2ND 3W CONGRESS
On December 7 and 8, 2022 the Crowne Plaza Warsaw became a place of meeting and discussion by experts, scientists, lecturers, economists, representatives of business, media, local governments and many others. 15 thematic panels, 3 lecture halls and nearly 100 speakers, inspiring discussions, keynotes and lectures gathered nearly 500 listeners and attracted 35 editors.
The 2nd 3W Congress brought together all the environments we have been working with since the initiative’s inception: representatives of business, science, state administration, as well as representatives of legislative institutions and NGOs.
Tim Marshall, a geopolitics expert and author of the book “Prisoners of Geography”, was a special guest at the 2nd Congress. This is a particularly socially relevant topic that we have been raising since the beginning of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. The special guest gave a lecture on how countries’ positions are affected by their location on the world map and briefly referred to three resources.
– We need new technologies. Human ingenuity and brilliance lead to visions of a better future, and the fact that the 3W conference is taking place here today confirms that Poland wants to seize its advantage. You have experts who understand this potential – said Tim Marshall.
3W sector report
One of the highlights was the launch of the 3W report “Water, hydrogen, carbon: the resources that built and are changing the world”. We collected data on the 3W sector in the report that confirmed the real potential of this industry. A lot of attention has been paid in it to resource synergy which has been key since the initiative’s inception. In the study, we will read, among other things, about how the 3W idea will affect the quality of life of society, how it will help solve problems such as dwindling drinking water supplies, the need for energy transition or physical security in an era of geopolitical instability. The report is available at idea3w.org/raport-3w.
Three resources, dozens of voices
The main stage featured a presentation by scientists from the Warsaw University of Technology about the synergy of water, hydrogen and carbon nanotechnologies, followed by representatives from the science world talking about how their environments create 3W innovations. We also enabled entrepreneurs to speak, without whom the Polish economy and the latest technologies would not develop – and for this reason they are particularly close to the 3W initiative. There was also room for startups whose representatives could discuss their positive impact on sustainability.
We talked a lot about water which was a subject of two thematic panels: “Droughts, floods and pollution – key challenges of Polish water policy” and “Can new technologies make sure we will not run out of water?” Together with our experts, we sought answers to the question of whether Poland has a chance to become a hydrogen leader and consistently fought the myth of coal in the panel “Carbon vs coal – or shattering myths about coal.” There were also expert opinions on the issue of R&D funding or legislative changes that the 3W area needs, and how to conduct communication to convince people of the green lifestyle.
We also took a look at the role of local governments. We invited several representatives of local authorities to talk about ongoing projects that fit in with the 3W Idea. Among other things, we discussed passive building estates powered by renewable energy sources, the creation of hydrogen municipalities and ways to ensure the biggest possible energy independence at the local level. Local government representatives also had the opportunity to take part in workshops on public speaking.