EIB extends over PLN 200 million to Poland’s University of Silesia

• Poland’s southern University of Silesia gets PLN 206 million for ambitious expansion of campuses in the cities of Katowice and Cieszyn.
• University plans new scientific and educational facilities, as well as green spaces.
• EIB Group’s flagship TechEU programme supports Poland’s innovation capacity.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) and the University of Silesia have signed a financing agreement worth PLN 206 million. This will allow the university based in Poland’s southern city of Katowice to renovate and expand two of its campuses, adding an interdisciplinary chemical laboratory, a biotechnology and biodiversity centre, green spaces and parking facilities. This is the latest agreement concluded in Poland under TechEU, the EIB Group's flagship programme to foster innovation, develop advanced technologies and boost the European Union’s economic competitiveness.

"Poland needs a new development model based on knowledge – and its universities have an important role to play in educating the workforce, stimulating innovation and bolstering overall competitiveness. Support for the University of Silesia is part of the EIB’s consistent policy of actively investing in innovation, digitalisation and human capital. Through the TechEU programme, we want to foster even closer links between universities and business, so that the best ideas from our laboratories can successfully develop into efficient enterprises that enhance economic strength of the Polish economy and of Europe as a whole,” said EIB Vice-President Teresa Czerwińska.

New university buildings will be equipped with photovoltaic panels, heat pumps and advanced water retention systems to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase climate resilience. The University of Silesia also plans to develop an attractive green space open to the public to integrate its campuses into the broader urban landscape.

“I am very pleased that, after meticulous audits, the EIB confirmed our credibility and eligibility of the University of Silesia for TechEU financing. This agreement opens new funding possibilities for our development programmes,” stressed Rector of the University of Silesia, Ryszard Koziołek.

This is the first agreement concluded with an academic institution in Poland through a higher education programme under TechEU. In the coming years, the EIB aims to provide more than PLN 2.3 billion in preferential financing to public universities and research institutes. Previously, the Jagiellonian University, the Medical University of Warsaw and the Poznań University of Medical Sciences were among academic institutions to have already benefited from the EIB’s support.

Providing resources for the development of campuses, laboratories and research infrastructure, as well as the competencies of academic and research staff, is an important focus of TechEU, the EIB Group’s flagship programme announced earlier this year to promote technological innovation and bolster Europe’s competitiveness. Under the programme, the EIB Group will invest €70 billion by the end of 2027, mobilising total investments of €250 billion in key areas such as AI, biotechnology, clean energy, as well as security and defence. So far in Poland, TechEU funds have supported, among others, ambitious growth of a leading behavioural AI company, Synerise.

Background information  

EIB Group
The European Investment Bank is an EU body created to finance investments that pursue EU policy objectives. Owned by the Member States, its task is to provide long-terms loans aligned with eight core priorities. It works to create a stronger Europe and promote global prosperity by supporting investments in climate and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, social and territorial cohesion, agriculture, social infrastructure development and the capital markets union.

In 2024 the EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund, signed nearly €89 billion in new financing for over 900 high-impact projects, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and security. Approximately half of the EIB’s financing within the European Union is directed towards cohesion regions, where per capita income is lower than the EU average.

Last year, the EIB Group granted Poland €5.7 billion in new financing, almost half of which was allocated to climate and environmental projects, including the energy transition. Between 2020 and 2024, the EIB Group invested a total of PLN 4.44 billion to boost innovation, digitalisation and human capital in Poland.

All projects financed by the EIB Group are in line with the Paris Climate Agreement, as pledged in its Climate Bank Roadmap. Almost 60% of the EIB Group’s annual financing supports projects directly contributing to climate change mitigation, adaptation, and a healthier environment.