Will I be able to find a job after studying medical biotechnology? Does this degree provide practical skills? Do I need to know from the outset whether I want to work in a laboratory, a biotechnology company, clinical research or business? These were among the questions asked by students from general and technical high schools who took part in the Horizons of Biotechnology workshops held at the headquarters of Rezon Bio in Duchnice.
The report “Kadry dla biotechnologii. Potrzeby młodych ludzi” [Workforce for Biotechnology. The Needs of Young People], developed through collaborative work involving representatives of academia, public administration, the biotechnology sector and high schools is the outcome of the workshops. Participants represented, among others, the University of Warsaw, the University of Wrocław, Jagiellonian University, the Warsaw University of Life Sciences, the University of Lodz, Lodz University of Technology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, the Medical University of Gdańsk, the National Centre for Research and Development, the Polish Association of Innovative Medical Biotechnology Companies BioInMed, the Polish Investment and Trade Agency, Rezon Bio, as well as Artes Liberales High School and Technical Secondary School No. 27 in Warsaw. The University of Lodz was represented by Dr Angela Dziedzic, Dr Anna Jasińska and Kamila Knol-Michałowska from the Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection.
Horizons of Biotechnology is an initiative of Rezon Bio aimed at supporting the development of the entire biotechnology sector in Poland. It brings together universities, employers, public administration bodies and high schools to ensure that decisions concerning the future of the industry and its workforce are based on data, dialogue and a genuine understanding of the needs of the market, academia and young people.
The first workshops, organised in autumn 2025, focused on the needs of students, universities and employers. Participants highlighted, among other issues, the need for a greater number of practical classes, clearer career pathways and a better alignment of graduates’ competences with labour market expectations. Their conclusions were compiled in the report "Kadry dla biotechnologii. Potrzeby na styku uczelni, osób studiujących i pracodawców" [Workforce for Biotechnology: The Needs at the Intersection of Universities, Students and Employers].
The subsequent workshops resulted, among other things, in the development of recommendations on how to communicate about biotechnology and the formulation of guidelines for recruitment efforts for biotechnology degree programmes.
Source and photos: Rezon Bio; Dr Angela Dziedzic, Department of General Biochemistry; Dr Anna Jasińska, Department of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz.
Edit: Kamila Knol-Michałowska, Promotion Centre, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz.
