Director Łukasiewicz – ICI

Prof. Rafał Marcin Łukasik is a chemical engineer whose career bridges scientific excellence, policy advice, and international cooperation. Most recently, he served as the Director of the Research, Innovation and Commercialisation Department at Łukasiewicz Centre, that is a part of Łukasiewicz Research Network, and serves as the Presidential Plenipotentiary for International Relations. In 2025, he was appointed to the Group of Chief Scientific Advisors to the European Commission, where he contributes independent, evidence-based recommendations on critical challenges for European Union. He also sits on the Executive Board of EARTO, actively shaping European strategies for research and technology organizations. At the national level, he is a member of the General Council for Science and Higher Education and advises the Polish Ministry of Science on the promotion of Polish science abroad and on the development of research infrastructures as well as on updating the National Science Policy.

Before returning to Poland in 2023, he spent nearly 20 years advancing his career in Portugal, primarily at the National Laboratory of Energy and Geology (LNEG), where, as a senior researcher, he led projects in the fields of bioenergy, biofuels, and the circular economy. He also collaborated with the European Commission (DG RTD) on the development of research infrastructure and innovation funding, as well as with European technology platforms such as ETIP Bioenergy. His research interests include green chemistry, renewable energy, and biorefineries, and his scientific work has influenced both technological development and public policy.

Prof. Łukasik earned his Ph.D. and habilitation in chemical engineering at NOVA University in Lisbon, and in 2022 he was awarded the title of professor of engineering and technical sciences in Poland. He is the author of over 130 scientific publications cited more than 8,000 times, two books, numerous chapters in monographs, and six patents, including international ones. His body of work, which combines scientific research, innovation, and consulting, places him among Europe’s leading experts who effectively bridge the worlds of science, technology, and policy.