The conversation was led by Marcin Kulasek, Poland’s minister of science and higher education, and focused on how space research translates into everyday technologies and skills for a fast-changing economy, state news agency PAP reported.
Uznański-Wiśniewski, a European Space Agency (ESA) project astronaut and the first Pole to work on the ISS, said the Ignis mission carried a strong personal and national dimension.
Highlighting a Polish-led study of brain activity in orbit, he added that it was now up to researchers and companies to turn that know-how into practical tools, including for stress management.
Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski. Photo: Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education
The Karpacz Economic Forum is one of Central Europe’s major policy and business gatherings.
This year's edition was held from September 2 to 4 under the motto “Time of Transition: What Future for Europe?"
Kulasek used the meeting to signal closer ties between government, universities and industry.
He announced that a university tour by Uznański-Wiśniewski will start in early October, aimed at encouraging students to pursue engineering and space-sector careers.
Marcin Kulasek and Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski. Photo: Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education
The Karpacz event demonstrated how Poland’s growing space sector, from laboratories to startups, fits into wider industrial policy, reporters were told.
For forum attendees, the message was straightforward: building tomorrow’s economy means backing the scientists, engineers and students who are already turning space research into tools for health, security and business at home.
Ignis, Latin for “fire,” was Poland’s technological and scientific mission on Axiom Space’s private Axiom-4 (Ax-4) flight.
During roughly two weeks on orbit the Polish astronaut conducted 13 experiments, including EEG neurofeedback training to reduce stress and maintain focus in microgravity, a Human Gut Microbiota study on how spaceflight affects digestion and mood, Immune Multiomics to map how immunity changes in weightlessness, and LeopardISS, which tested onboard artificial intelligence to analyse data without an internet link, a step toward more autonomous missions.
Ax-4 launched on June 25 and docked with the International Space Station on June 26. The crew flew aboard SpaceX’s newly named Crew Dragon capsule “Grace,” and returned to Earth on July 15.
The rest of the Ax-4 crew included American commander Peggy Whitson, Indian pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, and Hungarian specialist Tibor Kapu.
(rt/gs)
Source: IAR/PAP, gov.pl