We say we live in interesting times, but over New Year our times became decidedly less interesting. On 24th December, with the passing of Wojtek Burkot, a true pioneer and visionary was taken from us, a man with a passion, a keen eye and a preternatural talent for forging the future.

Wojtek led a storied life. A physicist by training, his early career included roles as an Assistant Professor at AGH University of Science & Technology in Kraków and as a scientist at the Institute of Nuclear Physics, DESY, and CERN, where he was one of an international team that built the Hadron Collider. 

Back in Kraków, Wojtek forged a path with corporate tech: first at Motorola; then at Google, where he set up and for 8 years led the company’s first R&D centre in Poland; then as CTO at Allegro, Poland’s answer to eBay and Amazon. 

He was also an entrepreneur. When Poland first opened up he imported medical equipment from Scandinavia; this experience meant that he was always alert to ways of getting ideas off the ground and how to scale. Over the past decade he had poured much of his energy into two projects, Bitspiration Booster, a VC fund investing in early stage science and technology startups in CEE, and BEIT Inc., a pioneer in algorithm development for Quantum Computing.

I first met Wojtek around 2010 in my role at ASPIRE, which at that time was just beginning to bring together the business services companies in Kraków. Wojtek, with the clearest eye on what the future could look like, already knew that Kraków’s best future lay in technology and science, including the future of the business services sector in the city which if it was to continue to thrive meant bringing tech and business services companies and professionals together. Always the pioneer, always looking to bridge the gap to the future, and always ready to lead by example, Wojtek signed Google up to ASPIRE, making it safe for other tech companies to do so, not only because of the Google brand but his own potent personal brand.

Later, he became Chair of ASPIRE’s Management Board, presiding over a very successful period for the association, including strong growth in our membership and the relocating of our annual conference to the then newly built ICE Conference Centre and its development into one of Kraków’s best loved and most recognisable business events.

I shall remember him always for his friendship, the glint in his eye and his broad grin, his black turtleneck and the urban bicycle that went everywhere with him.

It is unfortunate that having done so much to promote Quantum Computing, Wojtek leaves the stage as we enter the United Nations Year of Quantum Science & Technology. But he has left us in rude health and in a position to take advantage the opportunities ahead. It is our duty to make sure we do not fail him.

Andrew Hallam

General Secretary

 1 January 2025