Poland’s research sector spans public institutes, universities, medical research centers, and deep-tech companies operating at the intersection of science, data, and regulation. Cybersecurity leaders in this space are responsible not only for protecting sensitive research data and intellectual property, but also for ensuring compliance, continuity, and trust across academic, medical, and innovation ecosystems. The professionals featured below reflect the growing importance of cybersecurity leadership within Poland’s research and innovation landscape.
Renata Podlewska — Director’s Representative for Information Security, Regional Blood Donation and Blood Treatment Center in Poznań
Renata Podlewska currently serves as the Director’s Representative for Information Security at the Regional Blood Donation and Blood Treatment Center in Poznań, a role focused on overseeing information security governance, compliance, and risk management in a highly regulated medical and research environment. Alongside this role, she is an academic lecturer at multiple Polish universities, including the University of Economics in Katowice and the Poznań University of Economics and Business, and has extensive experience as a Data Protection Officer and CISO across research institutes, medical universities, and technology organizations.
Mariusz Rząsa — Chief Information Security Officer, Ingenix.ai
Mariusz Rząsa is the CISO at Ingenix.ai, bringing a background that blends applied research, AI security, and enterprise cybersecurity leadership. His career includes senior security engineering roles at Snowflake, prior CISO responsibilities at Applica, and long-standing experience in IT and security management, positioning him at the intersection of machine learning, cloud security, and modern research-driven technology platforms.
Maciej Handwerker — Senior Director of Cybersecurity Operations and Engineering, Fortrea
Maciej Handwerker is the Senior Director of Cybersecurity Operations and Engineering at Fortrea, where he leads global security operations with a strong focus on threat intelligence and incident response. With prior leadership experience at Jacobs, he has built and managed large-scale security operations capabilities, contributing to the protection of research-intensive and life sciences environments through operational excellence and strategic security leadership.
Krzysztof Kulka — Principal Security Lead, IntoDNA
Krzysztof Kulka is the Principal Security Lead at IntoDNA, specializing in building practical, engineering-driven security programs for small and medium organizations in regulated research and biotech environments. His work spans cloud and infrastructure security, GxP and SOC 2 compliance, risk and privacy management, vulnerability management, and business continuity, with a strong emphasis on measurable outcomes and security programs that directly support scientific and operational objectives.
Cybersecurity Leadership Powering Research and Innovation
In research-driven organizations, cybersecurity is a foundational enabler of innovation, data integrity, and public trust. The leaders highlighted here operate across healthcare research, academic institutions, AI platforms, and biotech, ensuring that sensitive data, experimental systems, and intellectual property remain secure. Together, they represent the growing role of cybersecurity leadership in strengthening Poland’s research ecosystem and supporting its long-term scientific and technological advancement.