POLITECHNIKA SLASKA

Their core work

The Silesian University of Technology in Gliwice is a major Polish technical university with deep strength in organic electronics — OLEDs, organic solar cells, and charge transfer materials — combined with growing industrial engineering capabilities in welding, power transformers, and electronics reliability. They bridge fundamental materials science with applied engineering, contributing expertise in areas from organic semiconductors to digital manufacturing and energy-efficient building materials. Their work spans from molecular-level photophysics research to full-scale industrial applications in automotive safety and food chain energy optimization.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early period (2015–2018), Politechnika Slaska was firmly rooted in fundamental organic electronics research — TADF emitters, exciplex materials, OLEDs, and organic semiconductors dominated their portfolio alongside researcher mobility initiatives. From 2019 onward, the focus diversified sharply into applied industrial engineering: digital welding, power transformer design, automotive electronics reliability, energy-efficient buildings, and food chain emissions. The ExCEED ERA Chair (2020–2026) signals they are institutionalizing organic electronics as a permanent center of excellence while simultaneously branching into practical manufacturing and energy applications.

Moving from a pure organic electronics research lab toward a broader applied engineering university that combines materials science with digital manufacturing, energy systems, and sustainability — making them increasingly relevant for industry-facing consortia.

How they like to work

Politechnika Slaska operates primarily as a participant (13 of 18 projects) but has demonstrated real coordinator capability, leading 5 projects including the large ExCEED ERA Chair at EUR 2.5M. With 186 unique consortium partners across 38 countries, they maintain a wide network rather than relying on repeat partners. Their strong presence in MSCA-RISE (6 projects) reflects a university that values international researcher exchange and builds relationships through people mobility, making them an accessible and well-connected partner.

Extensive European network spanning 186 unique partners across 38 countries, reflecting both their MSCA mobility focus and participation in large industrial consortia. Their reach extends beyond Europe through projects like CHEERS (Chinese-European collaboration).

What sets them apart

Politechnika Slaska is one of very few institutions in Central-Eastern Europe building an internationally recognized center of excellence in organic electronics, backed by an ERA Chair grant — the largest single investment in their H2020 portfolio. Their combination of deep materials science expertise with practical industrial engineering (welding, transformers, construction materials) is unusual for a university, making them a strong bridge between lab-scale research and manufacturing-ready solutions. For consortium builders, they offer competitive Polish cost rates with genuine technical depth, not just capacity filling.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ExCEED
  Largest project by far (EUR 2.5M) — an ERA Chair grant establishing a permanent Centre of Excellence in Organic Electronics, signaling long-term institutional commitment to this field.
• WrightBroS
  Coordinator of a EUR 910K project combining flight simulators with augmented reality and smart diagnostics — an unusual intersection of aerospace and digital manufacturing.
• ZERO BRINE
  Part of a major circular economy initiative for industrial brine treatment and mineral recovery, demonstrating their environmental engineering capabilities beyond their electronics core.