Good practice:

CEZAMAT connecting R&D infrastructure with the regional and (inter)national ecosystems of innovation

The Centre for Advanced Materials and Technologies (CEZAMAT) is one of the largest investments in research and development in Poland. The CEZAMAT project is implemented by a consortium consisting of nine research centers: Warsaw University of Technology (leader of consortium), Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN), Institute of Physics of the PAN, Institute of High Pressure Physics of the PAN, Institute of Fundamental Technological Research of the PAN, Institute of Electronic Materials Technology, Institute of Electron Technology, University of Warsaw and Military University of Technology. The research and scientific units make own five highly specialized laboratories equipped with state-of-the-art apparatus available. This investment became a scientific multidisciplinary space for carrying out business-oriented research in the following platforms:
- Modelling and simulation
- Technology of structures, devices and circuits
- Diagnostics and characteristics of materials, structures, devices and circuits
- Development of new materials
- Development of fluidic microsystem
- Bioengineering
- Printed Electronic
The cooperation is carried out at various levels: from local (between the universities, students and readers, entrepreneurs) to national (between the universities and Institutes of the Polish Academy of Sciences). The CEZAMAT's activities implement the area "modern business services" of the RIS Mazovia.

The construction of the Central Laboratory and the modernization of the other laboratories amounted nearly 100 million EUR and was financed by the European Regional Development Fund. Laboratory equipment and a variety of research platforms enable nearly 200 scientists to conduct research.

Evidence of success:
• innovation ecosystem moderator as Digital Innovation HUB
• living lab of creating and testing new ideas
• 34 companies have used R&D infrastructure (R&Din)
• 150 completed research projects, using R&Din
• 42 international projects implemented, using R&D
• 29 new jobs created
• 30 new research posts created
• 55 auxiliary and technical staff employed to operate R&Din
• 91 scientific entities and 312 scientists benefited from R&Din
• 415 students used the R&Din

The technological advancement of our laboratories requires us to create needs for companies and:
• educate about the possibilities of using our infrastructure,
• creating a strategy for cooperation with business and generating revenue for the Centre during the development of research platforms

The case of CEZAMAT can be interesting for other regions because many R&D infrastructures co-funded with EU funds have a problem with scaling-up its activities, setting science and business cooperation, entering the ecosystems of innovation at different territorial levels. The CEZAMAT's feature is interdisciplinary research character. The research is carried out in such areas as:
- Internet of Things
- Cybersecurity on circuits level
- Split Manufacturing
- Terahertz technology
- miniaturization
- modern therapies and materials for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes
- bioengineering and artificial organs
- drug research and development
- energy storage and conversion
Apart from implementing projects and research, the CEZAMAT's role is also to support innovative startups. The CEZAMAT is also an innovative hub that provides professional services for business. The CEZAMAT can be a good example of a multidisciplinary unit of cooperation between multi-level different entities.