A country’s resilience depends on more than its military capabilities. Equally important are effective institutions, civic engagement, the ability to rapidly deploy innovations, and the capacity to maintain economic activity and essential public services. Ukraine’s experience demonstrates that responding effectively to crises requires not only preparedness but also continuous adaptation to evolving threats. These were among the key issues discussed at a Łukasiewicz – ITECH expert debate held on 29 October 2026, which explored the lessons Poland and Europe can draw from Ukraine’s experience.
The debate, “Resilience in Wartime: What Can Europe Learn from Ukraine?”, brought together the following participants: prof. Rafał Łukasik, PhD, DsC Eng. , acting Director of the Łukasiewicz – Institute of Industrial Chemistry and the Łukasiewicz – Institute of Organic Industry; Aleksandra Iwaniuk, PhD, of the University of Warsaw’s Faculty of Artes Liberales; Grzegorz Gil, PhD, Director of the Institute of Central Europe; and Melania Parzonka, Deputy Head of the Centre for Security and Defence Innovation at Łukasiewicz – ITECH. The discussion was moderated by Szymon Kępka.
The experts examined the factors that enabled Ukraine to maintain the functioning of its state institutions following Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Among the most significant were the experience gained since 2014, the development of civil society, decentralisation reforms, and the ability of Ukrainian institutions and businesses to adapt rapidly to changing circumstances.
Key Takeaways from the Debate:
1. Resilience is a process that must be built long before a crisis occurs.
“Resilience is not a characteristic, but a process,” emphasised Grzegorz Gil, PhD. Ukraine’s experience demonstrates that an effective response to threats is not simply the result of spontaneous mobilisation, but also of earlier reforms, accumulated experience and capabilities developed over many years. At the same time, resilience is not an inexhaustible resource. Prolonged conflict leads to societal fatigue and places increasing strain on organisations providing assistance, making sustainable support mechanisms essential.
2. Strong local communities and effective institutions reinforce one another.
Decentralisation and an active civil society were key elements of Ukraine’s response to Russian aggression. The ability of local authorities to make decisions independently enabled them to organise assistance and coordinate crisis response efforts more quickly. However, this does not mean that the state can shift responsibility for security entirely onto its citizens. Building effective resilience requires cooperation between central government, local authorities, emergency services and civil society organisations, as well as sustained public trust in state institutions.
3. Rapid adaptation and technology deployment are becoming critical to security.
The war in Ukraine has demonstrated that technological advantage does not always depend on developing the most sophisticated solutions. Equally important are their availability, scalability and the speed at which they can be adapted to emerging threats. One example is Ukraine’s Brave1 initiative, which supports the development and testing of defence innovations. For Europe, this highlights the need to streamline research funding, shorten the time from development to deployment, and strengthen cooperation between academia, industry and technology end users.
4. National resilience also depends on technological and economic sovereignty.
Security extends far beyond military capabilities. It also encompasses the continuity of supply chains, the resilience of energy infrastructure, access to technology, and industry’s ability to maintain and upgrade critical systems. The experts highlighted the risks associated with Europe’s dependence on foreign suppliers, particularly in sectors such as semiconductors and pharmaceuticals. Defence investment should therefore go hand in hand with strengthening domestic research and industrial capabilities and developing technological expertise.
5. Europe should draw lessons from Ukraine’s experience while preparing for its own threat scenarios.
Ukraine’s experience offers valuable lessons, but not all of its solutions can be directly applied across Europe. The ability to anticipate threats, assess different crisis scenarios, and prepare institutions and citizens for emergencies is essential. Building resilience also requires education, effective communication, efforts to counter disinformation, and stronger European cooperation. As the debate participants emphasised, trust, social cohesion and the capacity for collective action remain just as important as technological development.
Ukraine’s experience demonstrates that resilience is neither a single capability nor a set of ready-made solutions, but the result of cooperation between government, society, academia and industry. The most important lesson for Europe is the need to build systems that can not only respond to threats but also learn and adapt to changing circumstances.
We invite you to watch the full recording of the debate on the Łukasiewicz – ITECH YouTube channel.
