Polish enterprises are increasingly embracing advanced technologies — yet they still rarely invest in automation, robotics, or Polish-born deep tech startups. What’s missing are mechanisms that would enable innovative startups to test and scale high-risk solutions directly with large domestic corporations. Without a first client or investor in Poland, many startups are unable to compete globally. Building the right innovation ecosystem could benefit all sides.
According to Statistics Poland (GUS), R&D spending in 2023 reached PLN 53.1 billion, up 18.8% year-on-year. The GERD-to-GDP ratio hit 1.56%, still below the EU average of 2.26%, but with the highest growth momentum in years. The business sector accounted for 64.6% of all R&D investment, spending PLN 34.3 billion. However, collaboration with academia remains limited — only a small share of industrial firms report any joint research projects with universities.
PARP’s latest Monitoring of Polish Enterprise Innovation shows that the Innovation Maturity Index (WDI) sits at just 34.6 / 100 points. Nearly 44% of companies remain skeptical of innovation. Yet 91.7% of firms that implemented innovations reported concrete benefits, such as business growth, better product quality, and higher operational efficiency — proving the ROI is real, but incentives and risk-sharing mechanisms are lacking.
“Deep tech companies — those born from R&D and advanced engineering — start with technology that solves a meaningful industrial, human, environmental or medical problem. But to scale, they need a first client willing to test or deploy it. In developed countries, that role is often played by state-owned enterprises or major corporations. In Poland, this still remains a big challenge,”
says Sławomir Olejnik, President of Fundacja Polska Innowacyjna and CEO of Deep Tech CEE PSA.
Large buyers’ willingness to run pilot projects is what determines how fast technologies exit the lab and enter industry. Yet investors are increasingly risk-averse — especially after past disappointments with software startups — and are even less willing to back hardware-based deep tech.
“Working with deep tech startups is the key to competitive advantage — especially for companies with international ambitions. If we want to save costs, accelerate processes, and overtake the competition, we must actively test and implement these technologies,”
Olejnik emphasizes.
EU is accelerating deep tech. Will Poland join?
The European Innovation Council (EIC) manages €10.1 billion (2021–2027), partly allocated to its EIC Fund for high-risk tech investments. The European Tech Champions Initiative aims to fill late-stage capital gaps. At the same time, the Deep Tech Talent Initiative hopes to train 1 million specialists by 2025.
Europe’s deep tech sector is valued at ~€700 billion, with €15 billion in investments in 2024 (2025 European Deep Tech Report). Poland, with its engineering strength, could meaningfully participate — provided companies increase university collaboration and test breakthrough solutions in-house.
Sectors such as energy, defense, health and advanced materials are currently the most receptive to deep tech.
“Poland has some of the highest energy costs in Europe — companies must explore and implement alternative solutions. Yes, it requires capital and risk — but that’s how a high-tech economy functions. Some projects will fail — but even then, the winning ones will be far cheaper than foreign technologies we currently import,”
says Olejnik.
OECD stresses that risk and failure are natural in innovation ecosystems — and that success depends on fast testing, validation and continued funding of the most promising technologies. Even this year’s Nobel Prize in Economics rewarded research on innovation-led growth.
“An effective ecosystem means there are buyers and investors willing to take on early-stage testing risk,”
Olejnik adds.
What needs to change in Poland?
Key recommendations include:
- More capital and regulatory support for innovation ecosystems
- Grant and accelerator reform to allow higher-risk ventures
- Opening large Polish corporations and state-owned enterprises to startup pilots and procurement
- Unblocking public tenders for domestic innovation
- Mandatory business chamber participation — as in Germany or Austria — to better integrate startups with industrial buyers and supply chains
“In Poland, just 2% of companies belong to industry chambers — mostly large firms. In countries like Germany, a hardware + AI startup immediately joins an industry chamber, entering a ready-made partner network. That speeds up commercial adoption dramatically,”
Olejnik explains.
OECD confirms that countries with strong industrial associations and university–business cooperation consistently commercialize research faster and more effectively.
Deep Tech CEE Summit 2025 – Warsaw
27–29 October 2025 — Warsaw will host the Deep Tech CEE Summit 2025, gathering 500+ participants from 20 countries, including 150 deep tech startups and 200+ corporates and investors.
“It’s a live matching platform. In two days, you can find an investor, a pilot client, or a scientist to join your research. This is where the entire Central European innovation ecosystem meets in one place,”
says Olejnik.
“We built a dedicated Business on Tech stage — where founders, investors and corporate leaders openly share how to make money on technology, time risk-taking, and scale profitably without wasting capital.”
