From steelmaking roots to automation, a passion that guides you through life
Tomasz Makosz, who joined Bipromet team 8 years ago is a man of many passions. The Automation Department Designer combines his professional work with interests that have accompanied him since childhood. Automation, metallurgy, railways, photography, kayaking, water rescue, aviation or the history of Upper Silesia – each of these fields is an important part of his life. Interestingly, many of them naturally intertwine with his professional career. As he himself says, he is a man of many passions that guide him through life.
– Automation was something that interested me practically from childhood. Initially, I did not yet know what field exactly it was, because I associated it more with electronics. It was only during my school education and after reading specialist magazines that I learned what automation really was and in which direction I would pursue my education - Tomasz recalls.
At the Automation Department, he is involved in designing and automating metallurgical processes, primarily for the needs of KGHM and the Capital Group, but also for industrial companies. As he says, his professional path turned out to be exceptionally well suited to his interests, and his work brings him a great deal of satisfaction.
Metallurgy has always been present in his life; one could say that he was born into it. His family had been connected with the non-ferrous metals industry for generations, primarily with the “Szopienice” Non-Ferrous Metals Plant. Both his parents and grandparents worked at the plant. He himself graduated from an electrical technical school at the Complex of Metallurgical and Mechanical Schools in Szopienice, which was a company-affiliated metallurgical school. As he recalls, during his studies he completed internships at the plant, which in recent months became famous thanks to the film adaptation entitled “Lead Children”.
– The metallurgical environment was simply part of my life. I grew up in the shadow of the “Szopienice” Non-Ferrous Metals Plant. I knew the people who worked there. That is why the plant was always something more to me than just a company where my parents worked – the designer emphasizes.
After technical school came university, of course at the Silesian University of Technology, where he graduated in Automation and Robotics, specializing in controllers and control systems at the Faculty of Automatic Control, Electronics and Computer Science. He then continued his education at AGH University of Science and Technology, where he completed a master's degree in Automation and Robotics, specializing in computer control systems. The education and professional experience he gained now allow him to combine two worlds: modern technologies and traditional industry.
Automation, robotics and the industry of the future
In his work, Tomasz designs solutions intended to improve the operation of industrial installations. One of the areas he is particularly interested in is robotization. His previous professional experience gained in the automotive industry allowed him to learn the standards used by major automotive corporations. Today, he wants to apply this knowledge in metallurgy.
– A robot can be programmed in many ways. However, if we leave everything solely to the programmer, subsequently maintaining production without problems can be a major challenge. That is why I care about standardization and creating solutions that will not only be modern, but also easy to maintain and develop – he explains.
This idea guides the further planned direction of his education. Tomasz Makosz wants to pursue further studies in the field of robotization of the metallurgical industry. The project is intended to be implementation-oriented and concern organizing and standardizing the way robotic production stations are designed and implemented. However, his interest in metallurgy does not end with his professional work. Quite the opposite – the more he learns about the history of industry, the more fascinated he becomes by its place in the history of the region.
Metallurgy as a passion and a way of discovering Silesia
Tomasz’s interest in metallurgy also led him to history. By analyzing the development of industry, he began to connect it with the events that shaped Upper Silesia and Poland as a whole. He is a member of the Upper Silesian Association and the Guild of the Upper Silesian Association. Tomasz was invited to join the latter by the organization’s President, Jerzy Mańka, after a presentation of the book Mines and Steelworks of Katowice, where Tomasz helped prepare photographs related to HMN “Szopienice”. He also emphasizes his Silesian roots through traditional dress.
– For me, the history of industry is inseparably connected with the history of people and places. When you learn the history of a steelworks, you begin to look differently at the district where you grew up, at the streets, the railway, or even your family history. I have a complete Rozbark Silesian outfit in the Bogucice version, which I wear during official ceremonies – he adds.
The railway that opened the door to the world
Railways were Tomasz Makosz’s other great passion, one he had nurtured since childhood. His interest in it was also connected with his metallurgical surroundings. Near HMN “Szopienice” there were both industrial railway infrastructure and the Szopienice Północne standard-gauge railway station. For a young railway enthusiast, these were fascinating places and – as he himself admits – they served as a kind of playground. As a child, he also spent a lot of time around the MB Szczakowa sand railway, which ran along the fence of the lead department of HMN “Szopienice”. As he recalls, “the crossing keeper let us close and open the barriers on Zjednoczonej Partii Street – later Hallera”.
In 1998, he began working with the Katowice Railway Enthusiasts Association. Thanks to Andrzej Cichowicz, he began taking part in special trips organized for railway enthusiasts. This marked the beginning of his adventure with photographing trains and discovering the railway world. Over time, his passion took him far beyond Upper Silesia. He took part in railway expeditions abroad, including in Turkey, Africa and Indonesia.
In Indonesia, he had the opportunity to photograph the extraordinary world of sugar mill railways – steam locomotives, sidings and steam-powered equipment that were still being used in sugar production. It can be said that the railway also became a school of photography for him. He took his first photographs with analog cameras.
– Every shot had to be carefully considered, because the film had a limited number of frames, with only 36 shots, I couldn’t press the shutter without thinking. I had to make good use of every frame, because I simply couldn’t afford more – he recalls with a smile.
Today, he photographs primarily digitally, often using his phone, but documentary and reportage photography remain the most important to him. Details, completeness of the frame and the ability to reconstruct the history of a place or object are what matter.
His passion for railways extended far beyond mere fascination, taking on a distinctly practical dimension. Between 2003 and 2008, Tomasz Makosz devoted his time as a volunteer to the revitalisation of the Upper Silesian Narrow-Gauge Railways.It was community work requiring time, energy and commitment – from work on the tracks and rolling stock to helping organize trips.
The railway also opened the door to international friendships for him. One of the most important was Dietmar Kramer from Brunswick, whom he met during special railway trips. Thanks to this friendship, he took part in further foreign expeditions, helping organize them in exchange for the opportunity to participate.
And so one passion led to the next: the railway to photography, photography to travel, travel to history, and history – back to metallurgy.
In the second part of the series, we will talk about Tomasz Makosz’s sporting passions – from competitive kayaking, through water rescue and winter swimming, to underwater hockey. We will also take a look into the world of aviation and find out what all these interests have in common with the work of an automation designer.