Science and Technology Park ‘‘Technopark Gliwice’’ Ltd Company - Technopolis: Best Practices for Science and Technology Cities - page 482

of 3,000 diplomas and ca. 200 Ph.D dissertations. It is assumed that some of those
dissertations will be commercialized by means of the Technopark by placing
relevant information on those dissertations in technology bases available in the
Technopark and on ''High-Tech'' specialists.
The additional social effect of the project is supporting mainly small and
medium-sized businesses in establishing collaboration with numerous institutions
of the sort in UE. Within the co-operation with numerous institutions of the sort in
Europe, the Technopark is able to search for co-operation with foreign the ''High-
Tech'' companies. Such companies will be able to establish their agencies in the
Technopark and co-operate with the Silesian ones. The Technopark is able to help
the small and medium-sized companies in access to the UE financial assistance by
developing CRAFT and other projects.
The location of the Technopark in Gliwice is justified by the fact that in the
town there is an Advanced Technology Center, which concentrates over 20
research and development institutions in the region (7 universities, 5 scientific
institutes, and a couple of research and development institutes) co-ordinated by the
Silesian Technical University. It is obvious that every Advanced Technology
Centre should have access to a science and Technology Park, where the advanced
technologies may by commercialized. The location of the Technopark in Gliwice
is substantiated by favorable geographical location and a dynamic expansion of
transport infrastructure (A4 Highway).
The Technopark will also be an important component of very large industrial
park in the Silesian region, i.e., the Katowice Special Economy Zone (KSSE S.A.
which is the Technopark shareholder).
There is expectation of remarkable ''suction'' of innovative technologies from
big companies in the Zone, directed to small innovative business acting as co-
operants or suppliers. Such innovative business may be present in the Technopark
in response to such needs.
The Gliwice Technopark will also be an important component of the active
technology commercialization in the Silesian region. Such a net has become a
subject of the whole Silesian region, and it has to be built under the supervision of
the Gliwice borough. Involved in the creation of the net will be representatives of
the biggest innovation centers in Europe, i.e., from Aachen (Germany), Leuwen
(Belgium), and WDA (Wales).
The completion of the Technopark conception has an important impact on the
role and importance of that institution in the Silesian region. It is indicated that a
possibility of effective technology transfer from a university to small and medium-
sized enterprises and effective incubation, particularly in the scope of innovative
technologies. This will also contribute to more intense collaboration with similar
institutions in Western Europe, when the conception of science and Technology
Park has been approved in practice.
Figure 2 shows the location of Technopark Gliwice in the Silesian region
market.