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EXPO is an important part of this year’s Made in Wroclaw. It was an opportunity for the local residents to see for themselves what innovations are developed in the capital of Lower Silesia. It was a place where technology companies, start-ups, scientists and young designers came together. They presented solutions in fields such as robotics, energy, medicine, urban technology and tourism, inspiring thousands of visitors and demonstrating what the future of business and technology looks like.
A chance to talk with a robot
One of the exhibitors was Robo Friends Tech, a company working on an autonomous robot designed to support older people in their own homes.
Oliwier Woźniak, an engineer at Robo Friends Tech: ‘Our robot is primarily designed for older people or care homes. It is fully autonomous. It does not require any additional sensors, wristbands or bracelets. In the event of a collapse or loss of vital functions, it notifies the person’s family, the ambulance service or other emergency services, as appropriate.’
Visitors to the EXPO could also say hello and have a chat with a humanoid robot – Adam Kowalski – who speaks every language in the world.
Karol Madej, Flow AI: ‘He is the Director of Optimisation at our company, which specialises in implementing such robots in business. We programme them to help people in their work, but also to save lives.’ A team comprising a human and a robot often has far greater capabilities than one consisting solely of humans or solely of robots.’
The robot itself also gave us a statement.
Adam Kowalski, a humanoid robot: ‘Here, I am presenting software that enables humanoid robots to become fully autonomous and safe employees in the business sector.’
Rockets at your fingertips
One of the scientific circles at the Wroclaw University of Technology presented the experimental rockets they had built.
Radosław Pogodziński, Wroclaw University of Technology (PWr) in Space Scientific Circle: 'Our stand features, for example, a test payload which came second in a competition in Portugal, out of 22 teams from across Europe. It examines rocket vibrations and the flow of liquids in OSH tubes. You can also see a hybrid-fuelled rocket here. You can touch everything, pick it up and talk about how it is made.’
Meanwhile, the Wroclaw-based company Ultre designs electric vehicles tailored to urban transport and mobility.
Bartłomiej Czerniak, Ultre: ‘Each of our vehicles addresses a specific need or problem faced by local authorities, residents and visitors. Today we are presenting a vehicle designed for courier and service companies, which weighs only 600 kg while offering over 4 m³ of cargo space.’
Inventions that protect health and save lives
At the stand run by the Centre for Medical Discoveries at the Medical University of Wroclaw, visitors could take part in a simple anatomy quiz and follow a medical decision-making pathway that demonstrates how easily we can fall prey to medical misinformation online and in the traditional media.
Mateusz Adamczyk, Centre for Medical Discoveries, Medical University of Wroclaw: ‘We examine medical misinformation from various angles – from the extent to which it occurs, through its sources, to its consequences. You can discuss all of this here with us today.’
Another company, Tower of Life, presented a pioneering emergency response system designed to ensure that a defibrillator is delivered as quickly as possible to someone in need of assistance.
Marcin Cieśla, Tower of Life: ‘Thanks to our system, a person calling for help can use a special app to trigger a light and sound signal on the nearest defibrillator, encouraging anyone passing by to deliver it to the designated location as quickly as possible. They can identify it using the QR code displayed. This will reduce the time needed deliver the device to the person in need, which is of vital importance when it comes to saving lives and protecting health.’
From emergency backpacks to alarm signals
At the Safe Wroclaw stand, visitors to the EXPO could also learn how to respond in emergency cases.
Lidia Prabucka, ARAW, Safe Wroclaw: ‘We have an emergency backpack here, and we show what to pack in it for 72 hours. At our stand, you can also play a memory game about safety. We also have an alarm signal column, where visitors can learn what the signals mean, and a shooting range, where they can symbolically overcome the threat.’ [/quote]
At the www.wroclaw.pl stand, visitors could find out how much Wroclaw costs – for example, how much it cost to purchase a low-floor tram – and also check what investment projects are underway in individual neighbourhoods. A photo booth was also available for taking a souvenir photo.
Two stages, many inspiring conversations
EXPO is not just an exhibition but also a place for people to meet, exchange experiences and build valuable relationships. Throughout the day, presentations and discussions on the development of innovation, entrepreneurship and the ecosystem of Wroclaw and Lower Silesia took place on two stages.
The participants discussed such topics as scaling up a business, developing strategies in the face of technological change, financing companies and European start-ups, as well as the use of AI and technology in mental health care.
The programme also included sessions on resilience, making decisions under pressure, placing deep tech and industrial tech solutions on the market, and turning ideas into initial implementations. There were also topics relating to art and science, as well as discussions about who might be concerned with a particular business idea.
Those attending the event also had a chance to win a range of valuable prizes in many competitions held especially for them.
