On Monday, 23rd October 2023, Hermes Fulfilment, an international logistics company, and the University of Zielona Góra, the largest public university in the Lubusz Voivodeship, established cooperation. The signing of the letter of intent took place in Zielona Góra, where discussions continued regarding the possibilities of organizing internships for students, participating in conferences, and joint research and development projects. During the discussions, both parties emphasized that cooperation between academia and business is one of their priorities.
Today, at the University of Zielona Góra, the Managing Director of Hermes Fulfilment, Joanna Komorowska, and Dr. Eng. Maria Mrówczyńska, Prof. UZ, Vice-Rector for Cooperation with the Economy, signed an agreement on cooperation between the University of Zielona Góra and Hermes Fulfilment Polska.
Hermes Fulfilment is an international logistics company, part of the Otto Group, with warehouses in Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and the Czech Republic. In the first half of 2024, a new logistics center in Iłowa, Lubusz Voivodeship, will be inaugurated, making it one of the most modern facilities of its kind in Europe. The University of Zielona Góra is seeking experienced business partners to continually develop its staff and students and build potential in research and development projects.
"The Otto Group collaborates with innovative companies from around the world, often bridging the academic and business worlds. We are expanding in Poland and want to share our experiences and knowledge. We plan to encourage students to choose our organization to develop their skills and take further steps in their careers. The logistics center will implement solutions based on artificial intelligence and machine learning on a large scale and innovative tools in the field of automation and robotics," said Joanna Komorowska.
Representatives of the University of Zielona Góra, where over 9,000 students study in over 60 fields, also see benefits for the university in cooperation with an international company.
"I believe that today's agreement is a precursor to long-term cooperation with Hermes Fulfilment. It shows that as a unit, we have the necessary scientific and organizational background to add value for international companies, we have staff capable of meeting business needs, and our students are valued in the job market," said Prof. Maria Mrówczyńska. "I am convinced that with the diversity of studies and specializations conducted, there will be a variety of areas of cooperation - both in technology and in the humanities," she added.
The University of Zielona Góra educates students in many fields, for which the logistics center in the Żagań County may be a place where they will take their first professional steps. Here, they will be able to put into practice the skills they have acquired and test joint solutions developed by students and university staff.
"We are expanding our center and our recruitment needs are very broad. We are looking for specialists from various fields, we have a wide range of job offers. At the moment, we employ over 500 people, but ultimately there will be several times more. This is an opportunity for those who join our team, and I encourage you to do so," added Joanna Komorowska.
Hermes Fulfilment is part of the Otto Group. The logistics center in Konin Żagański, near Iłowa, will consist of nine halls with a total area of 118,000 square meters and will ship 80 million products annually, mainly electronics, clothing, and home furnishings. The company is headquartered in Hamburg, had a turnover of 2.54 billion euros in the 2020-21 fiscal year, and employed 18,200 workers.
Photographs: K. Adamczewski
