CBI Pro-Akademia

Pioneering project manager, sustainable energy research executive and innovation leader, Dr. Ewa Kochanska was named RIC Pro-Akademia’s first president in April 1996.

Dr. Kochanska was born in Lodz, Poland. She received graduate degree in economics from Lodz University. She earned a Ph.D. in economic cybernetics from Lodz University and performed postdoctoral work at University of Edinburgh (UK) and University of Bielefeld (Germany). She then held positions at Foundation of Promotion for Entrepreneurship and Polish Association of Consultants. 

Over 100 research and innovation projects led by Dr. Kochanska were finalised with several patent applications, monographs published by Polish Academy of Sciences as well as articles published in renowned peer-reviewed international journals. In 2012 ‘Bioenergy for the Region’ Cluster coordinated by Dr. Kochanska was selected by Polish Agency for Enterprise Development as a cluster of supra-regional importance for Polish economy.

Dr. Kochanska and her colleagues pioneer innovation projects in sustainable energy and circular economy research in Poland. Her contributions have been recognized by numerous prizes and honors, including her election as a member of Horizon 2020 Advisory Board for Societal Challenge 5: Climate Action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials (European Commission) and Civil Society Forum for Eastern Partnership (European Commission). In 2011, Dr. Kochanska was recruited to Trimen Chemicals Ltd., a leading chemical R&D company in Central Poland, where she became a member of supervisory board.

Dr. Kochanska has also been an active and visible leader in growing the Central Poland sustainable energy community, partnering with other local research institutions and enterprises (for instance, to help establish the RES Technology Transfer Centre, which serves over 80 institutions), and working with regional government and the private sector to stimulate development of the region’s still nascent sustainable energy sector.

At a national and international level, Dr. Kochanska has been an active spokesperson for societal support of science, through editorials, advocacy and congressional testimony. Since 2011, Dr. Kochanska is editor-in-chief of Acta Innovations, a peer-reviewed journal promoting interdisciplinary in research and innovation activities.

Dr. Kochanska serves on several scientific advisory, non-profit, and corporate boards, including the Lodz Regional Academic Council, responsible for updating the regional development strategy in terms of research and innovation priorities. Dr. Kochanska also assists European Commission (Horizon 2020, Research Fund for Coal and Steel), Polish National Centre for Research and Development as well as German Federal Aerospace Agency (DLR) in evaluation of national and international projects involving research and innovation actions.