Abstract

Abstract

Now in its fifth edition, the Italian-Polish Aerospace Forum—organized by the Embassy of Italy in Warsaw, the Italian Trade Agency Warsaw Office, the Italian Chamber of Industry and Commerce in Poland (CCIIP), and with the strategic partnership of Leonardo, and supported by the relevant Italian and Polish institutions for defense, innovation, industry and research—has established itself as one of the landmark events in Poland’s aerospace calendar. It promotes industrial, institutional and technological cooperation between Rome and Warsaw in one of the most innovative and dynamic strategic sectors.

The Forum takes place against a backdrop of strong aerospace synergies between Italy and Poland. Italy remains one of Europe’s sector leaders, and Poland is its third-largest aerospace trading partner among EU countries. This relationship shows dynamic growth: trade in the sector reached €247 million in 2023, with a 34 percent increase in 2024. At the same time, Poland has launched major investment programmes to develop its own space industry, focusing on satellites and dual-use technologies. Moreover Poland has the aspiration to become a leader in AI sector, with technological solutions that will find suitable applications in defense and aeronautical sectors.

The Forum underscores the enduring strategic relevance of bilateral collaboration between Italy and Poland in the aerospace domain. Amidst accelerating technological advancements and a shifting geopolitical landscape, the Forum provides a platform for reinforcing partnerships that are essential to Europe’s collective security, technological innovation, and sustainable economic development.

The event is divided into two main parts, separated by a networking luncheon. The first part consists of three thematic panels and the second one focuses on company presentations (Italian and Polish) and G2G, G2B and B2B contacts and, facilitated through a dedicated business mixer with matchmaking services provided by the Italian Trade Agency Office in Warsaw and the Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Poland. Building on the momentum of previous editions, the panels of the 2025 Forum will spotlight three pivotal themes: strategic defense cooperation, the expanding significance of space technologies, and the convergence of unmanned systems, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity. These focus areas reflect the pressing need for coordinated efforts to safeguard technological sovereignty, enhance operational resilience, and respond effectively to emerging global threats.

Cooperation within Europe in the defense sector seems to be the only way to pursue to reach the technological sovereignty and to allow European Nations to be able to defend themselves against enemies; this topic will be discussed in the first panel.

In the second panel the increasing importance of the Space domain – not only for scientific exploration, but also for defense, economic competitiveness, and geopolitical autonomy, will be discussed. Active collaboration among EU member states, particularly between Italy and Poland, is indispensable to share investment burdens, accelerate technological progress, and position Europe as a global leader.

Finally the last panel explores how unmanned systems (such as drones), Artificial Intelligence, and cybersecurity are reshaping both defense and civilian sectors.

By convening policymakers, defense officials, industry leaders, and technology pioneers, the Forum seeks to catalyze dialogue, foster cross-border initiative and business matching and joint innovation in order to contribute to the development of a robust, competitive, and secure European aerospace ecosystem.

The event guarantees high public and media visibility: past editions have featured as Media Partner Rzeczpospolita (the country’s leading daily) and major sector portals such as Defence24, MilMag, MagnumX, Lotnictwo and ZBiAM. An integrated communications plan—including social media, specialist press, video reports and diplomatic channels—is also foreseen.