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44 percent of businesses in Poland suffered financial losses due to cyberattacks in 2017. Cyber threats are a growing concern. One of the challenges is to ensure the security of IoT devices. As we're speaking, 70 percent of these devices have gaps enabling hackers to take control of them. Efforts have been undertaken to prevent this. The EU is working on regulations to make it mandatory to certify devices for their cyber-vulnerability.

The Polish space habitat is the first such centre in Europe and a big step forward to sending another Pole in space. As many as five missions have been completed in the Lunares base. All these missions took place in conditions which will also apply to future bases on the Moon or Mars. In addition, scientific experiments are being made and innovative Polish technologies are being tested. This, coupled with a good infrastructure and well-trained staff, can become the beginning of the Polish space programme. In 2030 Poland might join the planned missions to Mars.

Both the European Union and national governments have recognised the necessity of increasing energy efficiency, which has an impact on the development of economies. This requires close cooperation between the business sector and companies which excel at implementing new technologies in order to achieve ambitious environmental goals. The business sector plays one of the major roles in sustainable development measures, emphasised the Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All.

Programming education has become a permanent feature of education. In over 300 Polish schools children learn how to programme using Photon robots. These devices develop together with children, and are intended even for pre-school children. More and more initiatives of this kind are appearing on the market. Manufacturers provide devices which children can assemble and programme themselves using applications, usually based on the Scratch programming language.

Human biological rhythm depends on the light, including serotonin secretion, which conditions the quality of sleep and activity during the day. Thanks to a cocktail of light developed by Polish scientists, which consists of various wavelengths, it is possible to create conditions in space similar to those on Earth. A prototype already exists, and can be implemented after the tests. It will also find its use in greenhouses, hydroponic systems, bioreactors and even in depression treatment.

Automation might have a good effect on the level of wages and salaries in the Polish economy. It may also solve the problem of labour shortages which impede the development of businesses. An industrial robot costs from several hundred thousand to million zlotys, but it is an investment with a short payback time – it pays back as quickly as within a year or two, thus increasing efficiency and giving the business a competitive edge. This, in turn, results in lower costs and extra revenues. In Poland, industrial robots are used primarily in the automotive, chemical and steel industries.

Economic cooperation between Poland and the United States is flourishing. 2017 was a record-breaking year in terms of trade, which reached 12.7 bn dollars. The value of American investments in Poland is estimated at nearly 42 bn dollars. Foreign investments are growing in terms of numbers and seeing improvements in quality. They are increasingly often based on latest technologies which find their first use in Poland. Polish companies, too, are becoming bolder and bolder overseas. More than 70 Polish companies and businesses with Polish capital operate in the United States, with a total investment value of more than 2 bn dollars.

Among other things, obsolete traffic regulations are a barrier to the development of the electric vehicles market in Poland. An amended act on the Road Traffic Law , which defines personal transportation vehicles, is waiting for becoming subject of the legislative process. At present, Segway vehicles are supplied mainly to companies. They prove incredibly useful as a means of transport for persons working in production halls, shopping malls and airports, but can also considerably assist people with disabilities in their daily activities.

The sources of financing start-ups have changed considerably over the last few years. The accessibility of EU funding via national institutions is growing. Venture capital funds are also gaining in importance. A relatively new form of financial support is equity crowdfunding. This year, limits for obtaining funds under this model have been increased to as much as EUR 1 m. Poland and eastern-European markets are becoming more attractive for investors.

The National Broadcasting Council is still interested in going digital with the radio. Currently, it is working on a strategy to expand its services and launch new radio stations, with special focus on local commercial ones. The available frequencies for local, urban multiplexes in 34 towns and cities are to be announced in the second half of 2018.

Energy poverty, which affects up to 4.6 m people in Poland, the problem of smog in towns and cities, cyber-security of power plants and the digitisation of the power industry as a whole – these are only some of the challenges that can be addressed through energy sector innovation. Start-ups provide completely new solutions and perceive business in an entirely different way compared to traditional, conservative energy businesses.

A well-developed business culture, rapid technological sector development and highly-educated IT personnel – these are the factors that made Warsaw the desired choice for locating the new technological centre for Hargreaves Lansdown. The British investment market leader opens its first technological centre outside Britain. It will host the development of new software for modern customer service and will facilitate financial operations for investors all over the world.

Digitalisation has become a necessity and a priority for business, regardless of the size of the organisation and the industry. It is a condition for keeping up with the market, making it possible to create new business models and to provide an improved real-time response to customer needs. Digitalisation also impacts consumers themselves, whose awareness and expectations are rising. It exerts the strongest impact on the sectors which are closest to customers: services, retail trade and marketing. Every third business in Poland has already defined its digital strategy.

Polish doctors have been the first in Central and Eastern Europe, and the fourth worldwide, to successfully implant next-generation hearing aids. The aids work on the basis of bone conduction to provide patients with natural and clear hearing experience. This gives hope to patients with hearing disorders in whom other treatments have failed, ENT doctors say.

The Silesian Aviation Cluster, as one of the first in Poland, has been awarded the Gold Label by the European Secretariat for Cluster Analysis, the highest ESCA distinction for management quality. This has ranked it among the best cluster in Europe. Experts have also recognised the SAC for its innovative activities. Last week the President of the Cluster Krzysztof Krystowski received a special award during the “Business inspirers: Innovations” gala.