The National Research Institute (GIG-PIB) has been operating since 1945 and has had strong ties to the mining industry and Upper Silesia from the outset. The “Barbara” Experimental Mine in Mikołów, established two decades earlier, is also part of the Institute.
The scope of GIG-PIB’s activities encompasses key areas of mining and geoengineering, occupational safety in industry, and environmental engineering – with a particular emphasis on protecting the environment from the effects of industrial activity. The Institute also conducts certification work and provides educational and training activities. It also provides research and expert services, including measurements, analyses, and studies, for various industry sectors, institutions, and government and local government administration, as well as for partners outside Poland.
The Institute has full academic authority, allowing it to award doctoral and postdoctoral degrees in disciplines related to mining and environmental engineering.
GIG-PIB also acts as a certification body, with laboratories accredited by the Polish Centre for Accreditation.