About Us

Through my company - pjb Associates - I have managed numerous projects over the last 25 years that have involved "innovative ways of doing things". For the last 25 years I have also been coming to Katowice. In fact, the first time was to explore the possibility of installing a satellite dish in an educational establishment to receive programmes from a European-wide satellite channel - called Eurostep on the Olympus satellite - launched by the European Space Agency,

The satellite itself was using innovative technology and at the time people in Poland were living in an "information poor" society - just after the breakdown of communism. Offering a TV satellite link with access to western European educational programmes - was keenly sought. Twenty-five years on Poland like the rest of Europe has extensive access to information from TV satellite channels and the Internet - with the World Wide Web.

Over the last 25 years of visiting Katowice, I have seen extensive changes to the area as it has increasingly become "westernised". Looking further into the history of the area - the industrial heartland of Poland - I have discovered that Katowice - within the Silesian Region - has a long tradition innovation particularly in industry, architecture and town planning.

This website is gradually collating information about these historical, present and future innovations that have emerged in the region. It also aims to capture some of the history of the area through these innovations, from an Englishman's perspective. It is hoped that this will be of interest to English speaking visitors as well as local Polish people who may not have realised such historical developments "on their doorstep".

Peter Bates

Do contact me at katowice@pjb.co.uk if you have any comments or interesting ideas to include within the website that will be of interest to others.