As the organisers themselves recall, the tradition of the competition dates back to 1993 – as a reaction of the Institute of Industrial Design to the flooding of the Polish market with goods from across the newly opened borders. It was supposed to be a way to identify and reward ambitious products from new Polish companies, to distinguish them from foreign and communist junk. At the time, however, even the greatest (even if only from Bydgoszcz) optimists could not have imagined that in less than a decade the history of this premier league of Polish design – just as the best clubs ‘write’ the history of the Champions League – would begin to be co-created by PESA. In 2006, the Bydgoszcz-based manufacturer entered the 218c rail bus in the competition and… immediately won the ‘Good Design’ title. In subsequent editions, but precisely those organised in odd-numbered years, the jury qualified PESA products for the narrow finals: 2007 – the first Polish ‘family’ of 120n, 121n and 122n trams, 2009 – the ATR 220 diesel multiple unit, and in 2011 – the ELFA electric tram. Two years later, a series of the most spectacular successes began. Three ‘Good Design’ titles and one individual ‘Designer of the Year’ title in four years!

‘The Gama Marathon locomotive draws attention with its original, carefully refined body and can therefore fulfil a groundbreaking role in the history of the Polish railway, bringing high aesthetic value to its image, influencing the prestige of the carrier and the satisfaction of travellers. The design of the locomotive was subordinated to the stylistic concept, and this assumption made it possible to achieve a new quality. The exterior was carefully refined. The construction of the surfaces, their fluidity and logical transitions between the front and profile views, the consistent design of the side windows, or the well thought-out divisions of the panels, are all evidence of the designer’s skill. The attention to detail deserves praise: the headlights have been given the character of combination lights, just like in cars. Although the aesthetic value of the interior is irrelevant to the perception of the vehicle in the public space, it is worth pointing out that modern requirements place workplace aesthetics almost on a par with ergonomics and its level of technical sophistication. Without hesitation, it can be said that the Gama Marathon locomotive meets the requirements of the modern age. It responds to the global trend and contemporary expectations of how this type of vehicle should function in the public space, which have long since gone beyond purely utilitarian values to include visual qualities.’

Between 1994 and 1998, he studied at the Faculty of Industrial Design of the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. In 2006, he received a diploma from the Faculty of Architecture and Industrial Design at the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk, while in 2010, at the same Faculty, he defended his doctoral thesis in industrial design entitled ‘Design of rail vehicle fronts’. In 2010, at the same faculty, he defended his doctorate in industrial design under the title ‘Design of rail vehicle fronts’. Since 2005, he has been employed at PESA on the recommendation of Marek Adamczewski, professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk, whose design team cooperated with the Bydgoszcz-based company. He is the head of the Industrial Design Department in the company’s Research and Development Department and the creator of over a dozen rail vehicle designs. His first project for Pesa was the appearance of the 218M diesel multiple unit, followed by the exterior and interior design of the Elf family electric multiple unit and the exterior design of the Swing tram. Subsequently, he designed the silhouettes of the Twist, Foxtrot, Krakowiak and Jazz trams, the EMUs of the Acatus II and Acatus Plus families, the DMUs of the Atribo and Link families, the 611M and 630M broad gauge diesel vehicles, the Gama locomotives and the Sundeck family of double-decker cars. In 2014-2015, together with his team, he designed the exterior and interior of the EZT Dart, which completed Pesa’s previous styling line started by the Elfa and evolved in the later Link and Gama vehicles. Since 2010, he has been teaching design at the University of Technology and Life Sciences in Bydgoszcz.

Excerpt from the jury’s verdict: ‘The tram was made for Krakow. It has an efficient propulsion system: acceleration optimal for ride comfort; reduced braking distance; energy recovered during braking is used during start-up, acceleration or breakdown. The floor at the entrance is 300-350 mm above the rail. A wheelchair ramp allows disabled passengers to travel and improves passenger exchange. Online diagnosis of the vehicle’s condition is possible.
The longest tram in Poland is distinguished by its elegance. Gentle lines, consistent horizontal divisions with a large area of glazing and a lowered silhouette contribute positively to the uniformity of the body. Inside, the colour scheme of the seats and the graphically successful logo on the backrests make a positive impression. The jury awarded the Dobry Wzór award for the tram’s exceptional ability to meet the requirements of the present day: the design of the tram for a specific client such as the city of Krakow, as evidenced by the comfort devices, advanced passenger information system, availability of USB connections and consideration for the needs of cyclists – taking into account the user experience. Such a means of public transport will certainly have a positive impact on the image of the city.The 2014N ‘Krakowiak’ low-floor tram, manufactured by PESA Bydgoszcz S.A. deserves to be singled out, as it has been designed and manufactured by Polish entrepreneurs, in an innovative and daring way, meeting global standards, while at the same time taking great care to meet Krakow’s specific transport needs, which proves that PESA, being a brand strongly recognised abroad and winning new markets, is ready to meet the needs of its local customers with the utmost care. 2014N ‘Krakowiak’ is the longest (42.83 m) tram produced in the country.’

