At the solemn start of the 2019/2020 academic year, the Silesian University of Technology and EXATEL concluded a cooperation agreement. It provides for implementing joint R&D projects in the field of cybersecurity and telecommunications. The signed agreement will also affect the students, who will receive access to internships and apprenticeships opportunities.
The Silesian University of Technology and EXATEL officially began their joint venture on October 2, 2019 by means of an agreement covering cooperation and implementing joint R&D projects. The document was concluded during the start of the academic year by Prof. dr hab. Inż. Arkadiusz Mężyk – Rector at the Silesian University of Technology, and Rafał Magryś – Vice-President of the Board at EXATEL.
`’Technologies in the field of the industry of the future and smart cities, as well as the development of the Internet of Things cause problems related to the large volume of data, their processing and protection. The Silesian University of Technology undertakes numerous activities in this respect. The university also offers courses in this domain. A cybersecurity specialist is one of 10 most sought-after professions in Poland in 2019, and cybersecurity assurance experts in organizations and enterprises are listed in second place. Cooperation with companies operating in these areas positively impacts conducting research and implementing socially useful projects – said Pro. Arkadiusz Mężyk, Rector of the Silesian University of Technology.”
Joint R&D projects
The main objective of the Silesian University of Technology and EXATEL partnership is to develop original technologies in the field of telecommunications and cybersecurity. Both institutions have vast experience in this regard and – equally important – appropriate human talent.
“W EXATEL od dawna stawiamy na innowacje. Obecnie prowadzimy dwa duże projekty we współpracy ze światem nauki i biznesem. Mówię tutaj o TAMA – polskim antyDDoS klasy operatorskiej oraz SDNbox – programowalnym urządzeniu sieciowym. I wiemy, jak ważny jest odpowiedni partner. Taki, który posiada odpowiednie zaplecze merytoryczne, narzędzia badawcze oraz otwarte głowy – w tym wypadku studentów. My z kolei – jako międzynarodowy operator oraz ekspert w zakresie cyberbezpieczeństwa – dajemy praktyczną wiedzę oraz biznesowe podejście do realizacji projektów B+R. Takie, którego celem jest komercjalizacja przygotowanego rozwiązania” – mówi Rafał Magryś, wiceprezes zarządu EXATEL.
The research and development will not only focus on the academic personnel. Both parties placed particular emphasis on student development. It is them who are supposed to be an important element in joint undertakings, for example, on the occasion of their diploma dissertations.
Educating future experts
The concluded agreement governs cooperation in terms of practical training of future cybersecurity and ICT experts. Students and junior researchers will gain internship and apprenticeship opportunities. As a result, when entering the labour market, they will already have a wealth of experience.
“Today, the significance of telecommunications and cybersecurity for the functioning of the entire society is enormous. Our experts work for the benefit of the commercial sector, for state institutions and for critical infrastructure. We know very well how important appropriately educated employees are. That is why we strive to achieve a situation in which the largest and best universities offer course in this fields. Cooperation with Silesian University of Technology is the best example for this.” – added Rafał Magryś.
The outcome matters
It is not enough to merely sign an agreement and create a good all-round image. This is just the first step to making real new inventions and advancing existing technologies. We are already discussing a joint research and development project in the field of cybersecurity. More details will be coming soon.
