The most important information (click to go)
Made in Wroclaw is one of the most important events in the capital of Lower Silesia, which brings together entrepreneurs, start-ups, researchers and investors. On Wednesday morning, the main part of the 10th anniversary edition was officially opened in the Centennial Hall. This is the first time the event has been held at this venue. Take a look at the photos in the gallery.
The guests were welcomed by the host, Karolina Misztal, from the Wroclaw Agglomeration Development Agency (ARAW). Among them were representatives of the city and regional authorities, the central government, the business sector and the academic community, as well as a delegation from South Korea. This year’s slogan – ‘ADAPT. LEAD. REPEAT’ – is a simple formula: react quickly to change, take the initiative and do so consistently, because development never ends.
Karolina Misztal, journalist, presenter and PR and marketing expert at the Wroclaw Agglomeration Development Agency, host of Made in Wroclaw: ‘First and foremost, it has been 10 years of discussions, meetings and ideas. Wroclaw and Lower Silesia are not only capable of talking about the future, but, above all, of helping to shape it.’
The city and the region are committed to co-operation
Dr Magdalena Okulowska, President of the Wroclaw Agglomeration Development Agency, thanked the participants for having arrived in such large numbers. She pointed out how important entrepreneurs, scientists and innovators are to the region’s economy.
Magdalena Okulowska, President of ARAW: ‘You are the heart of Made in Wroclaw!’
The President of ARAW also drew attention to foreign companies that had firmly established their position in the region. She also spoke about the need to respond flexibly to change.
‘A culture of co-operation is our greatest strength, our greatest asset,’ she emphasised.
Jacek Sutryk, the Mayor of Wroclaw, referred to the words of Alan Kay, a pioneer of computer science. In his view, they accurately reflect the direction in which Wroclaw and Lower Silesia develop.
Jacek Sutryk, Mayor of Wroclaw: ‘Rather than predicting the future, it is better simply to imagine it, to create it.’
The Mayor pointed out that the Centennial Hall itself is an example of a bold architectural and technical vision.
‘Wroclaw has always been very innovative and has been ahead of everything and everyone,’ he pointed out.
Michał Rado, Deputy Marshal of the Lower Silesia Province, spoke about the strength of the entire region. He referred to the provincial government’s programmes for entrepreneurs: Going Global and Lower Silesian Business Leaders. They help companies promote their achievements, establish contacts abroad and enter new markets.
Michał Rado, Deputy Marshal of the Lower Silesia Province: ‘Our region is one of the most developed regions in Poland, if not the most developed of all.’
Experts on the main stage
The conference programme was structured around three areas: knowledge, people, innovation.
The session on knowledge began with a question from the host: what is most important for leaders in a world where, thanks to artificial intelligence, one person can do the work that used to be done by 100 people?
‘Today, artificial intelligence and new tools can greatly enhance the capabilities of individuals,’ noted Karolina Misztal.
An answer to this question was sought by Mikołaj Jan Piskorski, Dean of Executive Education at IMD Business School in Lausanne. He explained the development of AI using three shapes. The first is the ‘line’ – in other words, a normal chat conversation. The second is the loop – agents who carry out successive tasks by themselves. The third is the spiral – a situation in which AI improves successive models on its own. As he said, the latest models are able to perform continuously tasks equivalent to 12–16 hours of human labour.
‘At first, the spiral rises little by little, and then it rises more and more, faster and faster, and this is precisely what we call recursive self-improvement,’ said Prof. Mikołaj Jan Piskorski. ‘Remember: every spiral starts off slowly at first, then it gets faster and faster and faster, and at some point, the really good ones will really make a big impact on us,’ he added.
There will also be other speakers at the main stage. Football referee Szymon Marciniak, a holder of the UEFA Elite category, will talk about the pressure, difficult decisions and keeping his emotions in check at crucial moments. Miron Mironiuk – a resident of Wroclaw, the founder of Cosmose AI and a graduate of the Secondary School No 5 in Wroclaw, will speak about preserving humanity in the age of AI. Professor Maciej Karwowski from the University of Wroclaw will talk about the development of creativity.
One of the guests at Made in Wroclaw will also be Tomasz Karwatka – a Wroclaw-based entrepreneur and investor and the co-founder of Divante and Callstack. In an interview ‘Stop fooling yourself. How to build a company worth at least 100 million?’, he offers guidance on how to build companies that will succeed on the global stage. This year, Karwatka was distinguished as one of the 30 Creative People of Wroclaw.
Robots and drones at the free EXPO
The Centennial Hall also houses the EXPO zone, which is open to everyone and free to enter. All you need to do is register on the Made in Wroclaw website. Until 4.30 pm, start-ups, technology companies and researchers, including those from the Wroclaw University of Technology, will present solutions in the fields of robotics, energy, medicine and urban technologies.
These include a robot designed to assist older people at home, a four-legged robot controlled by AI, and kites that generate electricity. Drone races take place on Level -1, whereas lectures and competitions with prizes are held on the two stages: WRO-HUB and WRO-LAB. You can read more about this free event in an article on EXPO.
Synergy Awards Gala is held this evening
From 8 pm, the first Synergy Awards Gala will take place at the Centennial Hall to mark the official close of the event. The awards will go to projects in which the collaboration between different communities and organisations was crucial.
Tuesday was all about start-ups
Made in Wroclaw kicked off with VC Demo Day – a meeting between start-ups and investors – on Tuesday 27 October. The event attracted 300 people from the worlds of technology, business and innovation. For the first time, the regional final of the Startup World Cup took place as part of VC Demo Day.
Ten start-ups from Lower Silesia presented their business ideas on stage. It is the world’s largest start-up competition, organised by Pegasus Tech Ventures, with 200 regional qualifiers across six continents.
The winner was TatraSpace – a start-up which helps companies test and develop software more quickly and effectively. The winner will travel to San Francisco for the grand final to be held from 3 to 7 November, where they will compete for USD 1 million. You can read more about the competition in an article on VC Demo Day.
