Speakers

Deputy Mayor of Warsaw, graduate of philology at the University of Warsaw, social activist and culture animator, producer of theater performances and festivals, 2016-2018 deputy director of the Studio Theater in Warsaw; co-author of the “Warsaw 2020 Culture Development Program. City of Culture and Citizens” adopted in 2012 by the City Council as the official cultural policy of Warsaw. In 2018-2020, Head Coordinator for Culture and Public Communication in the City of Warsaw.

Deputy Mayor of Wrocław since 2007, responsible for investments, economic development and raising external funding. He devised and established a modern institution responsible for organization and supervision of investment projects, which significantly increased city’s organizational capacity in this area (in the years 2006-2009 the volume of implemented investmen projects grew threefold). During Wrocław’s preparations to UEFA EURO 2012 Footbal Championship he was responsible for infrastructural investment projects. He introduced project management methodology to Municipality of Wrocław. He supervises the process of developing PPP projects.

He is engaged in Smart City and Open Data projects and he is responsible for their coordination and implementation. He is also responsible for providing good conditions for development of startup companies through establishing an eco-system Startup: Wrocław.

In 2003-2007, serving as Wrocław Treasurer, he restructured City’s debts and lowered the debt indicators. For the first time in Poland he introduced a wide use of municipal consolidated account. As part of efforts to create new jobs he devised and implemented a programme supporting businesses that were investing in Wrocław and employing new workers.

Since 2001 he has been actively engaged in the work of the Union of Polish Metropoles (UPM). He is a member of UPM’s Commission for Integration
of Development Plans and Municipal Investments, he wrote numerous reviews of bills for Joint Commission of Government and Local Self-government and authored several proposals of amendments in acts concerning self-govermnet.

Lawyer, educator, trainer, and lecturer. Author of legal publications. Local government official with 20 years of experience.

Long-time Director of a Social Welfare Center.

Initiator of numerous projects creating new jobs. Actively involved in supporting, among others, people with disabilities, the unemployed, parents with children, and the elderly.

Regional councilor of the Mazowieckie Voivodeship in the 6th and 7th terms. Since January 2020, Chair of the Committee for Economic Development, Infrastructure, and Counteracting Unemployment. Since June 10, 2024, Member of the Board of the Mazowieckie Voivodeship.

Smart City and GIS Expert. Author of blog aboutimplementation of Smart City idea in Poland. Author of blog aboutimplementation of Smart City idea in Poland – www.smartcity-expert.eu.
He hasover 10 years of experience in supportinglocaladministration in the implementation of smart technologies. He in particularspecializes in smart citystrategies, digitalspatial management, using of urban data and indicators to assess the city’s performance, ISO37120 and urbangeographicalinformationsystems. He realizedprojects in the field of Smart City Strategy, GIS, e-government, urbansustainable development, urban data analysis and visualization, for amongothers for: Kielce City Hall (winner of manyprestigiousawards for the GIS system, including the awardat the World Smart City Expo in Barcelona), Gliwice City Hall, Dabrowa Gornicza City Hall, Opole City Hall, Toruń City Hall, Urban City Lab in Łódź and Metropolis of Poznań.
As anexternalexpert, he supported the first Polish city chicho btained the ISO37120 “Sustainble Development of Communities: Indicators for City Services and Quality of Life” certificateat the platinumlevelissued by World Council on City Data
He isanauthor of scientificpublicationsamongothers: “Studies of Committee for SpatialEconomy and Regional Planning” of PolishAcademy of Sciences and “Man and Environment” and also the articles published in such magazines as The GIS Professional (USA), Przegląd Komunalny, Inteligentne Miasta i Regiony, Urbanista, Electronic Administration, CAD & GIS.
He is an assistantre search at The University of Science and Art in Katowice (Faculty of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Applied Arts; Department of Spatial and Urban Planning Urban Processes and Development Unit) and lecturer at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan.

A graduate of Warsaw School of Economics (International Economic and Political Relations) and postgraduate studies at Collegium Civitas (forecasting, strategic planning and foresight) and Lazarski University (environmental protection law).

