On July 14, the Silesia of the future – 2049 conference was held, during which politicians, government representatives and experts discussed the biggest challenges, opportunities and threats related to the development of AI and the energy transition in Silesia.
„Digitalization issues are of great importance. We must strive for digital independence. Today we don’t have the tools to control Google or Microsoft. If one day Google was run by someone like Putin, Poland would be an easy target for blackmail. We need to build our own skills and competencies in the IT sector,” said Paweł Jabłoński, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.
„The IT giants have a lot of power. Poland should seek to diversify its digital technologies to avoid potential risks, just as it does with its energy supply sources. It will be necessary to create suitable alternatives, although it will be very difficult,” he added.
The issue of fair energy transition in Silesia was also an important topic of discussion during the conference.
„Low-and zero-emission technologies are the future today. However, it is difficult to talk about the future energy mix without the participation of coal. 25 years is too short to get rid of this raw material. We must preserve our energy sovereignty, and coal is its foundation,” emphasized Piotr Pyzik, Deputy Minister of State Assets.
It is worth mentioning that in the spring, Polish MEPs demanded that coking coal be included in the list of critical raw materials, which saved the Polish mining industry from a disaster.
„JSW is the largest producer of coking coal in Europe. It is needed for the production of steel. Without coking coal, there would be no development and energy transformation of Poland and Europe. Steel is needed for the production of wind turbines, photovoltaics, energy storage devices and electric cars. It is true that the green transformation begins a thousand meters underground,” Mariusz Wielkopolan, President of JSW New Projects.
Jacek Perzyński