On March 18, a cooperation agreement was signed between the European University Institute and Lukasiewicz – ITECH Institute of Innovation and Technology, during the visit of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski to Florence.
The event was part of the broader strategic context outlined in the minister’s speech titled. “Sources of Europe’s Strength,” delivered at the EUI. In the face of rising geopolitical tensions and the erosion of the international rules-based order, Minister Sikorski emphasized the fundamental choice facing Europe: between fragmentation and deeper cooperation. He placed particular emphasis on technological issues: he pointed out that properly managed investments in defense can stimulate innovation, create high-quality jobs and strengthen the continent’s technological potential. “Brand new research, technologies and industries with the label ‘Made in Europe’ can emerge from the current turbulence,” he said. – The minister stressed, calling for breakthrough technologies to emerge in Europe and for the continent not to stand in the way of attracting global talent to European companies and academic institutions.
It is in this spirit that the agreement should be read as an institutional response to the need to build European analytical and strategic capacity in the areas of security, the innovation ecosystem and energy transition. The document was signed by the EUI President prof. Patrizia Nanz As well as Lukasiewicz – ITECH Director Dr. Michal Matlak. The agreement opens up new opportunities for joint research projects and strengthens the mobility of the staff of both institutions, creating space for intensive exchange of knowledge and experience.
The European University Institute is an international scientific institution based in Florence, established by EU member states to train doctoral students and conduct advanced research in the areas of social sciences, law, economics and political science. The Institute serves as a European center for reflection on public policies and European integration processes, linking academia with decision-making circles.
One of the areas of cooperation is the EU Security Initiative, an interdisciplinary platform for academic-analytical cooperation, which aims to develop policy recommendations in security areas. As part of EUSI, Lukasiewicz – ITECH and EUI are holding a series of expert debates with government, academic and analytical communities, discussing the strategic challenges facing Europe, including lessons from the Ukraine experience.
The next stage of cooperation will be the EUSI Policy Dialogue, an event scheduled for the end of May 2026 in Nicosia, organized in the context of the concluding trio of Poland-Denmark-Cyprus presidencies in the Council of the European Union. The Nicosia meeting will provide a space to develop recommendations and strengthen relations between the scientific, analytical and decision-making communities at a crucial moment for Europe.