The university's activities for Sustainable Development and Goal 9 presented in the reports for 2021-2022 and 2020-2021 "Lodz University of Technology on the path of sustainable development".
Construction of the 5G research network on the campus of Lodz University of Technology began in November 2019, followed by its launch a year later.
The network construction project is carried out by Digital Innovation Hub (Digital Innovation Hub 5G)- DIH5G uniting:
- Institute of Communications - National Research Institute (leader);
- Lodz University of Technology;
- Ericsson;
- FundingBox.
DIH5G is an ecosystem connecting suppliers and customers of technology in the 5G area, providing intermediation
between customer companies and technology providers and R&D centres. Ericsson has installed base stations and
a 5G core on the campus of Lodz University of Technology. The network operator is the university.
This modern infrastructure gives the opportunity to conduct research to a large group of researchers, and soon
TUL students will also be able to use the pilot infrastructure as part of their classes, e.g. selectable blocks.
In the near future, DIH5G will provide micro entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized entrepreneurs with access to specialized infrastructure enabling testing and validation of solutions using 5G technology.
The 5G network project on the PŁ campus was financed by the Ministry of Development.
Scientists from the Faculty of Technical Physics, Information Technology and Applied Mathematics, in cooperation with Inelo, construct an intelligent system that verifies the driver's work. When analysing the indications of sensors connected to the vehicle in real time, the driver's work is checked and suggestions are generated for improving driving style. In addition, the system analyses the remaining areas of drivers on an ongoing basis, suggesting such a sequence of interruptions, which, taking into account the projected traffic volume on the roads, will result in reducing the travel time, which consequently reduces the carbon footprint.
Lodz University of Technology, as a leader of a project composed jointly with Jan Dlugosz University in Czestochowa, received the funding of PLN 1 899,100 (including 1 179,100 for the Polish Academy of Sciences) to directly support research works applicable in industry. The project was ranked on the second place of the ranking list, just behind the University of Warsaw, among 37 rated ideas.
The institutes and departments of Lodz University of Technology have been appointed representatives of unit managers for commercialization of innovation.
The Plenipotentiaries support the Technology Transfer Section of TUL in recognizing innovative scientific research with high commercialization potential. The network of such internal contacts in the university enables faster and more effective promotion of research among entrepreneurs and industrial partners.
The Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship of Lodz University of Technology supports the activities undertaken by the university in the field of transfer and commercialization of new technologies.
The Centre offers training and advisory services aimed mainly at graduates and young academics who want to pursue their
business ideas and start their own businesses. The unit also offers individual consultations with experts who will help choose an effective technology commercialization strategy and find a business partner.
The Centre operates the Technology Transfer Section, which carries out comprehensive activities aimed at promoting
TUL as a scientific centre that offers innovative technologies with global standards.
The Technology Transfer Section also participates in creating effective links between the university's scientific community and industry. It is very involved in the promotion and popularization of the idea of academic entrepreneurship by taking important initiatives aimed at both encouraging Polish technical thought to the economy and raising entrepreneurs' awareness of opportunities for commercial use of knowledge and innovative.
TUL is one of the 81 members of the Joint Venture of Technology Transfer Centers (PACTT), which is a nationwide association of university units dealing with the management and commercialization of intellectual property. The purpose of establishing the agreement is the cooperation of similar entities in the field of broadly understood commercialization of research results and the exchange of good practices. One of PACTT's initiatives was the National Fair of Innovation of Polish Universities and Research Institutes (PACTT Science Business Innovation EXPO 2022), which took place on May 18-19, 2022. The event was addressed to Polish entrepreneurs, universities, research institutes and investment funds and gave a unique opportunity to get acquainted with the university's offer in one place: know-how, technologies, services from all industry branches. Thanks to the investment funds, the participants of this event could get acquainted with the offer of financing the implementation of technologies in the industry. The aim of the project was to present technologies and services to entrepreneurs and encourage them to purchase or use licenses that have a significant impact on the company's value, strengthening its competitiveness and innovation. This is the first initiative of this type in Poland, combining an invention convention and a forum for the exchange of knowledge and experience, which is dedicated to Polish entrepreneurs. The author of the idea of the organization of this event was the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship of TUL.
