Challenges before National Institute of Telecommunications after fifty years of its activity

In the year 2001 we celebrate the fifty anniversary of the activity of National Institute of Telecommunications under its present name (in Polish: Instytut Łączności). Although we can date earlier the beginnings of the Institute, we will not present here its detailed history that is discussed in other papers. This paper presents rather the transformation of the Institute in last years, resulting from the systemic transformation of Poland. We describe: new mission of the Institute, the results of structural changes of the Institute in last five years, an outline of long-term research programme. Finally, the paper addresses the challenges before the Institute on the verge of the new millennium.