Microsoft Innovation Center opening ceremony
01.06.2006. The opening ceremony of Microsoft Innovation Center in Poznan had a special setting - it was one of the key points of the first Academic Day conference in Poland. The leading subject of the conference was Web server security, and the lecturers included, among others, such world class specialists in that scope as Wade Hilmo and Chris Adams. The conference was held in a new Poznan University of Technology Centre of Lecture and Conference in Piotrowo Street.
Microsoft Innovation Center opening ceremony
During the conference (at 11:00 PM), in the presence of the representatives of MIC partners as well as of the science and business worlds, Microsoft Innovation Center was solemnly opened. Among the invited guests were: Tomasz Bochenek, General Director of Microsoft for Central and Eastern Europe; Marek Roter; General Manager of Microsoft Poland; Grzegorz Bliźniuk, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration (MSWiA); Prof. Wojciech Markiewicz, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences and Maciej Stroiński, Ph. D., Poznan Supercomputing and Networking Center. After occasional speeches the MIC opening agreement was officially signed and a commemorative plaque was unveiled.
A commemorative plaque is being unveiled
As the chief of Microsoft for Central and Eastern Europe, I am especially proud that the new Innovation Center will be established in Poland. Because of the research and development achievements of our partners - Poznań Supercomputing and Networking Center and Poznań University of Technology - I am convinced that Microsoft Innovation Center in Poznań will be an effective and long-term investment - said Tomasz Bochenek. It has already been a tradition of Poznań that the most innovative ideas grow here and are later deployed in other cities. That is why - after long-term and objective analyses - the decision has been made to establish the first Polish Microsoft Innovation Center exactly in the capital city of the Greater Poland region.
Press conference after the opening ceremony
The Director of PSNC, Prof. Jan Węglarz, emphasizes: Microsoft Innovation Center that is being opened in Poznan is an example of close cooperation of science and business. It will exploit scientific and teaching achievements of Poznan University of Technology and R&D attainments of Poznan Supercomputing and Networking Center. This is a big chance for Poznan and Greater Poland.
Microsoft Corporation will destine 100.000 USD for the initial stage of MIC activity (until the end of 2006; MIC is expected to reach its full functionality by 2007). Transfer of information technologies will be an additional value. The center will employ about 20 persons associated with Poznan Supercomputing and Networking Center and Poznan University of Technology. The Innovation Center in Poznan and a similar institute in Belgrad will be the only entities of this kind in Central and Western Europe.
