Tomasz Szymczak, director of Łukasiewicz – Institute of Aviation, resigned from his position

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The director of the Łukasiewicz – Institute of Aviation, Tomasz Szymczak, has stepped down from his role. His resignation was accepted by Hubert Cichocki, the president of the Łukasiewicz Center, as reported by the Center’s press office.

„This choice was made to benefit the Institute and support its future growth. (…) The Łukasiewicz Center will undertake all necessary measures to guarantee the ongoing operations of the Institute and the achievement of its strategic objectives,” it stated.

Szymczak assumed his role on March 1.

As announced, the responsibilities of the director of the Institute of Aviation will be temporarily taken over by the current deputy director for research, Dr. Sylwester Wyka.

Łukasiewicz Institute of Aviation. What is it?

The Institute of Aviation, part of the Łukasiewicz Research Network, specializes in offering design, engineering, and research services within the fields of aviation and astronautics.

The Institute engages in international collaborations with EU nations and transatlantic partners focusing on aircraft engines, aerodynamics, aircraft structures, and materials research.

Controversy over the selection of a new director

Wirtualna Polska reported on Tuesday regarding the controversy linked to the selection of a new director for the Institute of Aviation. The portal noted that the current director, Paweł Stężycki, whose term began in March 2018, is set to conclude his term on February 28, 2025. It emphasized that the procedure for appointing the director of the Institute of Aviation should follow this format: first, an announcement for competition is issued, next, a committee assembles to rank the candidates. The top-rated candidate then presents to the Council of the Institute of Aviation, after which the president of the Łukasiewicz Center makes the final decision. According to WP, two individuals applied for the director position: Paweł Stężycki and Tomasz Szymczak.

Tomasz Szymczak Radek Pietruszka/PAP

As per the information on the Institute of Aviation’s website, Szymczak possesses over 25 years of managerial experience in both the private and public sectors. A considerable portion of his professional background is in aviation. Most recently, he served as the vice-president of the board at Warsaw-Modlin Mazovian Airport. Between 2008 and 2009, he was the president of the board for Centralwings. WP reported that Paweł Stężycki is a globally recognized expert who has recently received multiple accolades on behalf of the institution, including commendations from the Minister of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz and the Polish Space Agency for developing the world’s first suborbital rocket ILR-33 AMBER 2K, which utilized one of the most environmentally friendly propellants, 98 percent concentrated hydrogen peroxide. WP further stated that the competition committee, whose composition remains undisclosed, rated Tomasz Szymczak’s qualifications higher than those of the two candidates. Consequently, President Cichocki requested the Council of the Institute of Aviation to provide feedback on this single candidacy. The Council consists of five professors with expertise in aviation, representatives from public administration, such as the vice-president of the Civil Aviation Authority and the vice-president of the Polish Space Agency, and business representatives. Among them are directors for Poland of leading global aviation firms, including those specializing in defense – Lockheed Martin, GE Aerospace, Thales, and Northrop Grumman. The council meeting, where the candidate interview occurred, commenced on February 28 of this year. According to the course of the meeting described by the portal, Tomasz Szymczak asserted that he is knowledgeable about management and restructuring. When queried about technical matters, he could not answer any questions. „The president of the Łukasiewicz Center, Hubert Cichocki, who attended the discussion, contended that the candidate is an expert in management, not technology. The council members inquired if the institute was facing difficulties, whether any changes were necessary, or if there were matters they were unaware of – the president, however, asserted that there is always room for improvement,” WP reported. The chairwoman of the council mandated a secret ballot. Twelve votes were cast, with 10 against Szymczak’s appointment, 2 abstentions, and no votes in favor, as reported by WP. Nevertheless, a staff meeting at the Institute of Aviation was organized on the same day at 6 p.m., during which President Cichocki thanked Paweł Stężycki for his service and introduced Tomasz Szymczak as the new director.

Poland an unreliable partner?

According to findings by Polish Army journalists, „the ministries and departments of allied nations responsible for defense are receiving information from their representatives that Poland has become an unreliable partner in the development of military aviation due to the appointment of a political party member lacking any expertise in military technology development as the director of the institute.”

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