Excerpt from the jury’s verdict: ‘The first push-pull double-decker trainset of Polish construction, consisting of a control car, middle carriages and locomotive. A good solution for routes with high passenger volumes and for stations with short platforms. The two-level, compartmentless interior of the carriages allows optimum use of passenger space. A number of new styling and material solutions were used in the design of the train. Maximum speed: 160 km/h. The most efficient train set to date, which meets the transport needs of dynamically developing urban areas. Particularly noteworthy is the overall functional solution for the interior of the carriages, which meet all ergonomic standards despite the difficult and restrictive boundary conditions imposed by the existing railway system in Poland, which determines the dimensions of the vehicle’.

Since 1989, the Swedish Steel Prize (also known as the Steel Oscar) has been honouring those who, in the words of the competition organisers, ‘go the extra mile to improve their own business, industry and society through the innovative use of steel’. The award honours good engineering, collaboration and knowledge sharing and aims to inspire innovation that leads to a better and more sustainable world. The idea is to spread knowledge about high-strength steel and how it can be used to develop lighter, safer and more environmentally friendly products.

In 2013, PESA, still a decade away from repairing and upgrading to designing and producing its own vehicles, was among the four finalists along with Australian trailer manufacturer Tuff Trailers Pty Ltd, with Swiss cookware manufacturer Condeco and with US-based Mack Trucks Inc. – owned by Volvo – which specialises in truck suspensions. It was this that was awarded the ‘Steel Oscar’ in the 2013 edition, but PESA’s nomination to the final four was itself a historic achievement.

The judges justified it as follows, among other things: ‘Using high-tech high-strength steel, PESA has produced a new railcar body. It is the only commercially available diesel passenger trainset that has successfully passed all four crash tests stipulated by the new European standards. The design uses high-strength steel, which allows for a significant increase in the amount of energy absorbed in the event of a collision.’.

A prestigious award from the Financial Times newspaper in the ‘Entrepreneurship’ category. The importance of this achievement – not only for PESA, but also for the entire Polish industry – is demonstrated by the fact that one of the oldest and most opinion-forming daily newspapers in the world has never before awarded this prize to any company from Central and Eastern Europe. As a measure of the prestige of PESA’s success, there were also its competitors in the finalist stakes: Twitter, the US oil company Continental Resources, the Internet service Airbnb, through which you can book accommodation, and the mobile application Uber, which allows you to rent cars.

PESA was recognised as the ‘diamond’ company of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodeship in a ranking created on the basis of an analysis of thousands of companies in terms of increasing their value and the highest reliability rating.

The excellent idea of the journalists of ‘Puls Biznesu’ to summarise the groundbreaking quarter of a century in the history of Poland in economic terms with individual and collective awards, brought great satisfaction to the employees of PESA Bydgoszcz. The award ‘Polish Brand in the World’ was given to the leader of the rail vehicle industry for the best foreign expansion in – one could say – the ‘Open’ category, as among all companies in our country. At the time, PESA was active in the highly competitive field of technologically advanced products and was present on the markets of Italy, Russia, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Ukraine, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Belarus and even Kazakhstan, and had already built vehicles for Germany.

In London, the award of the British Public Transport Organisation’s ‘Light Rail Awards’ in the ‘Manufacturer of the Year’ category in the competition held under the auspices of the renowned trade magazine ‘Tramways & Urban Transit’ was a success in a field of renowned rolling stock manufacturers. In fact, PESA came out ahead of such well-known brands as Bombardier or CAF, convincing the competition jury. The jurors appreciated the broad product portfolio (especially the range of vehicle configurations), the flexibility in responding to customer demand, the active presence on the European tram market and the use of modern solutions and technologies; including IT.

The iF Design Award is one of the most prestigious design competitions in the world. Projects are submitted in 7 main areas: Product, Packaging, Communication, Interior Design, Product Concepts, Services and Architecture. The award has been presented since 1954. For the ‘2016 edition, 5295 products and projects from 53 countries were submitted, with the gala ceremony taking place at the BMW Welt centre in Munich. A 58-member international jury bringing together recognised global specialists – experts in industrial design – declared the PesaDART train – produced for PKP Intercity and at the time already in operation on long-distance services – the winner in the ‘Communication’ category (i.e. in 2016 the best-designed – most beautiful and functional – rail vehicle). The PesaDART is the first Polish composite train of the Inter City standard, reaching speeds of 160 km/h and meeting the latest European safety standards.