Innovation, new trends, and new ways of thinking about the European markets were the key themes of the 7th European Economic Congress, sponsored by Grupa Azoty this year. Its delegates represented the Company on as many as seven discussion panels.

The Congress, held in the southern Polish city of Katowice, has established itself as a key economy-themed event in the country and stands out from other similar events with its size − this year it attracted over 7,000 participants. One of the running themes of this year's edition of the event was innovation, which the hosts identified as one of the axes around which the conference revolved. Innovation was the keynote of the inaugural address by the Polish President Bronisław Komorowski, who opened the Congress."Poland wants to join the top ten most innovative EU nations within the next ten years," Mr Komorowski emphasised.Many panel participants pointed to Grupa Azoty as the benchmark for innovation in Poland. "Grupa Azoty and its partner research institutes embody the Polish commitment and efforts in the R&D domain," noted Rafał Baniak, Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of State Treasury.

Paweł Jarczewski, Grupa Azoty CEO, shared a view that the strategy pursued by the Group clearly demonstrates that innovation is its top priority. This innovation transpires in the realm of technology but also in the Group's approach to its customers and partners."The Grupa Azoty Group brings together 57 companies. Our business extends beyond fertilizers and plastics, encompassing mining and logistics operations. The members of our Management and Supervisory Boards are enthusiasts with an insight and understanding of the chemical industry, who know how to effectively engage with customers and partners and how to best respond to their needs, Mr Jarczewski said.

The second day of the Congress featured a debate on food security, which was initiated and partnered by Grupa Azoty. The panel was moderated by Robert Lidke, Chief Economics and Business Editor at the Polish Radio.

"Grupa Azoty speaks about food security in international forums. In Davos, our CEO Paweł Jarczewski repeatedly addressed the issue. Why us? Because it would be hard to feed the world without mineral fertilizers," stressed Marek Kapłucha, Vice-President of the Grupa Azoty Management Board.The European Economic Congress is organised by Grupa PTWP, a business event organiser with one of the longest track records in Poland.