Only 3 percent of Poles point to technological achievements as a source of pride . One in four respondents cannot point to any aspect that Poland can boast about. Meanwhile, our country has become a significant European center of innovation in the field of security . In particular, we distinguish are in three key areas: fintech, cybersecurity and dual-use technologies. The We Did It In Poland campaign aims to raise awareness among Poles and international partners about Polish innovations, build national pride and strengthen Poland’s position on the European and global arenas.
Poland – the European leader in security innovations
According to PMR forecasts, in 2024 the value of the cyber security market in Poland is nearly PLN 3 billion. With revenues of the broader industry amounting to as much as PLN 12 billion. The Polish fintech sector is also experiencing significant growth – in 2018-2022, the number of fintechs on the Vistula grew from 167 to 299, a jump of 79 percent. At the same time, Poland is the largest financial services market in Central and Eastern Europe, which makes it an extremely attractive place for innovation. European and Polish VC funds are ready to spend billions of zlotys on technology in the dual-use sector.
Poland is now home to more than 400 companies specializing in the areas of fintech, cybersecurity and dual-use, employing a total of thousands of qualified specialists. A special achievement is the qualification of four Polish companies for the prestigious NATO DIANA program. This ranks Poland fourth among NATO countries, ahead of countries with much greater economic potential.
Why are Poles successful in security innovation?
Poland’s phenomenon in security innovation is due to a unique combination of factors. Poland’s technical universities top European rankings, educating more than 20,000 highly skilled professionals annually. Poland’s unique geopolitical perspective gives our companies a special sensitivity to security issues and a deeper understanding of real-world challenges.
Polish companies have been remarkably effective in obtaining financing from international programs. The business model, often based on a “civilian market first, specialized market second” strategy, has proven to be extremely successful, providing financial stability and resilience to market turbulence.
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Experts driving Polish security innovation
Behind the success of Polish security innovations are outstanding experts who are contributing to the industry with their skills and vision. Dawid Kuchta, CEO of Microamp, is the creator of a wireless system that allows access to huge amounts of data almost in real time, which can be successfully used in the military sector. Jacek Strzelczyk, CEO of SATIM, and his team have developed AI-based algorithms for analyzing satellite images, which are used by environmental monitoring agencies in European countries. Slawomir Pietrzyk, head of IS-Wireless, created a technology for restoring a disrupted 5G network, which was included in the European Open RAN program.
The most important Polish innovations in the field of cyber security
The most important Polish innovations in the area of cyber security are ResQuant, CERT Polska and Silent Eight. Res Quant is one of the few companies in Europe that has created a complete ecosystem of post-quantum cryptography. Its solutions are deployed by banks and government institutions in five European countries. In 2023, the company was invited to join the UN’s expert panel on quantum security.
CERT Poland is an online incident response team operating at the NASK institute, has handled more than 500,000 reports of cyber threats and blocked more than 1 million messages from fraudsters thanks to SMS patterns created. The team prevented 75 million attempts to enter fake sites in 2024, a significant increase from 50 million in 2023.
Silent Eight is a company that uses AI to detect money laundering and terrorist financing. The startup has achieved significant business success, as evidenced by raising $40 million in investment. The platform has been recognized by significant clients, including AIA, Asia’s largest life and health insurer, demonstrating the solution’s global reach and competitiveness.
Poland on the map of global cyber security
Poland’s cyber security sector employs more than 8,500 specialists, and its solutions are implemented in more than 20 countries. In the global ranking of cyber security 2024, Poland is ranked 14th in the world and 7th in Europe. Polish experts regularly take top positions in international competitions. In 2023, they won 11 medals at the world’s largest competitions, placing Poland 6th in the global talent ranking.
Poland continues its development to continue to be one of the most developed countries in the field of security, thanks to innovative systems and skilled professionals. Our country’s achievements compared to other countries are significantly higher. And they show one of Poland’s most underestimated advantages, which should be invested in – directing attention and resources to it.