In the shadow of major technology launches and global conferences, an event was held at the Ministry of Digitalisation that reminds us that the foundation of digital transformation is made up of people – experts whose work, seemingly invisible, underpins the work of a modern state.
On 7 July, Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski presented Badges of Honour for Distinguished Service to Electronic Communications to two figures who have been guarding the precision and security of time synchronisation systems for years: Dr Włodzimierz Lewandowski and Tomasz Widomski. This is only the second and third such award in history.
Time and frequency are concepts that rarely feature in public debate. Yet the functioning of financial, energy, telecommunications, critical infrastructure and – increasingly – modern defence systems depends on the stability and security of their measurement. In a world where every millisecond can be of strategic importance, Poland has reason to be proud.
Dr Lewandowski is an internationally accomplished metrologist, one of the few Poles participating in the editorial work of ITU sectors. His experience has been crucial in, among other things, the development of Galileo, the European alternative to GPS, and the reform of the Central Office of Weights and Measures.
Tomasz Widomski, on the other hand, is an example of the successful synergy of science and entrepreneurship. For years, he has been working on secure synchronisation techniques in computer networks – including fault-tolerant versions of Galileo – and cyber security of metrology. In the age of distributed IT/OT infrastructure, his work is becoming the foundation of digital resilience. Read an interview with Tomasz Widomski, published in our pages, on the topic of synchronisation.
Both laureates represent a community that rarely makes the headlines – yet is responsible for the precision of systems without which the digital economy would not exist. Presenting them with awards is not only a symbolic gesture – it is also a signal that Poland is beginning to take time and timing technologies seriously as strategic state assets.
I believe that this is an accolade for our entire community working on time-related issues and whose representatives have gathered at today’s ceremony.
“I would also like to underline the fact that the authorities of the Republic increasingly appreciate the technology of satellite navigation systems. This is very important, because it is a powerful technology affecting the economic development of our country and its security in these turbulent times. I hope that we will move together faster and faster down the path of greater Polish participation in the great European Galileo system.” – said Wlodzimierz Lewandowski.
“I regard this award as a great honour and an obligation for Polish scientists and entrepreneurs. What Dr Lewandowski and I have achieved over the last two decades is not solely due to the two of us. It is the joint success of our teams, of the people who have supported us during this time. We have abandoned all complexes and managed to join the elite group of scientists who represent the G7 economies. On a daily basis, we are discussing very serious problems, including ones that we could not have imagined even 30 years ago could determine our security and especially the security of our future based on digital transformation.” – Tomasz Widomski said.