The Faculty of Process and Environmental Engineering of Lodz University of Technology is a partner in the implementation project, the aim of which is an innovative technology of freeze-drying of strawberries. Freeze-dried fruit is very popular among customers, because it retains nutrients and vitamins contained in fresh fruit and can be eaten all year round. Lyophilization is used on an industrial scale. Currently, batch machines are used in this process. According to the contractors of the project, the periodicity is burdensome and the operating costs are significant. In the new solution, the freeze-drying process of strawberries will be carried out continuously. Heat will be supplied to the frozen strawberries in a hybrid way, which will shorten the freeze-drying time and, as a result, reduce the energy consumption of the process. Drying will be controlled with the use of intelligent algorithms enabling on-line optimization of product quality parameters and minimization of energy consumption. A prototype freeze-dryer for continuous operation will be constructed and tested. After reaching full technological efficiency, the installation will be used commercially. The results of the project will be implemented by the leader of the consortium - a fruit processing plant, the company Grupa Produktów KLASA Sp. z o. o.
A large part of population is already aware of the importance of a healthy diet in our lives. However, we still have problems with the right choice of food and good quality products, containing the so-called. "good fats". Scientists from the Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Sciences of the Lodz University of Technology have successfully taken up the challenge of implementing zero trans fats in the production of many types of food. New technologies and patents have been developed that enable, among others, producing healthy sweet snacks. As a result of the implementation of 4 investment projects, co-financed from national and European funds, the Institute of Food Technology and Analysis was equipped with modern analytical and technological equipment, thanks to which it was able to take up the challenge of conducting research enabling the replacement of trans fats with trans fats in various products. As a result, producers received know-how and they could start production of healthier products, free of trans fats. The research concerned the technology of obtaining food with a reduced content of trans fatty acids or completely devoid of them. In particular, these were dessert and snack products. Consumption of this type of food is constantly increasing, which is why it is so important to offer consumers the most healthy alternative possible. Thanks to the use of technologies developed at the Institute by food producers, "zero trans" snacks containing healthier fat have appeared on the market. The beneficiaries of the research are also consumers who will be able to reach for such products. Technologies developed at Lodz University of Technology have been successfully implemented in WIEPOL and DELTA companies.
Scientists from the TUL Faculty of Electrical, Electronic, Computer and Control Engineering in cooperation with the Electric Equipment Plant "WOLTAN" from Łódź, have developed an innovative circuit breaker, which is intended mainly for use in DC traction systems in Poland and on foreign markets, and in the future in other types of electric urban and mining traction and industrial systems. The switch was awarded in the 24th edition of the Polish Product of the Future competition. The jury of the competition appreciated the innovative aspect of the invention, awarding it a distinction in the category Common product of the future of higher education and science institutions and entrepreneurs. The innovation of the circuit breaker is, among others, its modular design that allows for installation in various places of the vehicle, and a number of special functions, such as recording of measurements of operating parameters, computer control of the circuit breaker status, data archiving and viewing the history of events over a period of 3 years. The following Polish companies are already interested in the circuit breaker: NEWAG S.A., PKP CARGO S.A. and PESA Bydgoszcz S.A.
The activity of the university in the field of knowledge transfer and commercialization of innovative technologies is carried out by the TUL Center of Innovation and Entrepreneurship , which has a Quality Management System certificate according to ISO 9001:2015 (as the only university unit in Poland with ISO in the field of knowledge transfer and commercialization of innovative technologies) and the status of an Accredited Innovation Center granted by the Minister of Economic Development and Technology. CIP offers training and consulting services addressed mainly to graduates and young scientists who want to implement their business ideas and set up their own companies. The Center also offers individual consultations with experts who help choose an effective technology commercialization strategy and find a business partner.
CIP Technology Transfer Section (STT) conducts comprehensive activities aimed at promoting TUL as a research center that offers innovative technologies of world standards. STT also helps nurture collaboaration between the scientific community of the university and industry. In 2021, TUL obtained 98 patents in the Patent Office of the Republic of Poland and 5 patents in foreign patent offices. In 2021, data on 40 of the latest inventions were submitted to the special purpose vehicle TULVENTURE Sp. z o. o. in order to search for potential buyers, licensees or investors for them. In 2021, there were 8 spin-off companies established to commercialize TUL's research results.
A state-of-the-art Laboratory of Intelligent Building Management Systems has been opened at the Institute of Mechatronics and Information Systems. In one space, a number of the latest cutting-edge ICT solutions from leading companies Bosch, Schneider, SmartSys and Less have been installed. The laboratory creates unique conditions for conducting research, staff development and education in areas of priority for the economy and the development of science, including areas related to monitoring the vital functions of people. The laboratory, thanks to the well-thought-out configuration of its systems, will also be a significant support for the work carried out at TUL on the development of integrated mechatronic systems for building intelligent indoor space. Knowledge discovery from multiple databases in the systems installed in the laboratory is a key competence of the future and a source of innovative solutions in the management of intelligent buildings.