Olga Malinkiewicz featured in the National Geographic “Wielkie Małe Historie” campaign
photo 1: Olga Malinkiewicz for National Geographic: Wielkie Małe Historie, 2022. source: National Geographic Polska. https://www.facebook.com/ngcpl
Olga Malinkiewicz featured in the National Geographic “Wielkie Małe Historie” campaign
We are beyond excited to share that dr Olga Malinkiewicz, CTO and Co-Founder of Saule Technologies, has been featured in the latest video campaign by National Geographic Poland. The “Wielkie Małe Historie” series presents prominent Polish discoverers, explorers and experts in their fields.
Olga for National Geographic:
“– This technology is a huge breakthrough; I never doubted that it is a technology of the future. Just like silicon in silicon panels [traditional ones], perovskite is a type of semiconductor that can be used in solar panels. The biggest difference is that we can print this material – we can print a solar panel. Perovskite cells are flexible – we can give them any shape. They gain an aesthetic that no solar cell has had before.
I’ve always been a very, VERY curious person; I’ve always liked to turn everything I’ve learned into something real. It was easier to find me in the laboratories rather than in the lecture hall. Sometimes a theory said something, an authority said something, but my intuition told me otherwise – and it worked, against all odds.
Projects like this are not put in a drawer. It is simply not what the conscience would allow. A scientist needs to be given space so that he can throw and test these ideas out, and that’s why we have our Research Institute. We have actually managed to reverse the trend – it is the scientists from all over the world who come to us.”, she said.
photo 2: Olga Malinkiewicz for National Geographic: Wielkie Małe Historie, 2022. source: National Geographic Magazine Poland. https://www.facebook.com/NatGeoMagazinePoland/
“I am most proud to have overcome fear and gotten out of my comfort zone, getting out of the lab right into the world of business.
The possibilities and potential applications are countless. On the buildings where lightweight panels are needed; On tents, on sails, on car bodies, as well as inside the building. Light recycling – a concept that has simply not existed before. This technology is able to recover a large part of artificial light and convert it into electricity; power supply for electronic price tags in stores to make dynamic pricing (i.e. dynamic price change) – there is no other technology that would cope with these tasks.
The most original application of our technology, which I would not have thought of in my wildest dreams, was perovskite cells-based bison collars allowing to monitor their GPS signal. We tested these collars because it turned out that bison fight with each other. We had to drive cars over these links to see if they would hold up.
When we started this project, I didn’t even dream of reaching for the stars and flying into space, but it will soon come true. The world’s first mission to test perovskite cells in space in real time. I like to compare the entry of perovskite technology into photovoltaics with the entry of smartphones into communication. We are able to deliver energy anywhere. Everywhere where traditional technology has no access.
It seems to me that this is just the beginning, it’s like surfing the wave, and it’s better not to look at how big the wave is. The only way out is forward.”, stated the physicist.
photos: Informational Stories about perovskites (in Polish). The campaign of Olga Malinkiewicz for National Geographic: Wielkie Małe Historie, 2022. source: National Geographic Polska. https://www.facebook.com/ngcpl
The campaign movie
What is so special about perovskite solar modules? Why are they such a breakthrough, will they go to space, and what did wild bison have to do with the perovskite modules’ durability tests?
Watch the #WielkieMaleHistorie clip by National Geographic Poland featuring dr Olga Malinkiewicz to learn more about the fascinating story of the Polish scientist who invented the breakthrough method of producing photovoltaic modules based on perovskites using inkjet printing.
video: “Ta technologia zrewolucjonuje fotowoltaikę” | Olga Malinkiewicz, fizyczka [EN: “This technology will revolutionize the photovoltaics” | Olga Malinkiewicz, physicist], YouTube, 2022. source: National Geographic Polska.
All the cinematographic resources [in Polish] can be found below:
- The official teaser to the campaign.
- The 3 minutes-long campaign video 1.
- The supplementary FAQ campaign video 2.
For more #wielkiemalehistorie from National Geographic Poland reach out to its dedicated video playlist on YouTube. Enjoy!
photo 3: Olga Malinkiewicz for National Geographic: Wielkie Małe Historie, 2022. source: National Geographic Polska. https://www.facebook.com/ngcpl
