ORLEN and ORLEN Unipetrol invite young tech companies from Slovakia and abroad to collaborate

Young technology companies can submit their applications to ORLEN Group’s acceleration programme, Skylight Accelerator, until 2 April. In this programme, the ORLEN Group publishes areas and calls for which it looks for technology and business partners.

The programme has been organised since 2021. Technology companies from Slovakia can also register for the current round. Three rounds of calls are published on average each year. Other calls for cooperation will be published in summer and autumn. Those interested will find all the information on the ORLEN Unipetrol website.

Both ORLEN and ORLEN Unipetrol want to become carbon neutral by 2050 at the latest. To fulfil this vision, they take gradual steps as part of the development strategy adopted until 2030. To accomplish the objectives of this strategy, the groups seek to use the best technologies and be engaged in developing other technologies that will enable them to meet these ambitious goals effectively. These activities include the ORLEN Skylight Accelerator programme for young tech entities from the Slovak Republic and abroad that want to expand and commercialise their innovative solutions together with ORLEN and ORLEN Unipetrol Group companies. The accelerator has been organised since 2021. Nine recruitment rounds have already been held. The result was the establishment of cooperation with almost 30 start-ups offering the most innovative technologies and over 200 calls have been announced in areas such as retail, logistics, safety, production, and energy.

In the jubilee tenth round, ORLEN and ORLEN Unipetrol are looking for startups to collaborate on 20 technology and business calls in the following sectors: Industry 4.0, secure and innovative organisation, modern station and customer of the future, efficient and low-emission power generation. Applications for the acceleration programme can be submitted by 2 April 2024 using a form on the ORLEN Unipetrol website.

The participating entities can obtain many benefits, including real-world tests of the designed solutions within the ORLEN Group’s infrastructure, funding to prepare and execute the pilot implementation, and hands-on insights thanks to support from experts and mentors in developing, improving, or adapting their solutions to specific operational conditions. If their projects are successfully trialled, the startups can get funds and an opportunity to start commercial cooperation.

The ORLEN Unipetrol Group is the largest refining and petrochemical company in the Czech Republic. It focuses on crude oil processing and the production, distribution and sale of vehicle fuels and petrochemical products – particularly plastics and fertilisers. It belongs among the key players on the Czech and Central European markets in all these areas. The ORLEN Unipetrol Group encompasses refineries and production plants in Litvínov and Kralupy nad Vltavou, Paramo in Pardubice, Spolana in Neratovice, REMAQ in Otrokovice, and two research centres in Litvínov and Brno. ORLEN Unipetrol also includes the ORLEN Benzina network of petrol stations in the Czech Republic and the ORLEN network in Slovakia and Hungary. ORLEN Unipetrol is one of the largest companies in the Czech Republic in terms of turnover. It employs almost 6,000 people. ORLEN Unipetrol is also a socially responsible company, particularly in the areas of supporting sustainable development, education, local communities and the environment. In 2005, ORLEN Unipetrol became part of the ORLEN Group, the largest oil refiner in Central Europe