Global innovation spotlight: Poland

From a nano-membrane water purifier to a system for avoiding food waste in hospitality, discover exciting innovations from Poland

Reflecting our global Springwise readership, we explore the innovation landscape and freshest thinking from a new country each week. To celebrate Polish Independence Day we are this week heading to Poland…

Poland Innovation Profile

Global Innovation Index ranking: 38^th

Climate targets: Reduce greenhouse gas emissions to at least 55 per cent below 1990 levels by 2030 (proposed, EU-wide), climate neutral by 2050 (EU-wide)

Sustainability issues

Air pollution – Hard coal and lignite provide 80 per cent of Poland’s energy, the pollutants from which contribute to poor air quality. In fact, 33 of the 50 European cities with the worst air quality are in Poland and the country is ranked 53^rd among the world’s most polluted countries.

Soil erosion – Not only does soil erosion reduce the amount of fertile land, but it also increases sedimentation and clogging risks in rivers. In Poland, it is estimated that soil erosion caused by mismanagement, neglect, and exploitation ruins 10 million tonnes of fertile soil per year, which culminates in 0.25 million tonnes of grain crops being lost annually.

Illegal Waste – It is estimated that half a million tonnes of illegal waste shipments arrive in Poland every year when they are either wrongly declared or exported. Because Poland has banned mixed waste imports, operators often fraudulently declare shipments as recyclable. And because Poland does not have enough waste management facilities available, these imports then end up in landfill or are dumped or incinerated.

Sector specialisms

– Artificial intelligence

– Fintech

– Foodtech

Three Exciting Innovations From Poland

AVOIDING COST AND FOOD WASTE IN HOSPITALITY

 Every year, around 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted, including approximately 40 per cent of all food at retail or consumer level in industrialised countries. This constitutes a huge amount of wasted resources and acts as a substantial contribution to global warming. To help reduce this mountain of food waste, startup No Spoilers has developed an innovative inventory control solution aimed at hospitality businesses. Read more

A NANO-MEMBRANE DESALINATOR DOES NOT NEED AN ENERGY SUPPLY

According to the World Health Organization, 829,000 people are estimated to die each year from diarrhoea caused by unsafe drinking water, sanitation, and hand hygiene. At the same time, global warming is making it harder to ensure adequate supplies of fresh water in many places. Desalination is one solution to this problem and startup Nanoseen is working to make this process cheaper and more efficient with its nanotechnology filters. Read more

NEXT-GENERATION VIRTUAL HEALTH CLINICS

Healthcare is big business and getting bigger. Yet the basic model for the industry remains the same: a fee-for-service model that places a growing number of bureaucratic, technological, and economic barriers between patients and their physicians. But now, a group of doctors in Poland is working to create a new model of health. Read more

Curated by: Matilda Cox and Matthew Hempstead

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