania Przedsiębiorczości SA

ul. Jana Matejki 3
40-077 Katowice
e-mail: eec@eec2010.eu
www.eec2010.eu

36 thematic sessions and over 350 panellists: the second

day of the European Economic Congress 2010 in a nutshell

Katowice, 1 June 2010. Knowledge and Innovation Communities, transport,

finance, economy, sport infrastructure and funding, and health care are
only a few of the numerous topics discussed during the second day of
the European Economic Congress 2010. On 1 June, Katowice saw 36
thematic sessions with over 350 panellists. The debates were attended
by Minister of Science and Higher Education Barbara Kudrycka, and
Director of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology Gérard
de Nazelle.

The second day of the European Economic Congress 2010 (EEC) was marked by
the discussions broadly related to the power industry. Detailed discussions
involved such problems as the Polish government’s strategy for the fuel and
energy sector; also, the debates raised the future of power transmission and
distribution in Europe, and the energy efficiency in cities, regions and companies.
Moreover, the participants brought up economic issues and those related with
transport, water and sewage disposal, and health protection.

The session summing the activity of the Knowledge and Innovation Community,
which was officially inaugurated during the European Economic Congress 2009,
the EEC 2010 participants, including Minister of Science and Higher Education
Barbara Kudrycka, and Director of the European Institute of Innovation and
Technology Gérard de Nazelle, discussed whether there has been success in
merging business and knowledge, and what the Knowledge Community is today.

A panel dedicated to the investment attractiveness of the Silesia Province was a

must in this year’s agenda of the largest business event in Central and Eastern
Europe. The session was opened by Marshal of the Silesia Province Bogusław
Śmigielski.

Beside, speakers who addressed the participants today were Minister of Justice
and Attorney General of Poland in 2007-2009 Zbigniew Ćwiąkalski, and
President of the American Chamber of Commerce Roman Rewald (Law), and in
Organizer:

Polskie Towarzystwo Wspierania Przedsiębiorczości SA

ul. Jana Matejki 3
40-077 Katowice
e-mail: eec@eec2010.eu
www.eec2010.eu

a multimedia address, EU Commissioner for Energy Günther Oettinger (Polish

government’s strategies for the fuel and energy sector).

In addition, distinctions for laureates of the competition held by the Polish

Agency for Enterprise Development in categories of the “Innovative Project” and
the “Effective Entrepreneur” were given; furthermore, there was an opening
ceremony of the Network of Collaboration and Entrepreneurs, “Business
Hunters”.

Tuesday’s sessions were held in the Monopol Hotel (e.g. the Polish Government’s
Strategies for the Fuel Sector; the Future of Power Transmission and Distribution
in Europe), the Qubus Hotel (e.g. Finance/Economy; Knowledge and Innovation
Communities; Law; Food Market), the Silesian Voivode Office (e.g. the Finance of
Local Governments; Infrastructure/Construction/Real Estate; Railway Transport),
in the Biuro Centrum building (Capital for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises.
Investments in SMEs. Dynamic Profits, Extraordinary Growth), in the RIG building
(the Eastern Partnership as an International Platform for Economic Integration),
in the Science and Technology Park Euro-Centrum (the Power Sector: Renewable
Energy Sources), in the Angelo Hotel (the Innovative Economy of Europe; the
Economy in the Time of the Crisis: Mechanisms Supporting Entrepreneurs), in the
Rondo Sztuki Gallery (the Investment Attractiveness of the Silesia Province) and
in the ING building (the Meaning of Audit and Control in Public Administration at
an International Scale).

On Wednesday, 2 June, which is the last Congress day, the participants will join
debates on specific sectors of the European economy, including the automotive
industry, mining and metallurgy, and on the aviation industry.

More on the European Economic Congress 2010 and a detailed congress agenda
on www.eec2010.eu

***

EEC 2010 participants’ statements:

Barbara Kudrycka, the Minister of Science and Higher Education: The research on
nuclear power engineering and more, also on new energy generation sources
which include new technologies to obtain energy from coal, are this
government’s priority. It is visible not only through additional research funding
Organizer:

Polskie Towarzystwo Wspierania Przedsiębiorczości SA

ul. Jana Matejki 3
40-077 Katowice
e-mail: eec@eec2010.eu
www.eec2010.eu

but also through funding of selected fields of study. (...) It seems that we have
every right to look into the future with optimism. We have excellent researchers
who in collaboration with European and world-class scientists are able to
conduct the most sophisticated research in power engineering and renewable
energy. We invest in research conducted by young scientists, and in students
and in power-related fields of study. It seems that with time Poland may become
one of the leaders in the research on renewable energy, in particular, in the area
of power technologies derived from coal.

Bogusław Śmigielski, the Marshal of the Silesia Province: The promotion of the
province should be continuous and permanent. The Silesia Province has the
largest economic potential in Poland; it is a good place to do business. The
services of investors are important as well as it is a key to create proper
conditions for external capital. My recent Expo 2010 experience in Shanghai
shows that for entrepreneurs it is crucial to have the support of authorities.
Particularly, for investments done abroad.

Dariusz Mioduski, the Head of Kulczyk Holding: We are among those daredevils
who invest. The foundation of our activity is the faith in reason. It is
inconceivable to think that either power will be a luxury good or we will turn it
off. We are taking the risk by investing tens of millions euros. We know how to
obtain funds; in the peak of the financial crisis we received EUR 1.5 billion to
build the A2 motorway. In the north of Poland, there must by a large power
source. Analysts say that there are too many unknowns but we believe that the
situation will clarify.

Adam Leszkiewicz, the Deputy Minister of Treasury: Years 2005-2006 raised

many hopes connected with the privatisation of the chemical sector. Yet, they
turned to be an era of lost opportunities. A period of a boom in chemistry in
2006-2007 was simply wasted. Too little was done to prepare for a worse period
in the sector which came after 2007. As a result, we now have a problem to raise
investors‘ interest in the Polish chemistry. The global crisis added up to this and
brought fewer investment opportunities. The best confirmation is the fact that
within the recent months, only one significant acquisition in the sector took place
and this was in the Netherlands.

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Organizer:

Polskie Towarzystwo Wspierania Przedsiębiorczości SA

ul. Jana Matejki 3
40-077 Katowice
e-mail: eec@eec2010.eu
www.eec2010.eu

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EECKatowice

Twitter: https://twitter.com/EECKatowice

Blip: http://eeckatowice.blip.pl/

###

Additional information:
Marta Stach, Imago PR
EEC 2010 Spokesperson
Tel. 609 808 119
m.stach@imagopr.pl