R&D activity is run with the support of different resources, among which businesses contribute a large share. In Kujawsko-Pomorskie, 36,1% of the region’s expenditures come from the national Budget (57,7% in Poland overall), and 58,6% from businesses (26% in Poland overall). Polish Academy of Sciences centres, R&D units as well as international organisations and foreign institutions represent a relatively small participation in the expenditures.

Increasing availability to education on all levels as well as obtaining and improving the populations’ qualifications according to the needs of the labour market is essential to the region.

Two academic centres operate in the region, with an average potential in the field of education (measured by the number of places and fields of studies, and by the level of education personnel): the Nicolaus Copernicus University (UMK), the largest in Northern Poland, is located in Toruń. University of Technology and Life Sciences, Kazimierz Wielki University, Academy of Music and Medical College of the Nicolaus Copernicus University are located in Bydgoszcz.

Apart from Warsaw, a dynamic development of various higher education academic centres has been taking place in Poland in the last few years, in particular in non-resident university branches and centres.

The universities run R&D and implementation activities in parallel with teaching. R&D activity, regional and historical studies in particular, are run also by scientific societies and socio-cultural associations, among them the scientific societies in Toruń, Bydgoszcz and Włocławek as well as regional societies.

Various research and implementation centres operating in the structure of the Polish Academy of Sciences are also present in the region.

Several Polish Academy of Sciences centres have their head offices in Toruń: the Astrophysics Laboratory of the N. Copernicus Centre for Astronomy, the Laboratory of Geomorphology and Hydrology of Lowlands at the Institute of Geography and Spatial Development, and also the Laboratory of Tourist Development at the Institute for Tourism, the Propulsion Control Devices Research and Development Centre, the Metalchem Plastic Processing Institute. The Bakery Industry Research Centre, the Food Industry Biotechnology Institute, the Technical Implementation Institute, the Potato Institute, the Veterinary Institute Department run a similar activity in Bydgoszcz.

The centres working in the structure of institutes related to agriculture fulfil an important role in the region, agricultural research stations, plant varieties evaluation (Kowróz, in the Toruń powiat, Głodowo in the Lipno powiat, Głębokie and Polanowice in the Inowrocław powiat, Sobiejuchy in the Żnin powiat, Chrząstkowo in the Nakło powiat), research departments of the Zootechnics Institute (for example in Mełno in the Grudziądz powiat, in Kołuda Wielka in the Inowrocław powiat), the agricultural consultancy centres in Minikowo, Zarzeczewo and Przysiek near Toruń. Some regional production plants also run their own R&D activity, such as: Anwil S.A. in Włocławek, the Toruń Plaster Materials Factories (Toruńskie Zakłady Materiałów Opatrunkowych), Telefonika Kabel in Bydgoszcz and Lucent Technologies in Bydgoszcz.

The financing of innovation activity in the industry of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie region relies mainly on personal financial means and bank credits, means coming from other sources have inferior influence.

The tendency by businessmen to undertake innovation activity is an element of the innovation potential of the region. The main factors having an influence on innovation are:

• The level and training of local businessmen, as well as their professional experience
• A system of financial incentives for taking risks in economy
• A system of diffusion of scientific achievements into economy

Source:
 Regional Innovation Strategy of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region to the year 2015 

TORUŃ

• Nicolaus Copernicus University
  (Uniwersytet Mikołaja Kopernika w Toruniu)
• WSB Schools of Banking
  (Wyższa Szkoła Bankowa Toruń Bydgoszcz)
• Jagiellonian Collegium 
  (Collegium Jagiellońskie -Toruńska Szkoła Wyższa)
• High School of Media and Social Culture
  (Wyższa Szkoła Kultury Medialnej i Społecznej)
• Torun Higher School of Entreneurship (Toruńska Wyższa Szkoła Przedsiębiorczości)

BYDGOSZCZ

• Nicolaus Copernicus University Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum
  (Uniwersytet Mikołaja Kopernika w Toruniu)
• University of Technology and Life Sciences in Bydgoszcz
  (Uniwersytet Technologiczno -Przyrodniczy w Bydgoszczy)
  
• Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz
  (Uniwersytet Kazimierza Wielkiego w Bydgoszczy)
• Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz
  (Akademia Muzyczna im. Feliksa Nowomiejskiego w Bydgoszczy)
• WSB Schools of Banking
  (Wyższa Szkoła Bankowa - Toruń Bydgoszcz)
• High School of Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region
  (Kujawsko-Pomorska Wyższa Szkoła w Bydgoszczy)

WŁOCŁAWEK

• University of Humanities and Economics in Włocławek
  (Wyższa Szkoła Humanistyczno - Ekonomiczna we Włocławku)
• High School of Computing in Włocławek
  (Wyższa Szkoła Informatyki - Filia Politechniki Łódzkiej we Włocławku)
• High Trade School in Włocławek
  (Państwowa Wyższa Szkoła Zawodowa we Włocławku)
• Kujawsko - Dobrzyńska Professional School,(Kujawsko-Dobrzyńska Szkoła Zawodowa)
• The Higher School of Technique and the Enterprise in Włocławek,(Wyższa Szkoła Techniki i Przedsiębiorczości we Włocławku)
• Higher Clerical Seminar in Włocławek (Wyższe Seminarium Duchowne we Włocławku)

GRUDZIĄDZ

• The Engineering College of Danzig, Department of Electrical engineering and the Automatyki - the distant didactic centre
  (Politechnika Gdańska, Wydział Elektrotechniki i Automatyki - zamiejscowy ośrodek dydaktyczny)

• Higher School of Grudziądz
  (Grudziądzka Szkoła Wyższa)

• Engineering College of Poznań - distant didactic centre (Politechnika Poznańska-zamiejscowy ośrodek dydaktyfczny)

• Nicholas Copernicus University - distant didactic centre
  (Uniwersytet Mikołaja Kopernika - zamiejscowy ośrodek dydaktyczny)

• Higher School Humanistic - Economic in Łodź - distant didactic centre
  (Wyższa Szkoła Humanistyczno-Ekonomiczna w Łodzi - zamiejscowy ośrodek dydaktyczny)

INOWROCŁAW

• High School of Economics in Bydgoszcz – Department of Management in Inowrocław 
  (Wyższa Szkoła Gospodarki w Bydgoszczy - Wydział Zarządzania w Inowrocławiu)

BRODNICA

• Agency of the High School of Business and Management in Łódź
  (Społeczna Wyższa Szkoła Przedsiębiorczości i Zarządzania w Łodzi – Wydział Zamiejscowy w Brodnicy)

ŚWIECIE

• High School of Modern Languages
   (Wyższa Szkoła Języków Obcych w Świeciu)

TUCHOLA 

• High School of Environment Management
   (Wyższa Szkoła Zarządzania Środowiskiem w Tucholi)