Month: May 2026

Talks at the Olivia Summit. Geopolitics and economy between the US, Europe and China

Posted on by Katarzyna Halicka

An extremely important meeting is behind us. On 8 May, the “Summit Talks” were held in Olivia once again, the main topic of which was geopolitics and the economy between the US, Europe and China.

 

In a world of rapid geopolitical shifts, it is becoming increasingly clear that relations between the US, Europe and China today define not only trade or international politics. Access to technology, security of supply chains, the pace of innovation, the stability of economies and the competitiveness of companies and countries depend on their shape. Global competition is moving to the level of strategic raw materials, artificial intelligence, energy, cybersecurity, and control over key technologies of the future.

 

It is no longer a question of whether the world is entering a new phase of geopolitical reconstruction, but of how quickly companies, institutions and countries will be able to adapt to the new architecture of global dependencies.

 

The event organized by the Employers of Pomerania brought together people who have been co-creating the Polish debate on the world, security and the place of Europe in the dynamically changing balance of power for years.

 

The debate was moderated by journalist Agnieszka Lichnerowicz, and among the participants were:

  • Małgorzata Bonikowska, PhD – an expert on geopolitics and US-EU-China relations, president of the Centre for International Relations and co-founder of THINKTANK, who has been analysing the impact of global changes on the security and competitiveness of the West for years,
  • Prof. Bogdan Góralczyk – political scientist, sinologist, diplomat and one of the most respected Polish experts on China and East Asia,
  • Janusz Reiter – diplomat, former ambassador of the Republic of Poland to Germany and the USA, founder of the Centre for International Relations, for decades actively participating in shaping Polish strategic reflection and transatlantic relations,
  • Lieutenant Colonel dr hab. n. Med. Jacek Siewiera – former head of the National Security Bureau, responsible in 2022–2025 for strategic state advice in the field of security and international policy,
  • Maciej Witucki – Vice-President of BusinessEurope and Chairman of the Main Council of the Lewiatan Confederation, representing the perspective of European business in the face of economic and regulatory challenges.

 

Photog. Dawid Linkowski

 

The conversation concerned, among m.in, the changing world order, Europe’s role in the rivalry between great powers, economic security and the impact of global tensions on business and society.

 

We are glad that once again such key issues were discussed here. It is worth recalling that a year ago, experts in the field of politics and defense discussed Polish security and global threats in Olivia. The guest of honour of the meeting was the renowned statesman and historian Bronisław Komorowski, President of the Republic of Poland in the years 2010–2015.

 

More…

 

 

Take part in the Book&Help super action!

Posted on by Katarzyna Halicka

Book&Help returns for the eighth time. And as every year, it’s about something very simple: about books, people and helping. We cordially invite you to join the action! You can give books, handicrafts and other goodies. You can also, which we strongly encourage you to do, simply go to the fair on June 13 at V LO, buy a volume or a cake and thus help the kids from the hospital at Polanki Street in Gdańsk.

 

How did it start and what is it about?

 

Exactly! It all started in 2018, when the students and teachers of the V High School in Oliwa decided to do something good for the Polanki Children’s Hospital adjacent to the school. This is how Book&Help was created – a charity book fair, which engages more and more people every year. The mechanism is simple. Companies and their employees, residents of Gdańsk, their families and friends of the action collect books, gadgets, handicrafts and goodies, and everything later goes to a big family fair. The income from the event is entirely used to purchase equipment for the hospital. In 2025, 16 thousand zlotys were collected, the year before a record 20 thousand! Let’s not delay, let’s act together!

 

Thanks to previous editions , inhalers, pulse oximeters, specialized children’s beds, oxygen therapy equipment and ward equipment were purchased, among m.in others. These are things that really serve the youngest patients every day.

 

 

We cordially invite you to the finale of this year’s edition, which will take place June 13 (Saturday), from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the courtyard of the V Primary School in Oliwa. As always, you will be able to find hundreds of books at great prices, buy homemade pastries, check out the handicraft stalls, try your luck in the raffle and spend a few good hours in a fantastic atmosphere. All this to help the youngest patients of the Polanki Children’s Hospital.

 


How can you get involved now?

 

You can:

  • collect books among your employees or friends (new or well-maintained),
  • donate company gadgets or small prizes to the lottery,
  • donate their handmade products,
  • bake 1-2-3 cakes for the fair (without cream or jelly!),
  • take part in the event on 13.06.2026.

 

The deadline for handing over books, gadgets and handicrafts to V LO is Wednesday, June 3, 2026.

 

You can:

 

Who to contact?

 

You are a representative of the company:

 

You are an individual and want to donate things for auction/sale.

  • deliver them to the V LO from 21 May to 3 June, refer to Kasia Tusk-Olczak (coordinator on behalf of the school) or Dorota Bandzmer, who works in the library.

 

Because sometimes it really doesn’t take much to do something good. One book you read or your master apple pie can help someone a lot more than you think.

 

Fig. vlo.gda.pl

 

 

Welcome!

 

 

We invite you to the inaugural concert “A Little Jazz Mess”

Posted on by Katarzyna Halicka

The Olivia Centre Choir invites you! Together with the Sopot Mundus Cantat Choir – the organizer of the prestigious international festival International Choir Festival Mundus Cantat Sopot – We are honored to invite you to a unique evening with choral music. It will be an extraordinary journey through a rich repertoire, combining the seriousness of the classics with the lightness and freshness of contemporary arrangements performed by esteemed artists.

 

Inaugural Concert | 20 May | 19:00 | Church of St. George in Sopot

 

The culmination of the program will be a performance of a jazz mass by Bob Chilcott. This extraordinary work masterfully combines the tradition of sacred music with the energy of jazz. The unique character of this interpretation will be emphasized by the accompaniment of excellent instrumentalists: pianist Cezary Paciorek, bassist Dariusz Śleszyński and drummer Michał Kruczalak.