For many years he worked in central and local government public institutions. In the years 2006-2010 he was a councillor of the capital city of Warsaw. In the years 2018-2023, he worked as deputy mayor of the Ursynów District of the capital city of Warsaw. He was responsible for maintaining green areas, cooperation with entrepreneurs and housing resources. Previously, a consultant and expert on sustainable urban development as part of the Smart City Blog project. He was a lecturer in subjects covering the development of smart cities. Speaker, moderator and participant of discussion panels during numerous conferences in the area of ​​the development of modern cities.

He has been a director general at the Ministry of Digitization since 13th December 2023.

A graduate of the Warsaw School of Economics (international economic and political relations)

Paweł Figurski – an experienced specialist with over 20 years of experience in the area of ​​crisis management, public security and protection of classified information. His professional path is continuously connected with public administration, where he held a number of key positions – from deputy inspector at the Office of the District Crisis Management Center, then Head of the Defense Affairs Office of the District Office in Konin, to head of the Security and Crisis Management Department of the City Office in Konin.

For years, he has actively participated in the work of expert teams and committees at the local and national level – including as a member of the Security and Crisis Management Committee of the Association of Polish Cities and deputy chairman of the subcommittee for crisis management, population protection and civil defense. He has extensive experience in planning, coordination and response to crisis situations – both in the operational and strategic dimension.

He is also an experienced academic lecturer, specializing in internal security, urban security systems, crisis management and information protection. He has been cooperating with universities for many years, combining theoretical knowledge with professional practice.

He regularly participates in conferences and industry seminars in Poland and abroad, also appearing as a speaker. His knowledge and experience have been appreciated, among others, by being awarded the Bronze Medal for Merit for National Defense by the Minister of National Defense.

Dominik Góralczyk – Key Account Manager at Esri Poland. In my role, I combine the challenges faced by local government with the opportunities offered by geographic information systems (GIS). My goal is to enhance the dynamic development of cities, promote the use of new technologies, while ensuring that these solutions align with the expectations, needs of inhabitants and social participation.

Born in Kluczbork (Poland), October 8, 1970. He graduated from higher education – Political Science (University of Opole) and postgraduate (Public Relations in labor market institutions) from the Catholic University of Lublin. In years 2003 – 2014, the director of the District Labour Office in Nysa. In the years 2004 – 2014 – District Office in Nysa – has initiated and completed the greatest (of all labor offices in Poland) the number of projects co-financed by the European Union. The best known projects include: “Construction of houses by means of a training system for unemployed person”. From 2014 mayor of Nysa.

Doctor of Economics, assistant professor at the Department of Economic Policy of the Faculty of Economics and Finance at the University of Rzeszów. President of the Rzeszów Smart City Association. Deals with the issues of urban development and the silver economy. Author and co-author of scientific publications, strategic documents and spatial analyses for local government units. Member of the URBACT Local Group within the “C4TALENT” project (URBACT IV), the Expert Group in the “Urban Lab Rzeszów – City for the Young” project and the Thematic Team for Ecology and Social Matters of the Economic Council at the President of the City of Rzeszów. Has experience in managing innovative and intergenerational projects.

Experienced leader and technology expert with over 25 years of experience in the IT industry, specializing in digital transformation, integration of modern technologies and supporting innovation in corporate and industrial environments. Currently, he is the Head of Innovation at Atos Group in Poland, where he is responsible for the development and implementation of innovation strategies using technologies such as AI, IoT, Cloud Computing, VR/AR and Digital Twin.

For many years, he has been cooperating with global technology leaders, leading projects for companies from the financial sector, public administration and industry. He has extensive experience in architectural, consulting and engineering roles, including as Global Lead Architect for Smart Facility solutions as part of the global IoT practice.

Currently, he is pursuing a PhD at the Lodz University of Technology, focusing on the use of AI/ML, VR/AR and IoT in increasing energy efficiency and supporting the decarbonization of industry.

He is the initiator of the innovation strategy of Atos Group in Poland, a speaker at industry and scientific conferences, an author of publications, and one of the leaders of the international community of experts – Atos Research Community. In his current role, he also supports the development of regional innovation policy as a member of the working group for smart specializations in the area of Industrial Automation and Economy 4.0.

