On Monday, June 15, 2026, the first day of the 29th edition of Eurosatory 2026, the international defense industry trade show organized by Coges Events, taking place June 15-19 of this year in Paris-Nord Villepinte near Paris, Mesko, part of the Polish Armaments Group (PGZ), signed an agreement with French company Eurenco establishing a joint venture.
Photos: Mesko
„Mesko and Eurenco have signed a shareholders’ agreement establishing a joint venture that aims to remove one of the biggest constraints on European artillery ammunition production. Production is set to begin in Poland as early as 2028, and the venture could significantly change our country’s position on the map of the European defense industry,” ‒ reports Mesko CEO Renata Gruszczyńska.
During the Eurosatory 2026 international defense trade show in Paris, an event took place that may prove to be one of the most important moments in recent years for the Polish defense industry. Mesko, a company belonging to PGZ, and Eurenco signed a shareholders’ agreement under which a joint venture will be established, responsible for producing qualified modular charge systems and triple-base propellants for 155mm artillery ammunition.
To those outside the industry, this may sound technical. To defense market experts, however, it means something far more significant: building production capacity in an area that today represents one of the greatest challenges for European defense.
The war in Ukraine has ruthlessly tested the industrial capabilities of NATO states. It turned out that even the most modern armed forces are unable to sustain prolonged operations without stable ammunition supplies. Attention has focused not only on the shells themselves but also on the components necessary for their production. This is precisely the area where Europe has struggled for years with limited manufacturing capacity.
The new venture between Mesko and Eurenco aims to help solve this problem.
Planned production will cover hundreds of thousands of modular charge systems annually ‒ key components used by modern NATO artillery. Equally important, the project envisions drawing on Polish industrial potential, including single-base propellant produced at the plant in Pionki.
This means Poland will not merely be a recipient of technology or a final assembler of finished solutions. It will become a full participant in the European supply chain in one of the most strategic segments of the defense industry.
The role of Pionki carries particular significance. The plant, which for years was viewed primarily through the lens of its historical legacy, is now getting the chance to play a major role in building modern production capacity for the entire European market.
It is no coincidence that Mesko is leading the venture on the Polish side. The company has for years remained one of the pillars of the national defense industry, consistently developing its competencies in ammunition and rocket systems. The signed agreement confirms that the Polish industry is now seen by the largest European partners as a credible participant in projects of strategic importance.
The project is also part of a broader process of strengthening domestic production capabilities carried out under the Polish Armaments Group (PGZ), with ownership support from the Ministry of State Assets. This has made it possible to combine domestic industrial potential with the expertise of one of the most important European technology partners.
Through cooperation with Eurenco, Poland will gain access to advanced technologies, the experience of one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of energetic materials, and the competencies necessary to develop its own manufacturing capabilities. In practice, this means a transfer of knowledge and the building of a capacity base that will remain in the country for many years to come.
The significance of this investment, however, extends far beyond Poland’s borders.
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, European states have allocated billions of euros to rebuilding production capacity in the ammunition sector. Rising orders, however, cannot always be fulfilled quickly enough due to limited availability of propellants and modular charge systems. This is precisely why developing new production capacity is today one of the priorities of European security policy.
The project carried out by Mesko and Eurenco fits into this trend and could become one of the more important elements in strengthening Europe’s industrial resilience. The parties are already anticipating the possibility of further increasing production capacity beyond initial assumptions, should market conditions and the needs of allied armed forces require it.
According to the adopted schedule, the joint venture will begin operations in mid-2028, with full production capacity to be reached no later than early 2029.
The significance of the venture was further underscored by the presence of state administration representatives and leaders of the Polish defense industry. Those attending the signing ceremony included Konrad Gołota, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of State Assets; Adam Leszkiewicz, President of the Management Board of the Polish Armaments Group; Arkadiusz Bąk, First Vice President of the PGZ Management Board; as well as representatives of Mesko, Eurenco, and companies involved in developing domestic ammunition production capabilities.
The defense industry is not short on ambitious declarations. Far less common are projects that genuinely shift the position of states in strategic market segments. This is precisely why the shareholders’ agreement signed during Eurosatory 2026 is already being seen as an event whose significance extends beyond standard industrial cooperation.
For Poland, it may mean something more than a new investment.
It may mean joining the ranks of states that help shape European security not merely as a user of modern weaponry, but also as a supplier of key technologies and production capabilities for the entire Alliance.
🇵🇱🇫🇷 @PGZ_MESKO_SA i EURENCO podpisały strategiczną umowę podczas #Eurosatory2026.
To ważny krok w kierunku utworzenia francusko-polskiej spółki joint venture, która w Polsce będzie produkować nowoczesne ładunki miotające do amunicji artyleryjskiej kalibru 155 mm.
Projekt… pic.twitter.com/5EfcCPTHfB
— Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa🇵🇱 (@PGZ_pl) June 15, 2026
See also::
- Polish Armaments Group and Eurenco expand strategic partnership
- Polish Armaments Group, Mesko, and Eurenco sign strategic agreements
- Eurenco and Mesko strengthen strategic partnership with long-term energetic nitrocellulose supply agreement
- Polish Armaments Group and BAE sign cooperation agreement
- Poland: Kraśnik breaks ground on 155 mm artillery ammunition plant
- Kraśnik – the Heart of Polish Artillery: How 155 mm Ammunition Shell Bodies Are Produced by Mesko in Kraśnik
- Polish Armaments Group with a concept for building three ammunition factories
- 2.4 Billion PLN for the Polish Armaments Group to Support 155 mm Ammunition Production