The Central Mining Institute – National Research Institute (GIG-PIB) is a research institute supervised by the Ministry of Industry, connected with the mining industry and the region of Upper Silesia since 1945. The Institute also incorporates the Experimental Mine "Barbara”, established 20 years prior to it in Mikołów.
The activity of the Institute encompasses the most significant aspects of mining and geoengineering, industrial safety and environmental engineering (particularly environmental protection against the impacts of industrial activity). The Institute also conducts educational and training activity as well as certification, and provides services in the form of research, expert opinions, measurements and analyses for many branches of industry, local and state administration institutions and offices as well as international partners.
GIG-PIB maintains broad contact with international companies and institutions in terms of scientific and technical cooperation, joint research projects as well as service and equipment exports, and accomplishes projects as part of European Union Framework Programmes, the European Research Fund for Coal and Steel and many others.
Most of the research conducted at GIG-PIB leads to “products suitable for sale”, while its results are characterised by practical usefulness and implementation potential. About 56 percent of its income originates from the commercialisation of scientific research. The sources of income include commissions obtained after successful tenders and contests as well as services ordered by national and international partners.
GIG-PIB is an A-class scientific institution, and a Notified Body within the scope of three European Union directives:
- 2014/34/EU (ATEX),
- 2006/42/EC (MACHINERY),
- 2014/28/EU (EXPLOSIVES),
as well as regulation CPR 305/2011 (CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS).
We are also accredited within IECEx, therefore the certificates issued by GIG-PIB according to this system are acknowledged in many countries all over the world and require no additional conformity assessment.
An Integrated Management System has been implemented at the Institute, compliant with the requirements of standards PN-EN ISO 9001:2015-10 , PN-EN ISO 45001:2024-02, PN-EN ISO 14001:2015-09, PN-EN ISO/IEC 27001:2017-06, as attested to by a certificate of PCBC S.A.
There are 16 research laboratories accredited by the Polish Centre for Accreditation operating as part of GIG-PIB. The Department of Solid Fuels Quality Assessment has a certificate of approval from Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance Limited.
GIG-PIB enjoys full academic powers concerning the conferment of doctoral and post-doctoral academic degrees in technical and engineering science in the field of “Environmental engineering, mining and power engineering” and is also authorised to motion for granting the title of professor within this field.
