We share knowledge
Prime quality specialisation in various fields of chemical technology is among our biggest assets. Many of our employees are top-of-the-line experts in their respective fields both at home and in Europe.
Prime quality specialisation in various fields of chemical technology is among our biggest assets. Many of our employees are top-of-the-line experts in their respective fields both at home and in Europe. We share our knowledge and experience with chemists from Poland’s leading institutions of research and science.
Our key partner remains the prestigious New Chemical Syntheses Institute, which has for years been the first choice research facility for many Group companies. Our partnership involves a range of R&D and implementation projects pursued in Poland and abroad, as well as joint development and pilot launch of new products and manufacturing technologies. Examples include an upgrade and capacity increase at two production lines of Grupa Azoty Police’s ammonia plant, upgrade of nitric acid units in Tarnów and Kędzierzyn-Koźle, and construction of a flue gas desulfurisation system at Grupa Azoty Puławy. Together with our partner, we are also working to develop smart fertilizers, that is new formulas tailored to the specific needs of various crops as well as the nutrient content in soils. Since it first began to work with the New Chemical Syntheses Institute, the Group has spent a total of over PLN 80m on joint research projects.
Competitors do not even do a half of what Grupa Azoty does.
The company should continue to invest in its local community, enabling people to develop, gain an education, have broader ambitions, and live with dignity.
Dialogue session
The New Chemical Syntheses Institute is among Poland’s top research institutions in industrial chemistry. It was rated A in the most recent parametric evaluation, which confirms the very high quality of its scientific research. Its key source of revenue is applied research and implementation projects for the broad fertilizer industry. In recent years, it has spent in excess of PLN 120m to expand its innovative research and production facilities.
The Institute conducts applied research in the area of large-scale chemical synthesis related to synthesis gas production, ammonia synthesis, catalysts, nitrogen compounds and nitrogen, phosphorus and compound fertilizers. It also works on the development of new bioeconomy and green chemistry technologies, including innovative biomaterials such as biodegradable polymers, which are made from renewable raw materials and are applied across many industries. The Institute is also a European leader of research into supercritical CO2 extraction of phytochemicals.
We accept our share of responsibility for the future of our industry and for the quality of life and living conditions in the communities which host our operations. We develop new products, set new trends and influence the market and its environment, which is why we engage in the activities of numerous organisations with a global, national or local reach. Our representatives are invited to sit at the most important decision-making tables, for example at the World Economic Forum in Davos and thematic regional forums, while also being the first voice from Central Europe at the Royal Institute of International Affairs Chatham House in London, Europe’s leading think tank.
For years, we have been a strategic partner of the Polish Chemical Industry Congress – one of the highest-profile industry events in Poland and the key forum for discussion and sharing of expertise in technological solutions, innovative concepts and strategies, implementation of capex projects, process safety, innovation, and the impact of the legal and economic environment on the industry. For example, in 2017 we participated in the strategic debate ‘Polish Chemical Industry in the Globalisation Era – Position, Prospects and Challenges’.
BEST PRACTICE
In February 2017, Wojciech Wardacki, President of the Management Board of Grupa Azoty S.A., was elected Chairman of the Council of the Polish Chamber of Chemical Industry, while Jacek Janiszek, President of the Management Board of Grupa Azoty Puławy, became the body’s Deputy Chairman. The Council, which supervises the work of the Polish Chamber of Chemical Industry in between meetings of its General Assembly, has currently 25 members and a six-member Presiding Committee.
We understand the importance of knowledge transfer between the Grupa Azoty Group and various actors involved in food production, sharing our knowledge with both farmers and agricultural consultants. At many levels we educate them on sustainable agriculture – relying on traditional, proven training channels, but also making use of the latest knowledge transfer technologies.
Driven by technological progress, the present-day economy needs comprehensive service. Taking good advantage of agricultural progress requires increasing levels of expertise which takes account of economic growth in yields and ensures proper quality of agricultural products and safety of the environment. At the Grupa Azoty Group, we want to help farmers and agricultural consultants to efficiently manage agricultural operations.
It is necessary to build the public’s awareness of why fertilizers are needed to produce food
Dialogue session
[203-1]
We provide training
Together with our trading partners, we organise free training courses for farmers. Our experts share their knowledge of crop plants and the use and application of fertilizers. We explain specific soil and crop requirements. We always remain open to questions and we are happy to see the high attendance at our meetings.
