According to the latest European Commission forecasts, Poland’s GDP is expected to remain in a zone of moderate growth in 2026—most projections cluster around 3–3.5%. It’s a stable outlook, but hardly euphoric. Against this backdrop, Poland’s industrial sector is making investment decisions with a mix of caution and determination, as reflected in market data collected by Polcom. Technology is no longer treated as a sandbox for experiments; it is increasingly expected to deliver measurable outcomes.
Industry Enters the “Technology Execution” Phase
Polcom’s report, Digital Transformation Barometer of Polish Business 2025–2026, suggests that 2026 will not be the year of pilots, proofs of concept, or technology “trial runs.” For industrial companies, it is the moment to move into execution—scaling solutions that have a direct impact on costs, efficiency, and quality.
“We’re seeing a shift in how industrial boards talk about technology. The question is no longer ‘whether and how to implement AI,’ but ‘where and when will we see the impact in the P&L.’ 2026 will be the first year in which technology at scale is judged by real business outcomes rather than innovation for its own sake,”
says Adam Matyaszek, Sales Department Director at Polcom.
AI and automation remain the strongest investment trends in Polish industry, increasingly treated not as novelties but as tools for everyday operational management. Looking ahead to 2026:
- 76% of industrial firms plan to implement or expand the use of artificial intelligence.
- 55% intend to develop robotic process automation (RPA).
- 49% declare intensive investments in Industry 4.0 and 5.0 solutions.
These initiatives are complemented by edge computing: 22% of companies plan further development in this area, mainly to process data closer to production lines and reduce system response times.
AI in Industry: Less Vision, More Spreadsheets
In 2026, industrial AI is not meant to remain a slide-deck concept wrapped in an attractive narrative. It must prove its value in spreadsheets—through numbers, comparisons, and hard results. Companies are deploying AI where the impact can be calculated: production planning, predictive maintenance, quality control, and energy-consumption optimisation.
“AI in industry is no longer an ‘IT project.’ It is becoming part of operational management—like logistics or production planning. The strongest interest today is in implementations that can be scaled quickly and that deliver measurable effects: fewer downtimes, fewer errors, better resource utilisation,”
Matyaszek adds.
This is not about fully autonomous, futuristic factories. Instead, it is about targeted improvements applied to selected processes—solutions that work now, within existing operating models.
Maturity Instead of Revolution
Nearly half of industrial firms report intensive investment in Industry 4.0 and 5.0, but the narrative around these concepts is evolving. There is less talk of “revolution” and more emphasis on integration—connecting data, systems, and people into a coherent, resilient operating environment.
“Industry 5.0 is, in practice, an attempt to respond to fatigue from constant change. Companies want technology that strengthens organisational resilience, not just one that improves automation statistics. That’s why we’re seeing more focus on system stability, data security, and real support for employees in production processes,”
says Matyaszek.
One of the clearest conclusions in this year’s edition of the report concerns infrastructure strategy. 89% of firms say they do not plan to abandon on-premise infrastructure, yet 65% already use cloud computing—treating it as a flexible extension of their IT capacity rather than a full replacement.
Hard Expectations for 2026
Most important is what industry expects in return for technology spending—and here there is little space for vague promises or distant visions unsupported by numbers.
- 84% of industrial firms point to lower operating costs as the key expected outcome.
- 70% expect higher productivity.
- 68% aim to improve quality and reduce process errors.
At the same time, 72% believe automation and AI will improve B2B customer service by shortening order lead times and increasing delivery predictability.
“These expectations are typical of a mature digital transformation. Technology is no longer meant to inspire—it is meant to deliver. Industrial companies understand that in a world of moderate GDP growth, the only sustainable advantage is efficiency,”
Matyaszek notes.
“Polish industry enters 2026 with a clear thesis: we invest, but we expect a return. AI, automation, and Industry 4.0 must deliver here and now—on the shop floor, in planning, and in B2B relationships. 2026 will be less about technological revolutions and more about measuring hard business results.”
