Astrocent

18/06/2026

Astrocent at the 19th PACTT Conference!

On 23–24 April 2026, our Expert in Commercialization and Intellectual Property Management, Adam Kaźmierczak, was representing Astrocent at the 19th National PACTT Conference, an event bringing together representatives of universities, technology transfer centres, public institutions and industry.

This year’s conference focused on key topics such as commercialization of research results, intellectual property protection, and the development of the innovation ecosystem in Poland and Europe. It was an inspiring and valuable meeting, offering a great opportunity to exchange experiences and connect with others.

PACTT - the Polish Association of Centers for Technology Transfer - is the country’s largest network supporting research commercialization and collaboration between science and business. Becoming part of the PACTT community is an important step for Astrocent in building stronger links between science and industry, advancing research commercialization, and creating new opportunities for technology transfer and innovation partnerships.

17/06/2026

Great news from Astrocent and Centrum Astronomiczne im. M. Kopernika PAN!

Dr. Miroslav Macko has been awarded a SONATA‑21 grant from the National Science Centre (Narodowe Centrum Nauki) for his project "STAR: Scalable Tracking for Advanced Rare‑event detection", which will develop cutting‑edge detector technology for the search for neutrinoless double beta decay - one of the most important open questions in particle physics.

The project will explore a powerful combination of dual‑phase liquid‑argon TPCs and Timepix4 readout to push the limits of rare‑event detection. Dr. Macko brings over a decade of experience in 0νββ research, detector instrumentation, and including work with pixellated detectors at the Czech Technical University in Prague and within the SuperNEMO collaboration.

Warm congratulations to Dr. Macko!

More info: https://archive.astrocent.edu.pl/?p=8874

17 June 2026 Dr. Miroslav Macko awarded a SONATA‑21 grant from the National Science Centre We are pleased to announce that our postdoctoral researcher, Dr. Miroslav Macko from Astrocent and the Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center of the Polish Academy of Sciences (CAMK PAN) has been awarded a ...

12/06/2026

What an exciting event it was! Our researchers Dr. Rita Antonietti and Dr. Azam Zabihi represented Astrocent as part of the Centrum Astronomiczne im. M. Kopernika PAN (NCAC PAS) team at the “Magiczny Płońsk” Astronomical Picnic on 30 May.

The event, hosted by the Planetarium and Astronomical Observatory in Płońsk, brought together local residents and visitors for a full day of astronomy, science, and hands‑on exploration.

At the CAMK stand, guests observed sunspots through a telescope, explored basic spectroscopy, travelled through space in VR, and learned about gravitational waves. Children also enjoyed creative workshops prepared for the youngest space enthusiasts.

Throughout the day, Rita and Azam engaged with visitors of all ages -answering questions, sharing their passion for astrophysics, and helping spark curiosity about the Universe.

We are proud that Astrocent could contribute to this vibrant celebration of science and community!

10/06/2026

Call for Applications - Innovation Manager for the Astrocent Plus project in DESY Zeuthen (Germany)

DESY is looking for an Innovation Manager to play a key role in the EU‑funded Astrocent Plus project - an international initiative transforming Astrocent into a leading interdisciplinary center in astroparticle physics and technology development.

If you are passionate about turning scientific ideas into real‑world impact, building bridges between research and industry, and shaping innovation strategies across Germany and Poland, this position puts you right at the heart of that mission.

You will help drive:
- commercialization and technology‑transfer activities
- collaboration with industry partners
- identification of market opportunities
- IP protection and third‑party funding
- innovation development across the Astrocent Plus ecosystem

📍 Zeuthen, Germany
📅 Start: 1 August 2026
⏳ Contract: 2 years (with long‑term perspective)
🕒 Full‑time / Part‑time | Mobile work possible
📝 Apply by: 1 July 2026

🔗 Full job offer & application portal: https://v22.desy.de/e67416/records315118/index_ger.html

09/06/2026

It was a pleasure for our team to take part in this inspiring meeting. Many thanks to Sano Science for hosting and to all participants for the open exchange of experiences. It is great to see the Polish Teaming for Excellence community growing and creating new opportunities for collaboration across disciplines.

Razem na rzecz doskonałości naukowej – spotkanie Centrów Teaming for Excellence w Sano

8 czerwca 2026 Sano miało przyjemność gościć przedstawicieli polskich Centrów Doskonałości Naukowej powstałych dzięki grantowi Teaming for Excellence oraz instytucji wspierających ich rozwój.

W spotkaniu uczestniczyli reprezentanci ASTROCENT, ENSEMBLE3, ICTER, NOMATEN, P4Health oraz RACE, a także przedstawiciele NCBR. Dołączyli także laureaci najnowszego konkursu Teaming for Excellence w programie : CERES – Centre of Excellence in Railway Engineering, QuRAK – Quantum Research and Applied Knowledge oraz RAPTOR-HF – RAPid TranslatiOnal Research – Heart Failure.

Spotkanie Polish Teaming Club w Krakowie pokazało, jak bardzo rozwinęła się w ostatnich latach idea Centrów Doskonałości w Polsce. Jeszcze niedawno były to pojedyncze inicjatywy budujące swoje miejsce na europejskiej mapie nauki. Dziś tworzą coraz większą społeczność, łączącą różne dziedziny wiedzy, doświadczenia i ambicje. Była to również okazja do bezpośredniego poznania się zespołów badawczych oraz rozmów o potencjalnych kierunkach współpracy naukowej między ośrodkami.

Nowe centra miały okazję zaprezentować swoje plany i kierunki rozwoju, a uczestnicy wymieniali się doświadczeniami zdobytymi podczas realizacji projektów. Program uzupełniło szkolenie prowadzone przez Maria Szlachta z NCBR, które stało się punktem wyjścia do wielu wartościowych rozmów.