BEST PRACTICE
In January 2017, together with the Top Agrar Polska magazine, we organised four meetings with farmers: in Lublin, Opole, Poznań and Ostróda. Presentations to the seminar participants included agrotechnical recommendations for the spring season regarding winter rape and winter cereals.
Our training projects are supplemented with the Fertilizer Encyclopeadia, providing a wealth of knowledge, including understandably presented practical information not only about fertilizer characteristics but also about nutrients and soil. The website also contains current information on agricultural product prices and farm work schedules prepared by the Grupa Azoty Group’s experts.
We also train our regional representatives through the Agroacademy project, run as regular meetings in various Polish cities and towns to educate them, both in theory and practical aspects, about fertilizers and their application. The meetings are also an opportunity to exchange experiences from various regions of the country and to pass on farmer feedback, gathered by our sales representatives, on the products and promotional activities we have carried out.
The company provides plenty of training events, meetings and information materials on fertilizer application management. Farmers, especially those running large agricultural operations, are well trained.
Dialogue session
We initiate cooperation
In order to improve cooperative links between agricultural entrepreneurs, agricultural consultants, science and business in general, back in 2011 we established the Puławy Competence Centre – an institution serving as a platform for the exchange of agriculture-related information. The Centre’s activities focus on:
- developing and promoting the concept of a modern agricultural entrepreneur,
- improving farmers’ skills in efficient management,
- popularising soil fertilization research,
- forging new links between the worlds of business and science.
The Puławy Competence Centre pursues its goals by various means, such as recommending directions for research and development work, sharing experience with industry partners and institutions of science, providing training, agricultural advice and knowledge expanding opportunities for customers.
Selected projects implemented by the Puławy Competence Centre in 2016–2017:
- Low-cost and environmentally-friendly maize fertilizing and seeding system
- Determination of the agricultural and economic effects of spring fertilization of winter rape, winter wheat and maize with an urea and nitrate solution enhanced with macroelements (P, Mg, S)
BEST PRACTICE
In June 2017, we arranged – already for the second time – a meeting between representatives of the Polish fertilizer industry, scientists and farmers on the experimental plots of Grupa Azoty Puławy. It was an excellent opportunity for more than 80 invited guests to discuss and ask questions about the use of different fertilizer combinations for particular crops. The main purpose of the workshop was to familiarise agricultural producers and consultants with the results obtained to date from the field research.
In November 2016, the Puławy Competence Centre organised the sixth ‘Science - Business - Agriculture’ conference, during which experts gather to discuss the most pressing topics relevant to the agricultural sector. The meeting in 2016, held under the auspices of the President of the Republic of Poland, focused on water management and drought prevention in agriculture, the role of chemistry in global food security, as well as agricultural research and innovation.
From 2012 to 2017, the Puławy Competence Centre in association with the Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW) ran post-graduate studies for agricultural consultants, with the aim of training specialists in the most advanced technologies and integrated production. Having completed the studies, their participants receive a post-graduate diploma from the Warsaw University of Life Sciences and become certified consultants on plant protection products and their use with ground equipment. In 2012–2017, the programme was completed by 128 persons.
[203-1]
We engage in research
Since 2015, we have been running a unique research project under the name ‘Grounded in Knowledge’ to test soil for nutrient content free of charge. As part of a three-year campaign, we set ourselves the goal of reaching almost 2,000 farms across Poland and collecting 28,000 soil samples at as many as 17 regional chemical and agricultural stations. As a result the farm owners can, or will be able to, learn the actual nutrient requirements of their soil and plan the right fertilization strategy.
‘Grounded in Knowledge’ is very popular among farmers, but it is also appreciated by independent industry experts. In 2016, during the International Agricultural Fair CTR 2016, it received the prestigious ‘Golden Crane of Agriculture’ award.
We embrace space technologies
Although our products are active in the ground, we are reaching for space technologies. We launched a pilot project to inform farmers about changes in the condition of their crops based on satellite observations. The application will also enable direct communication with a seed spreader, management of soil water resources, and even crop yield forecasting. Its launch has been made possible by an agreement signed with SatAgro, a Polish start-up company.
The technology, soon to be made available to Polish farmers by Grupa Azoty S.A. and SatAgro, allows direct access to satellite observations made by NASA, the European Space Agency, the European Commission (Copernicus programme), and private operators. As a result, farmers gain crop data processing tools which can be used for individual farm fields to aid in effective farm management. With the application offered by Grupa Azoty S.A., users will be able to remotely monitor crop growth, assess the impact of weather conditions and agronomic treatments, and analyse historical data.
