OCT 27 · 10:00 – 10:45 CET
Science to Business
High Level Discussion: How Do You Like the Public Funding of Your Startup? A Conversation of the Roles and Responsibilities for State-funded Companies in Europe
Governments and public institutions invest billions in research and innovation every year. But how effective are these programmes in creating globally competitive companies?
- Panel
Ogbogu KaluESMTOgbogu KaluDirector, Next Gen Computing Stream, Creative Destruction Lab Berlin, ESMTOgbogu Kalu is the Head of Natural Capital at DEEP, the Institute for Deep Tech Innovation at ESMT Berlin. He also serves as Director of Partnerships and Director of the Next Gen Computing stream at Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) Berlin. His work focuses on helping transform breakthrough technologies into impactful ventures by building the programmes, partnerships, and commercialisation pathways required to bring them to scale.
Over the past decade, Ogbogu has worked at the intersection of engineering, leadership, and policy. His experience ranges from developing nanotechnology-enabled solutions and leading engineering and energy initiatives at Michelin to advancing national and international innovation initiatives. This includes supporting SPRIN-D, Germany’s Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation, in its €40 million Circular Biomanufacturing Challenge and advising the Government of Nova Scotia, Canada, on actionable pathways towards a sustainable, climate-resilient economy.Read full bio →
Krzysztof GuldaPolish Agency for Enterprise DevelopmentKrzysztof GuldaPresident, Polish Agency for Enterprise DevelopmentKrzysztof Gulda is a graduate of physics from the University of Warsaw, specializing in nuclear physics. He is an entrepreneur and strategist active in both the public and private sectors, as well as a consultant for advisory firms and international organizations.
From the beginning of his professional career, he has been affiliated with the University of Warsaw. He co-founded the University Technology Transfer Centre at the University of Warsaw. Since 2016, he has been a management board member of UWRC sp. z o.o. – the University of Warsaw’s special-purpose vehicle supporting the creation and development of academic spin-off companies. He has participated in the establishment and management of over 20 technology companies originating from the University of Warsaw.
From 2020 to 2024, he was a member of the Expert Group for the Coordination of European Partnerships. He also served on the Council of the National Centre for Research and Development (2007–2009, 2016–2020). He held the position of Director of the Strategy Department at the Ministry of Science and Higher Education (2009–2012), and earlier worked at the Ministry of Economy (2002–2009).
He has collaborated on projects with the World Bank, PwC Poland, and the National Centre for Nuclear Research.
For over 20 years, he has been actively involved in building the innovation system in Poland, fostering collaboration between science and business, developing business models and growth strategies for innovation-supporting organizations, raising capital for enterprise development, and implementing support instruments at both national and regional levels. He also applies his experience in working with the European Commission and advisory firms, carrying out projects in countries of the former Soviet Union and the Western Balkans.Read full bio →
Aleksandra IhnatowiczNational Centre for Research DevelopmentAleksandra IhnatowiczExpert, National Centre for Research DevelopmentAleksandra Ihnatowicz is an expert at the National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR)'s
National Contact Point, specializing in supporting innovators in securing EU funds for R&D. She is a
member of the EIC Forum, an expert in the European Innovation Council (EIC) area. As the
coordinator of the Innovative Europe team at NCBR, she brings over 19 years of experience in
European Research Programmes, including extensive practical experience in project implementation
and management.
Aleksandra holds a degree in Computer Science and has pursued further studies and research in
Canada and England. Since 2010, she has been a key expert at the National Contact Point in Poland,
dedicated to helping innovative deep-tech start-ups secure funding for their growth. Her passion lies
in fostering the innovation support ecosystem, driven by the enthusiasm and commitment of the
companies she supports.Read full bio →
Eliza KruczkowskaEuropean Innovation CouncilEliza KruczkowskaBoard Member, European Innovation CouncilEliza Kruczkowska is a senior innovation strategist with over fifteen years of experience working at the intersection of public policy, venture capital and startup ecosystems in Europe.
For nearly nine years, she served as Director of Innovation Development at the Polish Development Fund, where she helped build the institution from its early stage into a central actor in Poland’s innovation and venture capital ecosystem. In this role, she co-created and led national programmes supporting startups and emerging entrepreneurs, contributed to the development of Poland’s VC market, and supported thousands of founders. She also initiated and developed major entrepreneurship and STEAM education initiatives, including the Central Technology Hub, the PFR Pioneers School, and the Good Idea Programme.
Earlier in her career, Eliza led Startup Poland, a leading startup advocacy organisation, where she worked closely with founders, investors and government institutions, contributing to the shaping of innovation policy at both national and European levels. She has advised public institutions and innovation agencies across Europe on innovation governance, ecosystem development and digital transformation, and served as an expert for the European Innovation Council and the European Commission’s Startup Europe initiative.
Alongside her policy and programme leadership, Eliza has held advisory and supervisory roles in technology-driven and applied research organisations, including the Łukasiewicz Research Network and a national cloud infrastructure provider. From December 2025, she serves as Managing Director of the Foundation for Entrepreneurship Support, where she is building an entrepreneur-led think tank focused on regulatory reform and deregulation initiatives, including the SprawdzaMY programme.
Eliza has completed advanced executive education programmes at Harvard, Singularity University and the Oxford Internet Institute, and brings a cross-sector, execution-focused perspective to innovation and scale-up policy in Europe.Read full bio →
Frane ŠesnićZagreb Innovation Centre (ZICER)Frane ŠesnićCEO, Zagreb Innovation Centre (ZICER)Frane graduated from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture in Split and completed his postgraduate specialist studies in Financial Institutions and Markets at the Faculty of Economics and Business in Zagreb. He was appointed to the rank of Lecturer by the Rector’s Conference and regularly features as a speaker at numerous tech and entrepreneurship conferences. He is the initiator of several international events, including the Zagreb Connect startup conference and the Startup Europe Regatta—a conference specializing in sustainable greentech and fintech solutions.
He established Startup Factory, Croatia’s first acceleration program, initiated Global Growth and Tech Transfer, and launched financial instruments for startup grants and investments. He actively works on connecting stakeholders across society to build a thriving startup ecosystem. Through ZICER, he leads the largest startup hub in the region.Read full bio →