Federation of Scientific and Technical Associations NOT

The Main Technical Organization, the Federation of Scientific and Technical Associations (FSNT-NOT), is a nationwide union of scientific and technical associations whose history dates back to 1835, when the Polish Polytechnic Society was established in Paris. It covers various technical fields and integrates Polish engineers and technicians, promoting their role in civilizational progress. A key point in the organization's history was the interwar period, when the union brought together an increasing number of associations, which contributed to the centralization of engineer representation and the initiation of numerous technical congresses. During World War II, technicians were involved in secret weapons production and industrial protection. After the war, FSNT-NOT was reactivated and began to unite various technical communities, and its statute was adopted in 1946. Today, FSNT-NOT brings together 40 industry-specific associations, representing approximately 120,000 members, including a number of prominent organizations such as the Polish Association of Civil Engineers and Technicians and the Association of Polish Electrical Engineers. The organization supports the development of technology through educational activities, including the Technical Knowledge Olympiad and the "Young Innovator" competition. It also has the Museum of Technology and Industry, which was reactivated in 1952, as well as an Innovation Center aimed at supporting innovative activities. Interestingly, FSNT-NOT is a member of international organizations such as WFEO and FEANI, and since 2013 it has been issuing the Engineer's Professional Card, which aims to facilitate professional mobility in the European market. The architecture of the organization's activities is expressed in the construction of Houses of Technology in large cities, which serve as meeting and collaboration places for engineering communities. FSNT-NOT has also played a significant role in popularizing technical knowledge and raising technical culture in Poland, contributing to the development of a knowledge-based society.