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"From Research to Products: Entrepreneurship at the Science-Engineering Intersection - Drones, Guitars, & Beyond"
Abstract:
How do you turn academic insight into products, companies, and a career you actually want? This talk shares a practical playbook for entrepreneurship at the science–engineering intersection — drones, guitars & beyond. I’ll trace the path from a small town in Poland, through research tours at universities around the world, to the international startup I set out to build. Side passions — collecting and building guitars, aerospace technologies & composites, and a love of music — became vehicles for experimentation and, ultimately, several ventures, including RUF Technologies Inc. — an international platform combining multiple brands and ideas (RUF Guitars, RufQC, RUF USA) — culminating in the acquisition and relaunch of Hiscox Cases in Poland. We’ll walk through a repeatable path from Problem → Proof of Concept (PoC) → MVP → Product–Market Fit → Scale, and how to align TRLs with an Investor Readiness Level lens. Attendees will leave with concrete tools, templates, and war stories they can apply in labs, machine shops, and early-stage startups.
Bio:
Rafał Perz, PhD, DSc is an engineer, entrepreneur, and professor at the Warsaw University of Technology. His work links injury biomechanics and UAV systems with composite design and advanced manufacturing. After industry roles and research at the UVa, WUT, Paris Tech, he completed his PhD, and became professor at WUT. He has founded and led several ventures, including RUF Technologies, the international parent of RUF Guitars and the recently acquired Hiscox Cases. He advises R&D teams and startups on moving from idea through PoP/PoC to MVP—and on scaling with the right capital, processes, and talent.
Host:
Dr. Bronek Gepner