Inventions of the 21st century
The 21st century has only just begun, but given the accelerating pace of technical, technological and social change, this incomplete quarter of a century may have produced more innovative solutions than previous centuries.
Here are some of Poland’s most interesting 21st-century inventions.
Asymmetric number systems – a Polish invention that has become the language of world electronics
Jarosław Duda is a professor at the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. In 2006-2014, while still a student, he developed a scientific method called ANS coding. It allows you to compress data on computers and other electronic devices, so that especially large files such as photos or videos will take up less space without losing quality. While working on the method, he presented his achievements in specialized forums, which resulted in an attempt to patent the code by Google. Thanks to the pressure of the environment, the procedure was interrupted. The code, according to the intention of the inventor, began to be used by all interested parties. It found its way to solutions of Linux, Google, Facebook, Apple and countless other entities. In March 2021, the inventor realized that Microsoft had filed a patent application for his developed rANS method in the United States. And what’s more, in January 2022, he received it. Due to the high cost of litigation in the US, Microsoft’s patent could not be revoked.
Multi-segment vertical wind turbines – ecology and economy from Podlasie
Since 2008, Waldemar Piskorz from Podlasie has been working on a new approach to obtaining wind energy. The vertical segmented wind turbine invented by him and his team can generate energy in wind at a speed of 1m/s (this is about 70% less than current windmills), and they are much lower, thanks to which they do not constitute an obstacle to air transport or generate such a lot of noise.
The invention is protected by European patents: EP4248087, EP3129647
Graphene – the material of the future
Graphene made a media sensation a few years ago. Its structure makes it a hundred times stronger than steel, and at the same time extremely light. The Polish contribution to the development of graphene is due to Prof. Włodzimierz Strupiński and his team at the Warsaw University of Technology. They created and patented their own method of producing graphene of the highest quality.
P.391416 right in force
Blue laser – Top-Gan Sp. z o.o. and the High Pressure Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences
The first solid-state laser, based on gallium arsenide (GaAs), was developed more than 40 years ago and converts electrical energy into coherent light. Its colour depends on the material used. The blue laser is based on single crystals of gallium nitride (GaN), but this material does not occur in nature and its production requires more difficult conditions than the production of artificial diamonds..
This is where scientists from the Institute of High Pressure of the Polish Academy of Sciences, who have been working on the technology of obtaining single crystals of gallium nitride since 2001, entered. The specific facilities of the Institute made it possible to develop a revolutionary method thanks to which single crystals of a quality exceeding those created in other laboratories were produced. This method was filed with the Patent Office in 2021 as a “Method of manufacturing a two-dimensional array of semiconductor laser diodes and an array of semiconductor laser diodes” and has been patented since September 4, 2023.
P.437357 – law in force
Otoimplant – middle ear prosthesis
Dr. Magdalena Ziąbka, from the Faculty of Materials Engineering and Ceramics of the AGH University of Science and Technology, together with her research team, developed an innovative middle ear prosthesis. The implant not only allows the reconstruction of the ossicular chain, but also has a bactericidal effect, which promotes convalescence and reduces the risk of infection. The result is improved hearing in a wide range of patients with hearing impairments.
The prosthesis is protected by an international patent in the procedure PCT/PL2013/000069
“Formation method of a middle ear prosthesis” PCT/PL2013/000069
These are just some of the numerous innovations created by Poles. It is also worth reading about the co-founder of OpenAI, who introduced artificial intelligence to wide waters – Wojciech Zaremba, about Lucie Łągiewka, the inventor of the so-called “Łągiewka bumper” using the Accumulation and Dispersion Energy Converter, or about BioCam capsules, which can revolutionize medical research such as colonoscopy and gastroscopy
The Polish contribution to the development of technology can be seen in many industries. Today, it is still often the case that the development of innovative solutions and their commercialization takes place outside our country. We hope that Poland in the 21st century will be equally attractive to inventors, so that they can and want to create a better future for everyone.
Discover the most important Polish inventions of the 20th century >>
