Polish Academy of Sciences, Łukasiewicz and research institutes – what is the difference?

Polish Academy of Sciences institutes

The scientific institutes of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN) operate under the Act on the Polish Academy of Sciences. They conduct research and may confer degrees and train doctoral candidates if they are authorised to do so. According to the POL-on register, 69 of them are operating.

Łukasiewicz Research Network

The Network consists of the Łukasiewicz Centre and the institutes operating within it. The Act on the Łukasiewicz Research Network sets out its aims: research important for state policy and the transfer of its results to the economy. Number of Network institutes in the register: 24.

Research institutes

Research institutes operate under the Act on Research Institutes and are supervised by the relevant ministers. They carry out research and development work, usually for a specific sector. There are 70 of them in the register.

A common evaluation

All these institutions, like universities, undergo the evaluation of the quality of research activity and receive categories in their disciplines. Each institute’s categories are shown on its page in the Institutes section.

Sources

• Ustawa z dnia 30 kwietnia 2010 r. o Polskiej Akademii Nauk (Dz.U. 2010 nr 96 poz. 619)
• Ustawa z dnia 21 lutego 2019 r. o Sieci Badawczej Łukasiewicz – tekst jednolity (Dz.U. 2026 poz. 194)
• Ustawa z dnia 30 kwietnia 2010 r. o instytutach badawczych (Dz.U. 2010 nr 96 poz. 618)
• Ustawa z dnia 20 lipca 2018 r. – Prawo o szkolnictwie wyższym i nauce (Dz.U. 2018 poz. 1668)
• RAD-on – Raporty, analizy, dane o nauce i szkolnictwie wyższym (OPI PIB)

Sources are in Polish. Figures from the register as of 6 November 2026; checked: 2026-11-06.