The SAFE program could significantly change how defense spending is financed in Poland, including the implementation of the Eastern Shield (Tarcza Wschód) project. Most of the funds are expected to be directed to the domestic defense industry, and decisions are intended to be made quickly. This represents a major departure from existing national and European funding mechanisms. Industry representatives say the initiative could mark a revolution in how security spending is allocated.
“The SAFE program represents a huge opportunity compared with other initiatives, both those run by the Polish Ministry of National Defence and European programs such as the European Defence Fund,” said Mateusz Ciesielski, Head of Business Development at DataWalk, in an interview with the Newseria news agency. “SAFE is transparent and designed for very rapid implementation, with a short decision-making process. Around 80–90 percent of the funds are expected to be spent within the Polish defense industry. That is a major difference and essentially a revolution in how defense funding is distributed. It is a major opportunity for both the industry and Poland.”
SAFE (Security Action for Europe) is part of the European Union’s policy aimed at strengthening defense capabilities. The program is based on providing long-term loans to EU member states to finance investments and procurement in the defense sector. It allows both national projects and joint initiatives involving several countries.
Unlike the European Defence Fund—which operates through competitive calls and mainly finances research and development projects carried out by multinational consortia—SAFE is intended to directly support production capabilities and infrastructure. In Poland, the program is linked in particular with the implementation of the Eastern Shield project, whose value is estimated at approximately €10 billion. SAFE funding is expected to significantly strengthen the project’s execution.
Poland is the largest beneficiary of the program. Under SAFE, it may obtain nearly €44 billion in preferential loans, more than 80 percent of which is expected to be spent within the Polish defense and security sector. The plan includes dozens of investments worth more than PLN 180 billion in the domestic defense industry. The scale of planned procurement is largely driven by Poland’s armed forces modernization program. Poland currently has the third-largest army in NATO and is pursuing plans to expand it further to 500,000 personnel, which will significantly increase demand for equipment and support systems.
“The SAFE program is very broad, so it does not focus on specific technologies,” Ciesielski explained. “If we look at the Eastern Shield project, which operationalizes the SAFE program, the needs are enormous—from civil defense solutions to strictly military equipment, including ammunition. I represent a company that develops software, and fortunately there is also space within this program for solutions such as data analytics and artificial intelligence.”
Digital technologies—including big data analytics and artificial intelligence—are playing an increasingly important role in security systems, from command support and cyber defense to the analysis of hybrid threats. Developing such solutions requires stable financing as well as the ability to participate in complex international projects. In many EU programs, funding is awarded through competitive procedures, typically involving multi-entity consortia. This often entails complex administrative requirements and high formal barriers, which in practice means that the largest industrial groups with strong financial and organizational capacity are the most likely to obtain support.
DataWalk develops a platform for integrating and analyzing large datasets used by public administrations and security services in various countries. The company has reported that its solution replaced a component in one of the major European analytical projects.
According to government data, nearly 12,000 Polish companies could benefit from projects implemented under the SAFE program. This is expected to strengthen the domestic supply chain and technological capacity of the defense sector.
“We analyze all available opportunities, but SAFE is particularly friendly, transparent, and accessible,” said the DataWalk representative. “In other European programs it is much harder to obtain funding, which is often reserved for the largest defense groups. It is a question of decision-making, the resources that need to be invested, the expected outcomes, and the time required to obtain them.”
In areas such as cybersecurity and data analysis, cooperation between government institutions and the private sector is becoming increasingly important. The EU’s cybersecurity strategy aims to build capabilities for detecting and responding to incidents in real time and for developing interoperable systems. In Poland, these capabilities are being developed by the Cyber Defence Forces and specialized units within the Ministry of National Defence.
“We are in discussions with the Ministry of National Defence, and in December we signed a letter of intent with the Cyber Defence Forces command,” Ciesielski said. “At the same time, we are working on about five different initiatives with various departments and units within the ministry. We will see what comes of it. Currently we cooperate with ministries of defense and governments from North America through Europe to Asia.”
DataWalk’s analytical platform is used by, among others, U.S. law enforcement agencies and government institutions in Europe and Asia. The company has reported contracts in the United States, including with entities responsible for public security, as well as projects in the Asia-Pacific region.
In the field of digital technologies, speed in moving from pilot projects to full deployment is crucial. However, procurement procedures in the defense sector are typically multi-stage and lengthy, which can slow the practical adoption of AI-based solutions.
“We have the references, and the product itself is ready,” Ciesielski said. “The key challenge is moving from prototypes and discussions to real implementation. In the IT world, iteration—rapid deployment and improvement of a product—is essential. That approach does not always align with the traditional procurement model in defense ministries, where procedures tend to be long. In the case of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, the most important thing is to deploy something quickly and improve it along the way.”
