Lukasiewicz – ITECH was this year a partner of the Warsaw European Conversation 2026 conference on the biggest challenges facing Europe. This is the fourth time it has been organized by Polityka Insight in cooperation with the European Council on Foreign Relations. This year’s edition focused on the pressing challenges facing our continent – economic competitiveness, security and energy transition were discussed, which directly affect European sovereignty
EU Budget Commissioner Piotr Serafin opened the conference with a strong positive message: The Union remains the best place in the world to live – we are proving that development can go hand in hand with social justice. However, the European Union today is seriously exposed to the effects of two wars it did not cause, so it is taking up the defense challenge as a priority. The next multi-year budget proposes 131 billion euros for investment in a modern defense industry (five times more than before).
The roundtable, “The European Space Sector: Driving Innovation and Growth,” organized by Łukasiewicz – ITECH, discussed the development potential of the country’s space sector and its role in gaining European technological autonomy.
The focus was, presented in detail by Michal Pakosz of Lukasiewicz – ILOT, the Lukasiewicz Research Network’s Space Research Program worth some PLN 2.4 billion until 2035, which is expected to strengthen Poland’s role as a country with an important voice in the development of space technologies. Its three components – developing space mission payloads, satellite platforms, but most importantly, launch technologies are an important part of European capabilities.
As the deputy director of the Space Technology Center at ILOT emphasized: “Two years ago, in July 2024, we reached space thanks to the suborbital launch of the BURSZTYN rocket, making Poland once again join the elite group of countries in the world that can build a rocket and carry its payload into space. (…) We believe that this is an excellent time to invest in the space sector and to invite business, universities and research institutions to cooperate. The program now brings together 17 of the 22 institutes that have already completed more than 50 projects for the European Space Agency. “
Many tasks carried out also within the framework of the European Space Agency – ESA provide opportunities for Polish companies to win capacity-building contracts. Representatives of the sector taking part in the event, including ICEYE Polska, CloudFerro S.A., Creotech Instruments S.A., SATIM Satellite Monitoring identified synergies associated with the Program and highlighted the most important elements for the success of its ambitions.
Gen. Mieczyslaw Cieniuch, former Chief of General Staff of the Polish Army, left no doubt about the role of space: “Space has become a key element of military effectiveness. Modern weapons systems rely heavily on satellite data for precision strikes. Armed forces use satellites daily for navigation, reconnaissance, intelligence and communications. Recognizing this change, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization officially recognized space as an operational domain in 2019 at the London Summit. The decision reaffirmed that space is crucial for deterrence and defense and must be protected on a par with other domains. “
The general pointed out that the dual-use approach espoused by the Lukasiewicz Research Network is key to Poland’s strategic independence.
Participants in the debate agreed that Poland needs to build space sovereignty and security. The sector has many innovative initiatives, but faces high barriers to entry – in addition to the technical level, also of a financial nature. The state can act as an integrator in projects, such as in the area of rockets. The Space Research Program of the Lukasiewicz Network integrates previously dispersed activities and is expected to ensure better synergy of cooperation. Therefore, it was conceived as an open program – we invite companies, industry, universities and R&D units to join it. We want to invest and develop space technologies together.
Representatives of business and academia were unanimous: Lukasiewicz’s competence allows building end-to-end solutions, from concept to finished product. Poland should not just respond to European Union requirements. It should actively shape its own security.
The event was an excellent opportunity to present the activities of Łukasiewicz – ITECH to a wider audience of experts and business. As Director Michal Matlak emphasized, “We are a think tank operating as part of the Łukasiewicz Network and working on behalf of the Polish government, providing analysis on technology policy and its various aspects. We have two main goals. The first is to strengthen Poland’s technological sovereignty and thus Poland’s security. The second main goal is to work on how to turn growing military spending into a stable engine of growth.”