On August 5, a press conference was held at the National Centre for Nuclear Research (NCBJ) to discuss the granting of a new, indefinite licence to operate the MARIA research reactor. The conference was one of Minister Motyka's first public appearances after taking office.

The event was attended by the Minister of Energy, Miłosz Motyka, the Acting Director of the NCBJ, Prof. Agnieszka Pollo, the Deputy Director for Nuclear Safety and Radiological Protection, Grzegorz Krzysztoszek, M.Sc. and the Director of the Nuclear Facilities Operation Department, Paweł Nowakowski, M.Sc.

During his speech, he emphasised that the indefinite licence to operate the MARIA reactor is an unprecedented event in the history of the Polish nuclear power industry. - This is an extremely important moment both for the economy and for the development of science, medicine and industry - said the Minister.

He also pointed out that the MARIA reactor plays a key role in the production of radioisotopes used in nuclear medicine and in training personnel for the developing Polish nuclear power industry. - Reactor modernisation is underway and will be completed in 2027. Upon its completion, MARIA will be able to operate at full power for another 20 years - he emphasised.

Prof. Agnieszka Pollo, Acting Director of the NCBJ, expressed her satisfaction with the new licence. - The reactor is currently being prepared for the restart. We hope to be able to see the characteristic Cherenkov radiation today - she said.

Prof. Pollo drew attention to the many months of preparation that had been successfully completed thanks to the work of a team of NCBJ scientists and engineers. She also reiterated the broad spectrum of the Institute's activities - from fundamental research, through materials physics, to advanced engineering projects, carried out at a world-class level.

Speaking to journalists, Director Pollo also spoke about the importance of the MARIA reactor, plans for the development of the HTGR-POLA high-temperature reactor, the production of new radioisotopes under the CERAD project, and the ambitious prospects for the scientific development of NCBJ.

An extremely important issue raised by both Minister Miłosz Motyka and Director Pollo was the financing of the activities of scientific units and research infrastructures, seen from the perspective of NCBJ's needs and, more broadly, in the context of Polish science.