FlexAndRobust Systems sp. z o.o.

FlexAndRobust Systems sp. z o.o. is a Polish engineering and technology company focused on the seismic protection of buildings, particularly masonry and infill structures, using deformable polyurethane joints. The company is associated with Prof. Arkadiusz Kwiecień of Kraków University of Technology (Politechnika Krakowska), whose research group has developed polymer-based flexible connectors intended to absorb seismic movement and reduce damage to masonry infills and structural elements. The firm's work is closely tied to European research and innovation programmes. Its official website highlights participation in the INMASPOL project — 'INfills and MASonry structures protected by deformable POLyurethanes in seismic areas' — and experimental activities within the SERA (Seismology and Earthquake Engineering Research Infrastructure Alliance for Europe) framework. These activities include laboratory forced-vibration tests conducted remotely with the IZIIS institute in Skopje, North Macedonia, described as the first such remote connection since IZIIS was founded in 1965. FlexAndRobust Systems also appears in the humanitarian technology ecosystem. The Unsung Heroes Foundation's 'Humanitarian-Tech Landscape 2023' map, described as the world's first map of humanitarian startups, lists Flex and Robust among more than 100 startups working in areas such as nutrition, education, health, and climate support. The company has also been involved in Polish smart-building and energy-efficiency initiatives, including the SMART4NZEB national workshop on reducing building emissions and the NCBR-NAP acceleration programme. As a small private company, FlexAndRobust Systems operates primarily in Poland and the wider European research and construction market. Its offering combines engineering consultancy, laboratory testing, and proprietary polyurethane-based connection systems aimed at making buildings more resilient to earthquakes. The company's public profile is built around academic collaboration, EU-funded research projects, and knowledge dissemination through lectures, workshops, and publications.

FlexAndRobust Systems sp. z o.o. is a Polish company that emerged from academic research at Kraków University of Technology (Politechnika Krakowska im. Tadeusza Kościuszki). Its work centers on the use of deformable polyurethanes to protect masonry and infill structures in seismic areas. The company's name reflects its core engineering concept: combining flexibility and robustness in structural connections. The firm's development is closely linked to European research projects. The INMASPOL project — 'INfills and MASonry structures protected by deformable POLyurethanes in seismic areas' — investigated polymer joints as a means of dissipating seismic energy in masonry buildings. Experimental work was conducted within the SERA (Seismology and Earthquake Engineering Research Infrastructure Alliance for Europe) programme, including laboratory forced-vibration tests carried out remotely with the IZIIS institute in Skopje, North Macedonia. According to the company's website, this was the first remote connection of its kind since IZIIS was founded in 1965. FlexAndRobust Systems has also engaged with broader Polish innovation and energy-efficiency initiatives. It participated in the SMART4NZEB national workshop in Poland on reducing building emissions, and in the NCBR-NAP pilot acceleration programme. The company's public outreach includes lectures such as 'Why are some buildings resistant to earthquakes and others not? – challenges for anti-seismic engineering in Turkey,' delivered by Prof. Arkadiusz Kwiecień. In 2023, the Unsung Heroes Foundation included Flex and Robust in the Humanitarian-Tech Landscape 2023, described as the world's first map of humanitarian startups, which connects companies with aid organizations. The map featured over 100 startups in areas including nutrition, education, health, and climate support. This recognition positioned the company within a broader humanitarian technology ecosystem, alongside its core engineering and research activities. As of the available evidence, FlexAndRobust Systems remains a small private company with a strong research orientation, operating primarily in Poland and collaborating with European research institutions. Its history is one of translating academic research on polyurethane-based seismic protection into practical engineering solutions and participating in EU-funded projects.

• Included in the Humanitarian-Tech Landscape 2023 map by Unsung Heroes Foundation.

• Conducted remote forced-vibration tests with IZIIS, described as the first such remote connection since 1965.

• Participated in the INMASPOL project on deformable polyurethane protection for masonry structures in seismic areas.

• Took part in the SMART4NZEB national workshop in Poland on reducing building emissions.

• Participated in the NCBR-NAP pilot acceleration programme.

Academic spin-off-style engineering firm commercializing research-based seismic protection solutions for masonry buildings.

• INMASPOL polymer joints

  Deformable polyurethane connectors for protecting masonry and infill structures in seismic areas.

1. 1FlexAndRobust Systems sp. z o.o. official websiteflexandrobust.com
2. 2Wikidata entry for FlexAndRobust Systems sp. z o.o.wikidata.org