Mission of the Center

• Objectives
• Innovations

The objectives of the Research Centre of the Technical University in Koszalin are focused on:

• increasing networking with other European Research Centres,
• broadening subjects of the scientific research on: safety and quality of food, novel non-invasive and non-destructive measurements methods in agriculture and food processing, innovative control algorithms and other computer aided methods connected with agriculture and food processing and ecological energy management in rural regions.

Presently, we can observe a rapidly increasing need for an every-day practical opening of our rural economy region to the EU countries, as well as to our neighbors in Middle and East Europe. It concerns production, as well as research. The overall target of our present and future activities is dedicated to these goals.

Koszalin is located in the region of Poland, where farms and small business dominates the economy of the region. Farming, animal breeding and food production, as well as rural services are of the key importance for the local economy. Our Centre is oriented for this sector of the population.

Currently rural regions in Northwest part of Poland have great economic and social problems. Most of the farms once managed by the state, and enterprises, which have been working for rural producers, have collapsed after the end of the communist era. This has created a great unemployment. Besides, privately owned farms are usually small and their efficiency of production is low. The food processing industry also struggles with problems connected with its technological backwardness.

The social environment expects The Technical University, and the Centre, to help to overcome the difficulties. We want to extend our activities towards consulting and education for farmers and other rural small and medium enterprises (SMEs), on the field of management and economic and social services.
Besides, presently, one can observe a rapidly increasing need for an every-day practical opening of our rural economy region to the EU countries, as well as to our neighbors in Middle and East Europe. It concerns a production, as well as a research.
The overall target of our present and future activities is dedicated to these goals.

The only way of improving this situation is introducing innovative methods of management and teaching practical skills at all levels of food production. The objective of this proposal is to improve the use of existing resources and capabilities in order to meet economic and social needs of the region.

This objective will be achieved by co-participation of European organisations in the main mission of the Centre what is the development of methods and means of production, processing, storage and distribution in agriculture and in SMEs producing food. This mission is realized by bringing together research and practice, defined as the development and the support of introduction of novel methods and machinery.

It is the intention of the Centre to implement the new Quality Management Systems, particularly ISO 9000 and HACCP, for eliminating biological, chemical and physical contaminants at critical areas of a food production and distribution process in rural region.

To be more detailed the objectives are as follows.

1. Developing a food safety culture in rural companies producing meat, poultry, seafood, dairy products, cereals, fried potatoes and teaching practical skills for the improving performance at all levels of food production including refrigeration, freezing, canning and aseptic manufacturing.
2. Devising the free access data bases on the website for farmers, growers and for rural SMEs.
3. Extending links with producers and consolidation efforts to facilitate transfer of research results to farmers, growers and industrial end-users.
4. Establishing permanent links (those of a formal or an informal nature) with centres from European Union and Middle and East Europe (involved in technological and managerial expertise and other consulting activities for farms and for rural SMEs) for free information exchange.
5. Attracting young researchers and PhD students by increasing international co-operation and people exchange with other European Centres whose activities are parallel to ours.

All this measures could be possible only with the close co-operation of other scientific European Centres whose activities are corresponding to our Centre, so during these project contacts a co-operation with those organizations will be increased.

Our targets are:

• development of the pro-European activities of local SMEs business, farmers and public authorities by informing and educating on the EU and supporting twinning research projects,
• establishing a working group of multidisciplinary researchers, engineers and industrial specialists, working on behalf of regional development;
• intensification efforts to increase transfer research results to active farmers, growers and industrial end-users,
• The Centre will extend and strengthen international connections with other European Centres.

rning and education for technician and managers from our local SMEs.