From Innovation to Impact: Highlights from the EU-13 Roadshow in Gdańsk

The 2026 edition of the EU-13 Roadshow kicked off in Gdańsk, where the European IP Helpdesk was hosted by the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Ship Technology at Gdańsk University of Technology. The event brought together researchers, university leadership, innovation professionals and support staff to explore how intellectual property (IP) and knowledge valorisation strategies can strengthen the commercialisation of research results.

The day opened with a training session dedicated to IP management in collaborative research projects, followed by an overview of the European innovation support landscape. These sessions set the scene for a broader discussion on how institutions can structure internal processes to better support researchers in protecting and valorising their results.

A central highlight of the programme was the discussion panel featuring representatives from the university’s Team of Legal Advisers, the Horizontal Contact Point for Horizon Europe, the Centre for Strategic Projects, and the Team of Patent Attorneys. The discussion illustrated how coordinated support structures — from research and project offices to legal and patent expertise — play a decisive role in enabling effective intellectual asset management and commercialisation.

The strong institutional commitment was evident throughout the visit. University leadership and faculty representatives actively engaged in discussions both during the event and at a working dinner held the evening before. The involvement and support of Prof. Mariusz Deja, Dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Ship Technology, Prof. Dariusz Mikielewicz, Vice-Rector for Research, and Ph.D. Eng. Marek Chodnicki, Vice-Dean for Cooperation, together with the university’s research, project, legal and patent teams, reflected a well-structured and management-backed approach to innovation and commercialisation.

The event concluded with a networking session that encouraged open dialogue and exchange between participants from academia and innovation support structures. Discussions highlighted both the achievements and the remaining challenges in further enhancing knowledge transfer and IP awareness.

With this first stop of the year in Gdańsk, the EU-13 Roadshow once again reaffirmed its mission: to support institutions in building robust IP frameworks, foster collaboration across innovation actors, and contribute to a stronger and more connected innovation ecosystem in Widening countries.