The Olivia Prize 2024 awards have been presented to the winners. This time, Olivia Centre, the largest Polish business centre, granted 5 main awards and 3 special distinctions. The official gala, during which the statuettes were handed out, took place on the 34th floor of Olivia Star. The 2024 edition was held under the honorary patronage of the Daniel Fahrenheit Union of Universities in Gdańsk and the United Nations Global Compact Network Poland.
Expanded Format and Jury Panel
Olivia Centre, the largest business hub in Poland, has been awarding the most innovative business and social initiatives since 2020. This year, the organizers decided to expand the formula by also awarding promising scientists from the Pomeranian region and a national business support institution.
The jury deciding on the winners for 2024 initiatives included: Marta Moksa (O4 Coworking), Prof. Sylwia Mrozowska, PhD (Univentum Labs), Jolanta Szydłowska (Gdańsk Foundation for Management Education), Grzegorz Borowski (Infoshare), Paweł Jemioł (Nordea), Mateusz Kusznierewicz, multiple Polish sailing medalist, and Remigiusz Wojciechowski (Bayer).
Olivia Impact 2024 – Business Driving Growth
The main award in the Olivia Impact 2024 category, granted to companies and projects that significantly contribute to business development, was given to the Pomeranian Development Agency for its consistently implemented Invest in Pomerania program, which supports the investment attractiveness of the region.
A special distinction in this category went to the team behind the ARCO by Paco Pérez and Treinta y Tres restaurants, along with head chef Antonio Arcieri, for earning numerous prestigious international accolades (a Michelin star and Bib Gourmand distinction, La Liste, The Best Chef Awards, Star Wine List, Best of Award of Excellence). The recognition of these restaurants has had a major impact on promoting Gdańsk on the global culinary map, as well as fostering the growth of numerous local suppliers.
Olivia Harmony – Projects with Heart
In the Olivia Harmony category, which recognises initiatives with the greatest social impact, the main award went to Capgemini Poland. The award was presented for the "O, Christmas Tree!" initiative, which fulfilled holiday wishes of children at the Janusz Korczak Care Home in Gdańsk Oliwa, and the planting of 9,000 trees by over 200 employees across six locations in the Pomeranian Voivodeship.
A distinction in this category was awarded to Aspire Systems Poland for a wide range of environmental, charitable, and health-related initiatives, both physical and mental. The jury highlighted the scale of Aspire’s pro-social and ecological efforts – the company carried out five such projects in 2024 alone.
Olivia Everyday Hero – The Power of Individual Action
A brand-new competition category was Olivia Everyday Hero, dedicated to an individual for their social engagement. The 2024 award went to Karol Grodzicki from Speeron, who also serves as the Head of IT at the General Headquarters of the Polish Scouting and Guiding Association (ZHP). The jury recognized Karol’s commitment to the Safe from Harm initiative, aimed at preventing violence against children, including delivering online training via an e-learning platform to over 20,000 ZHP staff members.
Olivia Connect – Bringing Business Leaders Together
For supporting the business services sector in Poland and organizing one of the country's most important business conferences, Follow the Leaders, in Gdańsk, the Olivia Connect 2024 award went to Pro Progressio. For years, this organization has been connecting and promoting entrepreneurs, supporting their growth, organizing numerous business events, and publishing reports and analyses that help identify business trends, opportunities, and risks in Poland.
Olivia Hero of the Future – Science Serving Tomorrow
For the first time in the award's history, Olivia Hero of the Future was introduced to support and promote innovative projects by Pomeranian scientists. The category was organized in partnership with the Daniel Fahrenheit Union of Universities in Gdańsk, comprising the Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk University of Technology, and the University of Gdańsk.
The main prize for 2024 projects went to the team of Dr. Eng. Paweł Mazierski, Dr. Eng. Anna Gołąbiewska, Dr. Eng. Beata Bajorowicz, and Dr. Eng. Anna Malankowska. The award recognized their R&D work on advanced photocatalytic technologies designed to purify air and water, optimizing processes while reducing energy consumption. The effectiveness of these solutions was tested for removing various air pollutants, including volatile organic compounds (toluene), nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, and microorganisms such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and bacteriophages (with structures resembling the SARS-CoV-2 virus).
In this category, the jury also awarded a special distinction to a team consisting of Dr. Ulana Juhas, Dr. Andżelika Borkowska, Joanna Reczkowicz, MSc, and Zuzanna Margas, MSc Eng. Their project, INFLASCOPE, is an intelligent SaaS-based system for inflammation prediction and analysis using routine blood tests, powered by AI and machine learning. The model contributes to identifying inflammation trends and predicting the risk of chronic diseases, such as atherosclerosis, chronic heart failure, or cancer.
Olivia Prize – Expanding Reach and Social Impact
“Olivia Prize is growing stronger every year, which is extremely important for us as organizers,” says Bogusław Wieczorek, Board Representative at Olivia Centre. “What began as a project to support companies operating within Olivia has evolved into an award platform spanning the entire region and supporting numerous socially beneficial initiatives. We are proud to be supported by such esteemed partners as the Fahrenheit Union of Universities and the UN Global Compact Network Poland. Their involvement helps the awarded projects gain broader exposure and support – especially those that drive business development, promote environmental and charitable causes, or foster scientific progress.”
source: ultrarelations.com
photos: Krzysztof Nowosielski