As a small company that has only recently entered the market, SatAgro had limited possibilities of promoting its solution among farmers. But having partnered with Grupa Azoty S.A., it has been able to reach farmers operating over many thousand hectares of land.
For SatAgro users, the solution offers two important benefits. Firstly, the SatAgro-generated application maps for precise fertilisation allow farmers to rightsize the amount of fertilizers used, which results in efficiency gains. Moreover, while many users already had equipment for precision treatments, creating an application map required a considerable amount of time and know-how. In the application it is a matter of minutes, which means that SatAgro enables farmers to take full advantage of their equipment.
We want to remain an open business organisation, regularly holding open-door days for those interested in the inner workings of our plants. We support education by offering internship and traineeship opportunities for students, granting scholarships, and – to develop talents that could later become part of our own human resources – working with schools and academic institutions to organise specialist classes and faculties with a chemistry-focused syllabus.
BEST PRACTICE
In 2016, we held the ‘Chemistry around Us’ competition for children and youth of primary and junior high schools in the regions where our strategic companies are located. Its purpose was to enhance the participants’ knowledge of the chemical sector, the role chemistry plays in everyday life, and to raise their awareness of the relationship between products manufactured by chemical plants and the surrounding environment. The submitted projects concerned Grupa Azoty S.A.’s activities, the products we manufacture, and their presence in everyday life.
Grupa Azoty Police
- Since 2013, Grupa Azoty Police has been running ‘Green Forge’, a talent attraction programme targeted at students and graduates standing out for high academic achievement, extraordinary potential and strong motivation, to whom the company offers a range of internship or placement opportunities, where they can develop and gain their first professional experience under the supervision of best-in-class professionals.
- In 2017, the company signed another agreement with the West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin for educating future professionals in the field of chemical and process engineering, specialising in olefin manufacturing. The programme of studies is being continued as a result of the investment project carried out jointly by Grupa Azoty Police and PDH Polska to produce propylene (with the PDH method) and the need to develop highly qualified professionals to staff that area. Benefits for students include scholarships funded by PDH Polska, opportunities to gain hands-on experience during four- to six-week trainee placements at production units, or internships.
BEST PRACTICE
As many as thirty master’s theses commissioned by Grupa Azoty Police have been written to date at the Faculty of Chemical Technology and Engineering of the West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin. As admitted by the university’s faculty and Grupa Azoty Police staff, the scientific effort of students benefits both the company and graduates themselves, giving them a chance to get an internship or even a job. For the company on the other hand, it delivers concrete knowledge to inform its production and other processes. The topics of the theses had been agreed upon in advance between the university and Grupa Azoty Police. They are written by students of chemical and process engineering whose principal field of studies is in olefin manufacturing process engineering.
Grupa Azoty S.A.
- In 2013, Grupa Azoty S.A. concluded an agreement with the Technical School Complex in Mościce whereby it agreed to hire ten graduates of each year, fund scholarships and prizes for successful students, provide trainee placements at its plant, deliver specialist classes through its experts, and co-fund the purchase of teaching aids.
- The Company supports education of children and youth working with the SIEMACHA Association, KANA Catholic Youth Education Centre, Comprehensive School Complex No. 1 in Tarnów-Mościce, and Sports School Complex.
Grupa Azoty Kędzierzyn
- Grupa Azoty Kędzierzyn signed a patronage agreement with the Inland Navigation School Complex whereby the latter’s students learning to be ‘inland navigation technicians’ may use Grupa Azoty ZAK’s water infrastructure and port as well as take part in open-door classes. The agreement also provides for expert support in joint initiatives, e.g. conferences or scientific sessions on inland waterway transport, and a scholarship programme for students.
- In 2017, the company became involved in Collegium Nobilium Opoliense – a unique educational programme for ambitious people who want to improve their social competence and skills, and also to develop their attitudes of responsibility for the local community and the state, striving for continuous self-improvement and development. Collegium Nobilium is a hotbed of ideals and moral strength in the spirit of modern patriotism manifested in respect for the state, its tradition and history.
BEST PRACTICE
Grupa Azoty Kędzierzyn became a patron of the chemistry classes of Nicholas Rej School Complex No. 3 in Kędzierzyn-Koźle. A Technology Workshop is run for the students at Grupa Azoty Kędzierzyn, forming part of their practical vocational training. The classes are held on a full-day basis, once a week, in designated places on the company’s premises in order to implement the school curriculum, i.e. at the laboratory of nitrate fertilizers, laboratory of organic analysis, and laboratory of ammonia and nitric acid, as well as the calcium ammonium nitrate department, nitric acid department and alcohol department. Divided into semester groups, they last until the end of a school year, ending with a grade for the subject on the school report.
