Samsung Incubator: Helping Digitize Poland by Supporting Start-ups

Samsung Incubator has emerged as the newest addition to the start-up landscape in Poland. The project, which was launched by Samsung in April 2017, in cooperation with the Rzeszow University of Technology and the Aviation Valley, supports young innovative IoT companies, and is one of the many ways that Samsung is helping digitize Poland.

Hadrian Baumann, President of Samsung Electronics Poland is opening Samsung Incubator

“Samsung Incubator was created in the eastern region of the country, beyond the business centre of Poland, to help stimulate growth in the area, making it the first such project in the region,” said Hadrian Baumann, President of Samsung Electronics Poland. “Creating an incubator for startups is another avenue for Samsung to increase its commitment to the digitization of Poland.”

The Incubator in Action

In addition to Samsung Incubator’s overall aim of building digital capabilities and facilitating the development of technological projects in Poland, a key part of the startup program is the constant support of Samsung experts.  Experienced managers help young companies develop business models and verify market demand for technological solutions, and engineers at Samsung R&D Institute share their knowledge about global product development.

Individuals or teams can apply to the Samsung Incubator if they have already developed a business concept or a prototype of their product. During the three-month acceleration program, Samsung provides space for creative work and advanced equipment as well as mentor support and expert consultation at every stage of the process. As part of the Incubator, participants can also benefit from intensive training and assistance in finding business, technology, and funding partners.

Samsung’s Larger Efforts in Poland

Samsung has long been committed to Poland at the business level where it operates one of the largest research and development centers in Warsaw as well as a modern home appliances factory in Wronki. As part of the company’s citizenship efforts in the country, the company has, in addition to Samsung Incubator, also been involved in the digitization of Polish society for years.

For instance, since 2013, the company has supported programming classes for children in Polish schools and kindergartens. With the Coding Masters initiative, Samsung has already collaborated with 1,700 institutions, nearly 4,000 teachers, and 100,000 pupils from all over Poland. The company also operates Samsung LABO, an educational program for technical schools designed to help older students take the first steps in their new career path. In addition, Samsung is involved in the international start-up center – The Heart Warsaw – which aims to develop and stimulate start-up cooperation with corporations.

Samsung’s efforts in Poland are in line with the Polish government’s efforts in the country. “It is Poland’s ambition to become a European hub of new technologies in a few years. We have fantastic technical college graduates in Poland, we have a governmental development strategy oriented to high technology, and we have Polish start-ups, which are increasingly venturing to conquer foreign markets,” said Polish Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Economic Development and Finance Mateusz Morawiecki. “That’s why cooperation between large companies and small ventures created by young, ambitious people is so important and it is important that such significant market players like Samsung notice that.”

As part of its efforts to help digitize Poland through initiatives like the Samsung Incubator and other projects, Samsung will remain committed to supporting young innovative companies by sharing its experiences, as well as helping Polish innovators create excellent products and solutions with global potential.