 

This event also has an integrative dimension, uniting Tri-City choral circles. The combined forces of the Olivia Centre Choir and the Sopot Choir of the SWPS University were invited to perform the piece together. Such a large group of performers will guarantee a powerful and emotional sound that will remain in the memory of listeners for a long time.

 

The artistic coherence and atmosphere of the evening will be supervised by the conductor Joanna Szutowicz (Ślesicka). Her passion and experience are a guarantee that the concert will become an important and inspiring point on the cultural map of Sopot, attracting both music lovers and lovers of jazz improvisation.

 

The meeting also has a noble purpose – during the concert, donations will be collected for the renovation of the clock and the church tower. We encourage you to support this valuable initiative.

 

Admission to the event is free!

 

20 May | 19:00 | Church of St. George in Sopot

 

Save the date! On May 30, Children’s Day for young and old

Posted on by Katarzyna Halicka

Be sure to save this date in your calendars: 30 MAY! From 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m ., we meet at our neighbor’s house, at Primary School No. 35 in Oliwa, to celebrate the best day of the year, i.e. Children’s Day (because there is something of a small and frisky minor in each of us, right?).

 

Children’s Day with Olivia Centre has been happening for years. The oldest probably remember how the UG pitch, just behind Olivia, turned into a huge playground. The younger ones will think with fondness about Olivia Park behind the Olivia Hall, and the youngest will return to the memories of SP 35 and Children’s Day for Sports. And yes, there will be a lot going on this year at our closest neighbor too!

 

Remember, we play with whole families, you also get friends and acquaintances. There is no boredom! There is healthy competition, lots of laughter, a lot of surprises and something delicious to eat. Last year, the school space was transformed, in accordance with the profile of SP 35, into a multi-zone activity town. There were shorttrack shows, figure skating, hockey, zumba classes, the opportunity to try your hand at tennis, handball or rollerblading. Creative, educational and recreational zones operated in parallel. We rested in the gastronomic area, where you could also find excellent mothers’ pastries!

 

We are still finalizing the program, but we are alreadyThat there will be no shortage of sports activities, play zones and treats (you need to have a snack to have the strength to play). Olivia’s Residents also prepare their proposals, who join this event every year, giving it an additional dimension.

 

Save this date: May 30th! And see you soon!

We will publish details on an ongoing basis in our channels, so check out our website, our FB and watch the screens in the buildings.

 

 

And this was the case last year:

Fig. Piotr Połoczański

The Olivia Centre Running Club is starting!

Posted on by Katarzyna Halicka

On Tuesday, May 26, we start with the Olivia Centre Running Club! And it will happen! Because we have running workouts ahead of us, meetings with experts, advice from dieticians, physiotherapy consultations and what else sports will play in our souls.

 

We start with an unhurried corpse, so that in two or three months, we will run like the proverbial doe.

  • Goal number 1: fun and relaxation.
  • Goal number 2: better fitness and health.
  • Goal number 3: new relationships.
  • Goal number 4 (optional): preparation for the Gdańsk Half Marathon, which will take place on September 27, or for Night Friday on September 26.

 

And so, we train twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 17:00 in different locations. In the near future, m.in, picturesque routes of the Tri-City Landscape Park.

  • Training: Tuesday, Thursday.
  • Hours. 17:00
  • We start from Olivia Star.
  • Duration of training: Ok. 60 minutes.

 

The club is being established in cooperation with the Academic Sports Association of the University of Gdańsk, and this is – in our opinion – the best recommendation. The classes will be conducted by Łukasz Gałka, an athletics coach associated with AZS UG Gdańsk, who has been present in the world of middle and long distance running for years. He has competed in half marathons, marathons and triathlons, was a competitor and medalist of the Polish Academic Championships, and today he trains others and prepares himself to participate in the World Masters Athletics Championships Daegu 2026.

 

We invite everyone who is interested. Those who just want to start their adventure with running and those who know what it is all about. The trainer will advise, suggest, improve, teach. You can join to take part in a half marathon, or you can also just improve your fitness, run with someone after work, catch the regularity bug or just check if running in a group is for you.

 

We start calmly. The first trainings will last about an hour and will be adapted to the level of participants. You don’t need to have experience or sports history behind you. Just come in comfortable shoes and see how it works.

 

Over time, the club will develop. The plans include, m.in, special trainings, joint running adventures and small surprises for the most regular participants. We will keep you informed about the details.

 

  • First practice: Tuesday, May 26, at 17:00.
  • Start: Olivia Star.
  • Sign up HERE
  • And follow the next events on the Events page and in the MyOlivia app

 

More about coach Łukasz Gałka

Łukasz Gałka has been involved in athletics since 2006. He specializes in middle and long runs, and has gained sports experience at many levels. He started his career in MOS Zatoka Braniewo, later he ran for many Tri-City clubs, to become a permanent anchor in the Academic Sports Association of the University of Gdańsk. Gałka is a multiple medalist of the Polish Academic Championships, an activist of AZS UG, and currently as an athletics coach.

 

His sports CV is not only theory, but above all practice. He has participated in many half marathons, marathons and triathlons, both in Poland and abroad. He is active in sports and still does not slow down. He is involved in the development of the masters sport as the vice-president of the PKLA Masters club, and his own training is currently subordinated to the preparation for the 2026 WMAC Daegu Masters World Championships.

 

As a competitor and coach, he knows perfectly well what hard work, fighting weaknesses and satisfaction at the finish line are. The Olivia Centre Running Club will provide participants with proven tools, knowledge and a solid dose of motivation.

 

See you on the road!