Institute for Ecology of Industrial Areas (IETU)
Kossutha st 6
40-844 Katowice, Poland                  
Tel.: +48 (0)32 254 60 31
Fax: +49 (0)32 254 17 17
www.ietu.katowice.pl
ietu@ietu.katowice.pl

Managing Director: Mr. Jan Skowronek
BEn-Project Leader: Mr. Janusz Krupanek

The "Institute for Ecology of Industrial Areas" (Instytut Ekologii Terenów Uprzemysłowionych IETU) is a research and development unit acting under the Polish Ministry of Environment. The Institute was established in 1972 as a Katowice Branch of the Institute of Environmental Protection. IETU has been functioning as an independent organisation under its present name since 1992. The goal of the scientific and research activities of the Institute are to develop the scientific basis for policies and strategies aimed at sustainable development especially of the environment of urbanised and industrialised areas.

IETU role is to serve as a scientific and research facility reporting to the Minister of Environment, as well as an advisory unit and provider of expert knowledge to the Ministry of Environment, State Inspection of Environmental Protection and other relevant regulatory bodies, governmental administration units, local governments and industries all over Poland.

IETU staff consists of 101 member including 67 researchers who represent a variety of disciplines: environmental engineering, chemistry, biology, microbiology, ecology, environmental management, computer sciences, physics, public communication.

IETU has been involved in realisation of project for the Economic Commission for Europe and European Union in 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th RT&D FP in areas of environmental protection and innovativeness. IETU also performed international projects for the World Health Organisation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy.

Besides conducting research projects, IETU is provider of consulting and services. The scope of our activities includes environmental audits, environmental impact assessments (EIA), water supply and wastewater discharge assessments, waste management programmes, environmental action plans, etc.
IETU promotes environmentally friendly social behaviour, innovativeness and initiates actions aimed at improving the quality of life through educational projects, publications and promotion of scientific outcomes.

IETU has experience in coordinating actions linking science with policies and practice. IETU coordinates the International Scientific Thematic Network on Environmental Technologies – ENVITECH–Net. The key objectives of the Network are focused on the consolidation of the Europe's R&D potential to boost the research and development of eco-innovations as a support for the implementation of the Environmental Technology Action Plan (ETAP) on European, national and regional level. IETU in that respect is also coordinating Polish Environmental Technologies Platform, acting as a cooperation platform between scientific organizations and business. The Platform’s activities concentrate on the mobilization of financial resources for the development and implementation of environmental technologies and a broad promotion of eco-innovations among consumers, producers and decision- makers