Manager and coordinator of research and development projects at IRMiR, including the Urban Data Integrator. Author of several publications on smart cities, data management, and urban remote sensing. Editor and co-author of the textbooks “Data Management in Cities,” “Utilizing Data in Cities,” and the report “City Management Using Data.” Initiator and coordinator of the “Urban Data Analysts” collaboration network for local government officials. Creator and manager of the “Raport_AI” project, which generates a municipal report using artificial intelligence models based on expert knowledge. Organizer of the InnoCity Expo urban innovation fair.

Michal Lakomski is the Mayor’s Proxy for Smart City and the Director of Digitalization and Cybersecurity for the city of Poznan. A graduate of the Poznan University and a respected smart city expert. Michal has been the driving force behind Poznan’s digital transformation since 2017. Responsible for the implementation of innovative systems and e-services for both the residents of Poznan and the employees of Poznan City Hall. Michal is a champion of innovation with a keen interest in open data and new technologies. He is a regular speaker at national and international conferences.

Vice-President of the Board in Sprint S.A., responsible for sale of ITS solutions, Smart City and projects related to ICT systems integration and public security. Involved in ICT industry for more than 20 years. A graduate of Gdansk University of Technology and MBA program at Kozminski University.

A graduate of the Faculty of Computer Science at the Lodz University of Technology, as well as the Faculty of Organization and Management at the same university. She has been associated with the City of Lodz Office for 8 years. During this time, she has participated in several implementations of IT systems in local government units.

Currently, as the Manager of the City Digitization Department, she specializes in strategic IT solutions, particularly in the area of Smart City. She successfully realizes innovative ideas and implements them in an unconventional way at the City of Lodz Office and Municipal Organizational Units in Lodz.

Marshal of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship across multiple terms, an aeronautical engineer and designer, local government official, Senator of the Republic of Poland, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Regional Development, and long-serving Councilor of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship.

He was born in Mielec, in the Podkarpackie region. An engineer specializing in aircraft design, he is a graduate of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the Rzeszów University of Technology.

He began his professional career at the Research and Development Center of the Transport Equipment Manufacturing Plant in Mielec, where he worked for several years as a design specialist. In 1992, he became President of the Management Board of the MARR S.A. Regional Development Agency in Mielec—one of the first business support institutions in Poland aimed at stimulating entrepreneurship in the region and country. He held this position until 1998. He was also a member of the Program Council of the National Association of Regional Development Agencies and Foundations in Warsaw.

In 1998, he began working in regional government. From 1998 to 2005, he served as a Councilor of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship during its first and second terms. During this time, he was a Member of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship Board (1998–2002) and Deputy Marshal of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship (2001–2002). His responsibilities included programming and implementing EU aid programs, spatial planning, and regional development. From 2001 to 2003, he was a member of the Supervisory Board of the Industrial Development Agency (ARP S.A.).

In 2005, he was elected as a Senator of the Republic of Poland for the 6th term, a mandate he held until May 2013. During this time, from 2005 to 2007, he served as Secretary of State at the Ministry of Regional Development. In the Senate, he chaired the National Defense Committee and was Deputy Chair of the Committee on Local Government and State Administration.

On May 27, 2013, the Regional Assembly of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship appointed him Marshal of the Voivodeship for its 4th term. Since then, he has continuously held the position of Marshal of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship through the 5th, 6th, and current 7th terms. In 2015, he became a member of the National Development Council under President Andrzej Duda and serves on the Council for Local Government under the President of the Republic of Poland. Since 2018, he has been Vice President of the Management Board of the Association of Polish Voivodeships.

Since 2016, he has been a member of the European Committee of the Regions, an EU advisory body composed of representatives from local and regional authorities of the Member States. In February 2020, he was elected Chair of the European Conservatives and Reformists Group in the Committee of the Regions, and since June 2022, he has served as its Vice-Chair. During the current 2020–2025 term of the European Committee of the Regions, he serves as a Member of the Committee, First Vice-Chair of the European Conservatives and Reformists Group, and a Member of the Bureau of the European Committee of the Regions.

Since 1980, he has been a member of NSZZ “Solidarity.” He is also a member of Catholic Action and belongs to the Law and Justice party.

For his contributions, he has received numerous honors: in 2015, the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta awarded by President Andrzej Duda, and in 2024, the Commander’s Cross with Star of the same order. In 2018, the Prime Minister awarded him the Medal of the 100th Anniversary of Regaining Independence, and in 2019, he received the Centenary of Regained Independence Medal from the President of the Republic of Poland.