Grupa Azoty Puławy
- In 2014, under a cooperation agreement between the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University of Lublin, Grupa Azoty Puławy and the New Chemical Syntheses Institute, the University’s local branch in Puławy was opened. Its establishment was prompted by high demand on the labour market for specialists in chemistry and chemical processes. The Puławy branch of the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University offers engineering studies in technical chemistry taught in well-equipped classrooms by highly qualified staff of the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Warsaw University of Technology, experts employed at Grupa Azoty Puławy and specialists from various scientific institutions based in Puławy. In addition to other opportunities, technical chemistry students may attend classes held on the company’s premises, and complete internships at Grupa Azoty Puławy. Under that cooperative arrangement, topics of academic theses are also commissioned by the company and co-promoted by its employees.
Interview with Katarzyna Cieniuszek, a technical chemistry student at the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Puławy.
What do you think of the educational offering of the University’s local branch in Puławy? Do you think it is well aligned with current demand on the labour market?
Although the branch was established a short time ago, it can already boast a uniquely wide and competitive offering compared with other universities. Potential candidates are attracted by a wide variety of courses – they may choose between public administration, physiotherapy, technical chemistry, public relations and media consulting. In short, everyone can find something for themselves! I believe the programmes of studies offered by the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University have been fully aligned with current demand on the labour market, not only in the region, but in the country as a whole. Also unique is its training profile, full of practice, giving students a chance to test the theoretical knowledge gained during lectures, which are very engaging as well.
Are you satisfied with the studies you enrolled for? What is your opinion of technical chemistry? Do you think its curriculum will be directly relevant to your future professional career?
I have always been interested in chemistry, the field of study I chose, and my studies here at the local branch of the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University have met all my expectations. The classes are delivered by people for whom both teaching and chemistry are more of a passion than a profession. We are free to use the well-equipped laboratories and a range of teaching aids at the University’s Faculty of Chemistry in Lublin. In addition, the University provides free transport from Puławy to Lublin, so we can take part in all classes at no additional cost. Our programme of studies was designed together with employees of Grupa Azoty Puławy and the New Chemical Syntheses Institute, which is a guarantee we will be well prepared for our future work.
What made you choose technical chemistry and the University’s local branch in Puławy?
As I already said, I have always been interested in chemistry, and so it was clear that my future career would be strongly connected with this field of science. When the branch in Puławy was opened, I knew it was here that I wanted to study. Another factor contributing to my decision was the desire to stay close to where I lived. It should also be remembered that the Grupa Azoty Group’s nitrogen processing plant and other large enterprises are located in Puławy, which certainly means greater employment opportunities.
What do you think of the town where you live and study? Do you find it an attractive place for young people?
Puławy is an exceptionally charming town with a rich history and vibrant industry. Offering interesting job opportunities, it is also noteworthy for its multitude of historical attractions: the Czartoryski Palace for one, or generally the entire palace and park complex near the Vistula slope, full of beautiful historical buildings and sculptures. In my opinion, everyone can find something for themselves in Puławy, its added benefit being the attractive location – near Kazimierz Dolny and Nałęczów.
How would you rate the partnership between the University’s local branch and Grupa Azoty Puławy?
Grupa Azoty Puławy is involved in the promotional activities and ceremonies organised by the branch, while being an advisory voice on its collegiate bodies. Some of the classes in technical chemistry are run by employees of Grupa Azoty Puławy and the New Chemical Syntheses Institute, who place a strong emphasis on their practical side. We can also do our internships at Grupa Azoty Puławy.
How, purely objectively, would you evaluate your knowledge and practical skills? Once you graduate, do you think you will be able to take up a job in the profession for which you are being prepared without any concerns? Do you think your qualifications will be sufficient?
It is difficult to objectively evaluate myself. But I can see how much my studies here at the local branch of the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Puławy have given me – I have gained a lot of knowledge and practical skills necessary as the groundwork for further improvement. Of course, I am in my second year of studies and I realise how much learning is still ahead of me. Nevertheless, judging by the level of education I have benefited from so far, I believe I will be genuinely well prepared for my future career. There are also trainee placements before us, which will further enhance our knowledge and allow us to test our skills in practice.