Atmosfera spotkania pokazała, że Teaming for Excellence to coś więcej niż program grantowy. To rosnąca społeczność ludzi i instytucji, które wierzą, że nauka rozwijana na światowym poziomie może powstawać także w Polsce – i każdego roku znajduje to potwierdzenie w kolejnych sukcesach.

Dziękujemy wszystkim uczestnikom za obecność, otwartość i konstruktywną dyskusję. Cieszymy się, że Sano może współtworzyć tę inicjatywę.

ℹ️ Polski Teaming Club to sieć łącząca Centra Doskonałości utworzone w ramach programu Teaming for Excellence, finansowanego ze środków i . Promuje współpracę i wzajemne wsparcie w realizacji projektów, jednocześnie zachęcając do wspólnych inicjatyw, które przyczyniają się do rozwoju polskiego ekosystemu badawczego i jego silniejszej obecności na arenie międzynarodowej.

04/06/2026

25–29 May 2026, Yerevan, Armenia became a global meeting point for astronomy communicators as it hosted - the Communicating Astronomy with the Public conference.

CAP is one of the key international conferences dedicated to astronomy communication and outreach, bringing together science communicators, educators, journalists, researchers, planetarium professionals and outreach practitioners from around the world to exchange ideas, share results and discuss how we communicate science with society.

Astrocent communication specialists, Yuliya Hoika and Magda Jakubiak, contributed to the conference with two talks.

The first talk from our team was presented online by Magda and focused on how strategic communication has been built at Astrocent - from creating tools and channels to strengthening the understanding that communication is not an add-on, but an essential part of a new research institute development.

Yuliya also presented a talk connected to her work on Einstein Telescope communication: “Telling a story of a major project not yet built: lessons from the Einstein Telescope.” The talk explored how to communicate a large-scale scientific infrastructure that is still in development - building visibility, trust and engagement before the project physically exists.

The programme included a visit to the Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory, connecting discussions on astronomy communication with one of Armenia’s most important scientific institutions.

A week full of ideas, exchange and inspiration - and a great opportunity to share Astrocent communication experience with the international outreach community.

03/06/2026

Our PhD Students at the DRD1 Gaseous Detectors Simulation School 2026

Last month, our PhD students Aheesh and Diego travelled to Bari for the DRD1 Gaseous Detectors Simulation School 2026 - a week that turned out to be as intense as it was inspiring.

The programme combined expert lectures with hands‑on sessions on modern detector simulation: electric‑field modelling, finite‑element methods, and the software ecosystems that power today’s experiments. Afternoons brought real setups, real challenges, and even a full detector‑simulation marathon.

For Diego, the experience connected directly to his research. Working with tools like ANSYS and ELMER wasn’t just an exercise - it was a meaningful step forward in the skills he uses every day.

For Aheesh, the highlight was presenting his Geant4 simulation poster and seeing how his work fits into the broader landscape of detector development. Meeting researchers exploring a wide range of approaches gave him a glimpse of where the field is heading. Both returned with new skills, new ideas, and a network of peers who share the same curiosity and drive.

We’re proud to see them grow, represent Astrocent, and bring this energy back into their research.

15/05/2026

We are always excited to support the next generation of researchers!

Recently, Meera Patel, a Master's student from Nikhef and the University of Amsterdam, visited Astrocent to take data for her research project using our ArGSet cryostat equipped with a new nanosecond-pulsed UV light source.

Detailed characterisation of the fluorescence time profile of the material samples that she brought will enable better background mitigation and, in consequence, more sensitive dark matter detectors.

Meera's visit to Astrocent was made possible by the Olga Igonkina Scholarship 2025, which supports her work on the XENONnT dark matter detector and enabled her to carry out dedicated tests with our nanosecond‑pulsed UV laser as part of her research stay in Warsaw.

Astrocent and Nikhef are partners in the DRD2 collaboration, and Meera’s project contributes directly to the goals of WP2.
🔗 https://drd2.web.cern.ch

12/05/2026

On 1 May 2026, the final signatures from the European Commission and the project coordinator officially gave the green light to ET-COMPASS🧭 (COordination, Management, Planning And Strategic Support) - a new European project supporting the Einstein Telescope on its path towards the implementation phase. The project will start in early 2027.

Astrocent is very happy to be part of this international collaboration. Within ET-COMPASS, we will lead activities related to Strategic Communication, supporting ETO communication and dissemination efforts aimed at widening participation and strengthening the international visibility of the Einstein Telescope as an ESFRI project.

ET-COMPASS brings together nine research institutes from across Europe and will help advance key organisational aspects necessary for the future of the Einstein Telescope.

Read more in the official announcement⬇️
https://lnkd.in/gsUCWXNu

04/05/2026

Is science in full bloom - or in crisis?

Our director, Prof. Leszek Roszkowski, joined an intriguing debate asking this bold question - and you can now watch it online!

Together with leading experts - Prof. Krzysztof Górski, cosmologist and Secretary General of the Copernican Academy, and Prof. Marek Sarna, President of the Polish Astronomical Society and specialist in stellar evolution - Prof. Roszkowski explored the state of Polish science, its future, and the technologies that may reshape it.

If you’re curious about where science is heading, what breakthroughs may be closer than we think, and how research can shape our future, this is a conversation worth watching.

Hosted by Łukasz Szwej, the debate also featured sharp, thought‑provoking questions from viewers - some of which pushed the discussion into unexpected territory.

🎥 Co‑organizers: Radio Katowice & Planetarium Śląskie
📺 Channel: Nie z tej Ziemi. Poznaj świat nauki

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLHzp8SbDCU