Lower Silesia the world capital of innovation. KGHM organised Masters&Robots Industry Edition - report on the event

Global trends and unique solutions, digitisation for the development of industry, innovations to support an environmentally friendly approach - these and other issues occupied recognised experts at the Masters&Robots Industry Edition. The prestigious event took place in the Forum Auditorium in Polkowice.

The choice of location was not accidental. On the occasion of its 60th anniversary, KGHM invited innovation leaders to the centre of the Copper Belt. The copper giant stresses the importance of innovation for Polish industry, as well as the importance of Polish industry in creating modern technological solutions. KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. has for many years been analysing and implementing innovative solutions in its operations, both in respect of copper mining and in respect of the entire organisation. Industry 4.0 and its development is one of the company's strategic objectives.

Prestigious meeting platform for professionals

The Masters&Robots series of meetings has been running for several years and provides an opportunity for representatives of business and science to meet. The four editions of the conference to date have attracted a total of over 45 thousand participants and over 200 speakers from 4 continents. Topics covered included the future of medicine or agriculture, nanotechnologies or Smart Cities.

However, the Masters&Robots Industry Edition is a unique edition - focused on using innovation to serve industry, and marked by unprecedented scale. In total, several hundred people took part in the Polkowice meeting in both stationary and online forms.

This is the first conference of its kind in the history of the region and also a unique opportunity to promote the Copper Belt - a region where copper has been mined for six decades. The metal of the future, without which there would be no digital transformation, smartphones or renewable energy sources today.

Distinguished guests - creators of tomorrow

Invited guests included Ramez Naam, an authority on energy transformation, or Arash Aazami, an expert on energy innovation and the use of AI in energy. Also appearing was Carlo van de Weijer, managing director of the AI Systems Institute at Eindhoven University of Technology. Also giving a presentation was David Hanson, often described as a modern-day robotics genius, creator of the humanoid robot Sophia.

Other speakers at the conference included David Gram - partner at LEGO Ventures and expert in innovative lean start-up methods, or Noa Segre - world-renowned strategist in the field of implementing innovation culture in companies. The conference was also attended by the originator of the Masters&Robots series in Poland, Jowita Michalska - an expert in automation and artificial intelligence.

Prime Minister: A strong pro-innovation impulse for the entire Polish industry

The participants of the conference were welcomed by Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in a specially prepared recording. "I am glad that this unique conference gathering the most outstanding experts in the field of robotics, artificial intelligence, as well as energy transformation is taking place in Polkowice. For decades, Lower Silesia has been one of the regions in Poland where innovative industrial projects have matured. I address my words of gratitude to KGHM. The development of a unique discussion format, which is Masters&Robots Industry Edition, is a strong pro-innovation impulse for the entire Polish industry", said the Prime Minister.

He also stressed the importance of state-owned companies in building a culture of innovation in Poland:

"It is not surprising that the leaders of innovative undertakings are also state-owned companies. And KGHM is a true leader among leaders. After all, innovation is an integral part of reindustrialisation, which is a great challenge but, above all, a great opportunity for us. It is robots, artificial intelligence, automation that are effective tools for the implementation of production processes in an efficient and at the same time environmentally safe manner", said the Prime Minister.

The conference began with a short presentation by KGHM Vice President for Development Adam Bugajczuk. "We will be discussing a number of innovative solutions, those already in place in KGHM, as well as those which we are only just preparing to implement. We are constantly developing and recognise the need for change, for innovation."

Inspiring meetings - will the electric car beat the combustion car?

Ramez Naam, President for Energy and Environment at Singularity University, spoke about energy transition and investing in energy solutions. One of the important aspects of the modern industry that Naam highlighted was the growing prevalence of electric cars over traditional, internal combustion cars.

"Electric vehicles are simpler devices, less technologically complex. There are fewer labour costs with this type of vehicle and therefore potentially lower prices. Before long, the price of an electric car should be less than an internal combustion vehicle. According to the predictions of many experts, including from Tesla, this should happen as early as 2025", the expert said.

In the context of the development of electromobility, the topic of the prospects for the copper market, a raw material important in the construction of engines for electric cars, could not be overlooked. Naam pointed to the future of copper and how large copper companies can effectively take advantage of the favourable business climate.

"Demand for copper is expected to increase significantly. Due to the growth of electric vehicles, wind energy and other industries that use copper. This is a great opportunity for companies such as KGHM. What to do to make the most of it? It is important to be prepared. One way to prepare for this is to invest in our own energy sources, including renewable energy", the expert said.

New energy perspective

Arash Aazami, founder of the Unify Energy and Chairman of the Universal Right, energy expert spoke about the modern approach to the economy and energy.

"At this point in time, in 500 years, we are burning resources that have taken 500 million years to form. As humanity, we need to reduce our use of fossil fuels by as much as a million times in order to achieve sustainability. All this in order to reduce the negative impact of man on the environment. This is a huge challenge that requires us to take a completely new approach to energy and its use. I therefore agree with the slogan that the future is copper. Yes, today we have to look for energy alternatives and copper supports many of them", he analysed the contemporary situation.

"Energy is indeed the new currency in our economy. It is, in fact, natural money that we all use. Interestingly, this 'currency' is the same for all countries in the world. After all, one kilowatt hour is worth the same in Poland as in Malaysia. This accounts for the fact that the modern economy is increasingly de facto energy-based", Aazami argued.

Dialogue and transformation - nuclear energy and hydrogen

Conference participants exchanged opinions in thematic panels. Naam, Aazami, and Radosław Żydok, director of the Department of Regulatory and Strategic Analysis at KGHM Polska Miedź S.A., took part in the debate on global energy transition.

The raw materials market today is reacting to regulatory changes related to a green approach to energy. Copper will be used in renewable energy or electromobility. However, it is worth remembering that this will be a different copper to the one we have mined so far. Why? Because this copper will have a much smaller carbon footprint. At KGHM, we ourselves are making increasing use of renewable energy sources and investing in recycling. Copper is participating in the transformation of the world, but it is also being transformed itself", said the director of the Department of Regulatory and Strategic Analysis at KGHM.

Artificial intelligence and data analysis

Apart from energy issues, the experts also presented examples of the application of artificial intelligence in solving the problems of modern organisations. They considered how - in the face of current digital challenges - to build innovative organisations.

"Nowadays, acquiring information should be the main goal of an organisation. Data is not only needed to create new technological solutions, but is also the basis for innovation. The postcovid reality continues to present new challenges. In order to adapt to this dynamic situation, organisations should first of all focus on implementing modern solutions. The Masters&Robots conference provides a unique opportunity to broaden your perspective and gain valuable know-how. The topics covered include many current and important issues, from the environment and climate change to automation and artificial intelligence", commented Jowita Michalska, CEO of Digital University, organiser of the Masters&Robots conference.

Robotics - is it possible to sympathise with robots?

Conference participants were moved by Carlo van de Weijer's speech, which presented not only examples of the use of robots in industry, but also of human-robot relationships. The part of the film where a man bullies a robot was accompanied by a sigh of sympathy from the whole room. This interesting experiment left conference participants with the open question of how our future relationships with robots will be shaped.

Copper Valley Programme

The conference is part of the Copper Valley programme launched on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of KGHM. The initiative has already included a programming hackathon and is developing partnerships with start-ups. In the future, we should expect more top-level technology conferences, hackathons and initiatives supporting the development of an innovative ecosystem around KGHM. Initiatives are carried out in cooperation with one of the companies in the group, KGHM Centre for Analytics.

Conference transcript, speaker topics and more information on the website: https://kghm.mastersandrobots.tech.