Three Polish teams have received prestigious European grants in a recent Teaming for Excellence call and are now launching their innovative projects to advance scientific and research excellence in Poland.
On 19 February 2025, the official kick-off ceremony for three Teaming for Excellence projects, funded by the European Union within the Horizon Europe framework programme for research and innovation will take place at the Copernicus Science Centre in Warsaw, Poland’s leading scientific outreach hub. The event symbolically coincides with Polish Science Day which is celebrated annually on the birthday of Nicolaus Copernicus to honour achievements of Polish scientists and inspire future generations to pursue innovation and discovery.
The Centres of Excellence, recently established in Poland, aim to produce world-class research while working closely with local communities and industry to address future challenges with innovative solutions.
On this day, we will celebrate the launch of the following projects:
- Translational Research and Innovation in Ophthalmology Vision – Centre of Excellence (TRIO-VI CoE), coordinated by the International Centre for Translational Eye Research, Institute of Physical Chemistry PAS,
- Particle Astrophysics Science and Technology Centre (Astrocent Plus), coordinated by the Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center PAS,
- Centre of Excellence for Precise Phenotyping and BioDataBanking (P4Health), coordinated by the Łukasiewicz Research Network – PORT Polish Center for Technology Development.
About
Astrocent: Particle Astrophysics Science and Technology Centre was established in 2018 in Poland as a department of the Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center of the Polish Academy of Sciences, under the International Research Agendas programme, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund. Its mission is to conduct research in astroparticle physics and explore the hidden Universe. The centre is focused on cutting-edge research that combines a future-oriented fundamental science programme in astroparticle physics with development of technologies to address global challenges, such as climate change, healthcare and sustainable energy. “Astrocent was founded with a vision to build a world-class research centre in astroparticle physics in Poland. With EU-funded Astrocent Plus, we are taking a bold new step toward fulfilling this vision — expanding our capabilities, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and ensuring a lasting impact on both fundamental science and innovative technologies by setting up a new institute that will eventually become a hub for our field in the region.” — Prof. Leszek Roszkowski, Head of Astrocent at NCAC PAS and the main coordinator of the Astrocent Plus project. NCAC PAS is a category A+ institute conducting internationally-leading research in astronomy and astrophysics.
The ICTER research center, part of the Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences, established in 2019 in Warsaw, Poland, integrates physics, biology, chemistry, engineering, and medicine to tackle eye health challenges. By leveraging AI and machine learning, researchers aim to streamline doctors’ work and enhance the prevention of vision-threatening diseases. Supported by the prestigious Horizon Europe “Teaming for Excellence” grant, ICTER is advancing towards its ultimate goal: improving access to specialized ophthalmic care. The grant enables the establishment of a Scientific Center of Excellence in Warsaw, transforming research into practical medical solutions. “Our goal is to combine cutting-edge research with clinical applications to improve diagnosis and treatment,” says Professor Maciej Wojtkowski, Director of ICTER, who has been advancing ophthalmology technologies for over 25 years.
The P4Health project, led by Łukasiewicz Research Network – PORT Polish Center for Technology Development, focuses on implementing innovative solutions in precision medicine. Over six years, the consortium, collaborating with leading European centers, will develop advanced diagnostic and therapeutic technologies to enhance healthcare quality in Poland while reducing costs. Multidisciplinary research teams will leverage artificial intelligence algorithms and the concept of participatory biobanking to improve the availability and efficiency of medical data. P4Health will also establish a knowledge exchange platform for scientists, clinicians, and industry, driving structural changes in the healthcare system and supporting innovative regulatory and research initiatives. The project leader is Łukasiewicz – PORT, a scientific institute based in Wrocław and part of the Łukasiewicz Research Network, the third-largest research network in Europe. PORT conducts research focused on health, biotechnology, and materials engineering. It is a place where science meets industry needs, creating a space for innovation and technological advancement.
Teaming for Excellence (TfE) is a leading action of Horizon Europe under the objective of building up Research and Innovation (R&I) capacities in countries with reduced R&I performance. The program aims to ensure that research and innovation benefits are distributed more evenly across Europe, fostering cohesion and inclusivity in advancing scientific excellence and competitiveness. Teaming actions will create new or modernise existing centres of excellence in Widening countries* through strategic partnerships with leading institutions abroad. The impact will be amplified by the conditionality of securing complementary investment from structural funds or other sources. So far about 800 million euros have been invested in creating 51 centres in Europe, including 7 in Poland.
The event will feature a keynote speech delivered by Professor Cristiano Galbiati from Princeton University in the USA, a distinguished physicist whose research has significantly advanced science in areas such as dark matter, neutrino detection and double beta decay. Galbiati is also a coauthor of the MVM mechanical ventilator, developed as part of an international collaboration of scientists, engineers, and medical professionals in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Link to the event website
https://united-in-excellence.pl/#
