ORLEN Collaborates with MIT and the University of Cambridge
The challenges of Europe’s energy transition and its implications for regional energy security and geopolitics were the central topics of the scientific conference “Powering Europe’s Future”, jointly organised by ORLEN, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and the University of Cambridge in Warsaw. ORLEN continues to expand its cooperation with leading academic institutions worldwide and is strengthening its research and development capabilities, allocating up to PLN 27 million to R&D activities this year.
– For the first time in Poland, such prestigious institutions as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Cambridge have come together with ORLEN as a business partner. We firmly believe that a successful business transformation is possible through the full utilisation of scientific potential in its many dimensions. The diversity of experiences and perspectives represented at this forum inspires both scientific and practical advances in our approach to energy transition. ORLEN has long drawn on the knowledge and research capacity of the academic community. Together with Polish and European universities and research institutes, we are working towards achieving emission neutrality. We are investing in R&D across key technology areas of the future – including hydrogen technologies, advanced petrochemicals and next-generation materials, biochemicals, energy storage, and recycling – said Konrad Jar, Executive Director for Strategy and Innovation at ORLEN.
The conference, co-hosted by ORLEN, MIT, and the University of Cambridge, brought together eminent professors and researchers from leading academic institutions, including Christopher Knittel, Catherine Wolfram, and Michael Mehling (MIT), Simon Taylor and David Reiner (University of Cambridge), Robert Basedow (London School of Economics), Aleh Cherp (Central European University), Maciej Sokołowski (Keio University), and Saulius Gudzius (Kaunas University of Technology). Academic experts from across Poland, Lithuania, Hungary, Romania, the Czech Republic, Japan, and the Netherlands also took part.
Global thought leaders and subject-matter experts shared insights from their latest research as well as solutions and strategic perspectives during thematic panels, which addressed topics such as energy security, geopolitical dynamics, and their implications for Europe. Key discussion areas also included the role of the Baltic Sea region in the energy transition, decarbonisation of heating systems, the impact of climate policy on international trade, and the development of nuclear energy and small modular reactors.
As part of the conference, ORLEN launched a student and doctoral essay competition on the topic: “Overcoming Obstacles: A Critical Analysis of Barriers to a Rapid Energy Transition.” Participants included students from Polish and international universities. The winners were Antoni Dziwura (University of Warwick), Mihai Dănilă (National University of Political Studies and Public Administration, Bucharest), and Michalina Czerwińska (Warsaw School of Economics).
Each year, ORLEN allocates approximately PLN 20 million to R&D. This year, the budget has been increased to around PLN 27 million. These efforts have already resulted in a number of innovative solutions that support the Group’s operations. In June, ORLEN became the first company globally to launch commercialisation of the Multifuel technology. This solution enables fully automated generation of electricity and heat using hydrogen, natural gas, or a blend of both in any proportion.
The Company also collaborates extensively with domestic and international scientific institutions, having invested nearly PLN 70 million in research projects over recent years. In cooperation with the University of Warsaw, ORLEN is developing novel catalysts and protective beds. Joint work with Warsaw University of Technology focuses on advanced asphalt technologies, while with Gdańsk University of Technology the focus is on corrosion-related projects. Research on fuel stability is being carried out with Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń. As part of its broad collaboration with the Łukasiewicz Research Network, ORLEN is also advancing technologies for the utilisation of power plant ash. Field studies of selected crops for biochemical synthesis are underway in partnership with the Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute – National Research Institute. Additionally, under a cooperation agreement signed this year between ORLEN, Warsaw University of Technology’s Płock branch, and AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków, research will be conducted to optimise synthetic fuel production technologies.
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