Stanisław Białek
Blue Book Application
I was born and raised in Poland. Although I do not remember time before Poland accession to the Community, I was raised in a spirit of special appreciation for the EU membership – that it is something earned, that it must be cherished and protected.
Later in life I witnessed firsthand the benefits of European integration – the regional development, opportunity to study abroad, or European unity following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. All these experiences shaped my European identity.
I also believe that not only Poland’s prosperity but also security rest on the success of the EU and its global position. I wish to contribute securing and advancing this position.
As a principle, I prefer data-driven policy over ideology-driven politics. I hope the Commission provides the opportunity to engage in work grounded in evidence and rigorous analysis.
Studying at an international college showed me that I thrive in environments where diverse perspectives drive better solutions. The Commission is exactly this kind of place.
On a lighter note, my fascination with the civil service originally stems from the British sitcom Yes, Minister (I am aware the EU administrative structure is modelled after the French system rather than the British one).
[DG RTD.A.5] INNOVATION POLICY - BLUE BOOK TRAINEE
Innovation and startups lie at the very centre of my interests. Tracking this market though, it is too often that I read about European companies choosing to establish their headquarters outside the EU – like Poland’s only AI unicorn, ElevenLabs (UK).
Launching and scaling innovative companies within the EU is where the EU lags behind. Its share of the global equity market cap has been gradually decreasing. This trend, in turn, negatively affects Union’s global position.
Fortunately, the problem largely stems from structural and administrative barriers, not a shortage of talent or creativity among Europeans. Such formal issues can be addressed, and I would like to contribute to the Unit’s attempt to do so. I believe that my genuine interest, combined with my educational and professional experience, makes me a strong fit for the position.
Supporting Background for this Application
Education
I hold a Cum Laude degree from the Liberal Arts and Sciences college of Leiden University. I majored in International Law and wrote my thesis on EU Law. This academic path provided me with formal legal training, strong analytical abilities, and precise drafting skills. It also built a substantive knowledge of EU law and its institutional procedures.
I consciously built an interdisciplinary academic profile. My coursework included electives in economics, programming, and the intersection of digital technologies and law. This broad perspective allows me to align legal frameworks with economic and innovative realities. It also prepared me for complex policy research at the intersection of these different fields.
The collegiate structure of the programme fostered a multicultural environment and demanded a high degree of academic independence. This self-directed setting translated into a strong capacity for professional autonomy. It also taught me to value, benefit from, and genuinely enjoy working in international environments.
Professional Experience
I work as a paralegal at a Polish law firm. When I started this role during my second year of university, I mostly handled legal research and proofreading. Although I lacked a formal Polish law background, strong senior guidance and active learning quickly bridged that gap. This effort earned me the autonomy to independently handle more complex tasks, such as drafting contracts, lawsuits, and other documents.
In my work, I establish and liquidate corporate structures. This process exposed me to frameworks designed specifically to ease administrative burdens for start-ups and innovative companies. A prime example is the Simple Joint-Stock Company (Polish: Prosta Spółka Akcyjna or PSA). It is a modern corporate structure that in many respects resembles the Commission's proposed 28th Company Law Regime (EU Inc.).
I also draft and review investment and shareholder agreements, including those concerning cross-border ventures. Navigating these multi-jurisdictional deals exposed me to the practical challenges companies face in such enterprises, including overlapping or conflicting legal and tax regimes.
My Projects
I actively try to work on ideas of my own:
Aspekty.pl
In high school, I founded "Aspekty.pl," an independent, students-for-students platform covering economics, politics, culture, and entrepreneurship. I recruited over 20 writers from across Poland and reached more than 15,000 readers. Beyond leading the project, I managed all legal and administrative challenges. This included formally registering the title at the Warsaw Registrar Court and ensuring strict GDPR compliance.
Oracle
I am developing a machine learning model to predict Warsaw horse races results using historical data and numerous parameters. I built the Extract, Transform, Load (ETL) pipeline from scratch to scrape, sort, and label information from diverse data regimes. My initial motivation was to satisfy my curiosity and test the predictive capabilities of models fed with vast, multi-parameter datasets. However, this process taught me practical knowledge and skills in data science and machine learning. Better understanding of these technologies helps me better understand the broader tech industry and reveals their real-world potential and limitations.
The Student Portal
I am in an early phase of designing a bottom-up, student-led learning management system. Top-down university portals currently force students to fragment their communication across informal platforms like WhatsApp. My concept centralizes peer-to-peer communication and material sharing. It tracks all types of deadlines using live cross-student integration, among other features. The regulatory challenges inherent to such projects (GDPR, IP rights), highlight the constant tension between facilitating innovation and protecting individual rights.
Intelligent Groceries
Not all projects proceed past the conceptual stage. During the early days of AI, I worked on a concept for a predictive application to automate routine household deliveries. The AI would learn consumption habits to automatically schedule deliveries of essentials like shampoo or dishwasher capsules. I ultimately abandoned the project due to technical challenges and potential steep market competition. However, this failure provided a crucial takeaway. It proved that aspiring founders need pre-seed mentorship just as much as financing. This mentorship is increasingly vital today, as technology significantly lowers the initial entry costs for startups.
Continuous Learning
I consistently work to expand my skills and understanding of emerging technologies, startup ecosystems, and capital markets.
AI in Business Development Course
I completed the 5-week "Skills of Tomorrow AI" programme organised by Google and the Warsaw School of Economics (SGH). It focused on practical AI implementation and business automation. I learned how to deploy specific generative AI models and workflow automation tools. This training allowed me to understand exactly how AI changes businesses. The course also serves as an example of a valuable public-private initiative that supports the Commission’s efforts to help SMEs adopt and implement AI in their operations.
Economic Conference on PL-USA Relations
I attended an economic conference on US-Poland trade relations at the Warsaw School of Economics. Speakers included venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, academics, and government representatives. The panels highlighted Europe’s core innovation barriers, both cultural and structural. Speakers argued that, compared with the US, European founders face a stronger cultural stigma around failure, which makes them less willing to take risks. The key structural barrier concerned the exact issue the Unit aims to address: limited access to finance. However, speakers also pointed to a cultural reluctance to use debt financing, with many firms preferring to finance scale-up through accumulated capital.