Next edition: 8-11.06.2010

No innovation without research

Close to 17,000 people got acquainted with the offers of exhibitors during the ITM Poland fair, which took place in Poznań during 16-19 June 2009. Almost 1000 companies from several countries presented many novel products and innovative technological solutions for pneumatics, hydraulics, metallurgy, foundry, metal machining technologies, surface treatment, welding, transport, and occupational health and safety. An integral part of ITM Poland was the interdisciplinary Research for Industry exhibition, which aimed to promote research and the transfer of its findings to industry.

ITM Poland is the largest fair in Central-Eastern Europe dedicated to the latest industrial technologies. The equipment presented belong to the most modern in their class. Fair visitors had many opportunities to see prototypes of machines and devices not yet produced anywhere in the world. These innovations would not have been possible without scientific research. The Research for Industry exhibition was a platform for bringing research together with industry.

The booths of the close to 80 Research for Industry exhibitors from Poland, Belarus, Lithuania, Germany, Ukraine, the USA and Great Britain were located in direct  vicinity to companies whose offers best suited their research subject matter. In each of the seven exhibitions held during ITM Poland: Work Safety in Industry, HAPE Exhibition of Hydraulics, Pneumatics and Drives, MACH-TOOL Machine Tool Exhibition, METALFORUM Exhibition of Metallurgy, Foundry Engineering and Metal Industry, SURFEX Exhibition of Surface Treatment Technologies, WELDING and TRANSPORTA, one could familiarize themselves with the achievements and research potential of research-development units, universities and the offers of companies and institutions that promote technology transfer. The participation of Polish research units in the fair was sponsored by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.

Technological innovations at arm's length

Research units that participated at this year's fair displayed over 60 novel solutions and innovative products that can find application in various industry sectors, in addition to everyday life. These progressive technological concepts and devices - novel on a European and some a world scale - drew great interest from the business people visiting the fair.

Among the new products presented by Research for Industry exhibitors were European and global machine control system innovations, introduced in the form of prototypes in intelligent machining, a super fast dual-punch head for riveting machines, which no one in Europe has produced to date, or a special K30 type CCD camera, which is the most sensitive device of this type available on the market. There was also no lack of technical curiosities, such as: a flying robot resembling a helicopter, which took off and landed on its own and followed a given course on the basis of an onboard GPS navigation system; IMMVein terminal that identifies people on the basis of an analysis of the unique vein patterns each person has in their palms using infrared,  which can serve as a technique for authenticating people's identities; an „intelligent pen" that can examine and train the movement memory of children using it, which can have significance in diagnosing and treating dyslexia, dystrophy and dysorthography; systems that control computers with the aid of eye or lip movements (called LIPTHINK).

Innovation worth rewarding

Research for Industry exhibitors were the laureates of 26 Poznań International Fair Gold Medals, including the ITM Poland Gold Medal in the category of „Transfer of Research Results to Industry Practise" - awarded for only the 3rd time in the fair's history. This prestigious distinction is awarded to scientific-research and research-development units for new and innovative products or technologies developed as a result of the effective transfer of scientific research results to industry practises. The competition jury included the largest research authorities from trades represented at ITM Poland. 

Matching research with business

How to outdo the competition? By implementing innovative technological solutions! Over the four days of the ITM Poland, the INNOVATION FOR BUSINESS Centre for Consultancy functioned as a catalyst for those offering technologies and business managers requiring innovation. Business people could register their need for new technologies before the fair using an online form or during the fair directly at the centre's booth. Experts from the Poznań Science and Technology Park - Adam Mickiewicz University Foundation managing the centre then found partner research units among those present at the fair that could propose possible solutions.

29 research institutions and 33 companies participated in the project, raising several topics. During the fair the INNOVATION FOR BUSINESS Centre for Consultancy arranged 60 meetings between business people and researchers. Advice was also given about sources of financing for investment and innovation, intellectual property protection, running a business and academic entrepreneurship.

Forum for exchanging experiences

An unquestionable attraction for ITM Poland visitors was the exceptionally rich program of events prepared by the Poznań International Fair in cooperation with trade partners. The fair schedule contained many specialist conferences, seminars, workshops, shows and business meetings. Several of these conferences were organized by Research for Industry exhibitors.

We invite you to search for innovations during the next edition of Research for Industry, which will take place during 8-11 June 2010.