Born in Toruń in 1967. A geography graduate of Nicolaus Copernicus University (UMK), he also completed postgraduate studies in organization and management (UMK) and in urban planning and spatial management (Gdańsk University of Technology). Since May 8, 2024, he has served as the First Deputy Mayor of Toruń, overseeing spatial policy and EU funding. From 1992 to 2012, he worked in Toruń City Hall, including as department director and deputy mayor. Between 2012 and 2024, he worked at the Marshal’s Office, responsible for the regional development strategy and managing EU programs. Since 2007, he has chaired the Municipal Urban and Architectural Commission. A geography enthusiast, motorcycling hobbyist, and lover of travel and music. Participated in polar expeditions to Spitsbergen (1995, 2002).

Coordinator for Sustainable Development and Smart City

A local government official with over 20 years of experience, he has led the IT Department at the City Hall of Przemyśl for a decade. He is responsible for implementing projects related to the procurement, maintenance, and development of ICT technologies. As the coordinator for sustainable development and Smart City, he actively contributes to the city’s digital transformation by introducing innovative solutions that improve residents’ quality of life.

He specializes in information security management, open data, and the implementation of digital services. He is a graduate of numerous national and international programs focused on urban innovation. He collaborates with various institutions in the fields of education and consulting, particularly in areas such as the use of artificial intelligence in administration, digital accessibility, and data analysis.

As a speaker at numerous conferences—including the Smart City Forum and the Congress on Urban and Regional Policy—he shares insights on integrating Smart City technologies with cybersecurity and developing digital competencies within public administration.

Committed to fostering cooperation between local government, businesses, and civil society organizations, he strives to create intelligent, secure, and resident-friendly cities.

Experienced Systems Security Architect, Project Manager, and Head of Smart City and IoT, my career is a blend of passion for technological innovation and a commitment to excellence in urban digitization. As the Plenipotentiary of the President for Smart City at the Kołobrzeg City Office, I focus on setting strategic directions, overseeing initiatives, and coordinating projects in the realm of digital transformation. My responsibilities also include the integration and development of IT systems, which are pivotal to building intelligent, sustainable communities.

With a robust background as an academic lecturer and lead IT systems auditor, I merge theoretical expertise with practical skills to deliver value and innovation in every endeavor.

I am deeply convinced that the future lies in smart technologies and their application for societal benefit. This belief drives me to relentlessly pursue new solutions and advocate for large-scale technological integration, ensuring progress that serves communities and fosters sustainable development.

Between 2015 and 2024 Deputy Mayor of Lublin for Investment and Development. Long-time manager in municipal companies of Lublin such as Lublin Thermal Energy Company (LPEC) and Municipal Waterworks and Sewage Company (MPWiK). President of the Board of MPWiK since 2024. President of the Board of the Lublin Metropolitan Area Association since 2022.

In Sprint since 2014. Cooperates with local governments within ITS/Smart City area. Specialises in traffic management and safety systems, as well as software solutions tailored to the individual needs of cities and its citizens.

Weronika Wesołowska is an expert at the Polish Development Fund, where she is responsible for projects in the field of urban innovation, including digitization and the green transition. She holds a degree in Economics from the University of Vienna. Her professional experience spans international corporations, startups, and non-governmental organizations, where she has focused primarily on data analysis and project management. In her free time, she works as a city tour guide in Warsaw.

Grzegorz Wrona serves as the Deputy Mayor of the City of Rzeszów, overseeing key areas of city administration, including: the Rzeszów City Development Office, the Municipal Transport Authority in Rzeszów, the Department of Architecture, the Department of Geodesy, the Department of Business Activity and Permits, and the Department of the City Brand, Economic Cooperation and Tourism.

He has 27 years of experience in business management and restructuring, as well as in the field of marketing. Since 2009, Grzegorz Wrona has been associated with the energy sector.

He is a graduate of prestigious Polish universities: the AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków, the Warsaw School of Economics, the Leon Schiller National Film, Television and Theatre School in Łódź, the University of Agriculture in Kraków, and the University of Rzeszów, reflecting his interdisciplinary approach to city management and development.

His experience contributes to the dynamic growth of Rzeszów, especially in the areas of urban planning, transport, economy, and international promotion of the city.