Image and photos: MBF Group
This approach reflects the changing nature of how operational advantage is built in modern unmanned systems. Increasingly, it is not only the air vehicle itself that matters, but also its ability to operate as part of a broader architecture: collecting data from multiple sources, communicating beyond line of sight, cooperating with ground-based and satellite systems, and processing information directly onboard. Iryda+ Space Z1 is intended to explore precisely this kind of technological environment.
The starting point, however, remains Iryda+ X1. The company emphasizes that the current platform is to be brought to full commercial and market readiness, and that the launch of the Space Z1 program is a consequence of the maturity of X1 rather than an attempt to replace it. Work is continuing in parallel on documentation, possible configurations, delivery terms, servicing, and technical support. X1 is also expected to be one of the key elements of MBF Group’s presence at MSPO 2026.
The company is holding discussions on the potential commercial use of the X1 platform with entities in Poland and other European Union countries. At the same time, documentation is being finalized for further institutional procedures, including a planned application to the Autonomous Systems Center (OSA). For the military sector, this means a transition from the demonstration phase to a stage in which the platform is to be assessed not only in terms of flight performance, but also its technical readiness, mission configurations, and potential for operational deployment.
The Space Z1 program is to be developed through an open cooperation model involving technology companies, universities, R&D centers, and industrial partners. MBF Group has announced that discussions are already under way with selected Polish entities possessing expertise in space technologies, satellite communications, optics, imaging, and data processing. At this stage, their names have not been disclosed due to the preliminary nature of the talks, the absence of binding agreements, and applicable confidentiality and compliance requirements.
An important element of the project is also the localization of capabilities in Poland. The company is analyzing the future organization of domestic production for the Iryda+ family of systems, while requirements currently being assessed for X1 are to be expanded to cover the potential needs of Space Z1. This includes electronics, communications systems, electro-optics, AI, software, and research and test infrastructure. MBF Group intends to build production, integration, and research-and-development capabilities in Poland as broadly as possible, drawing on domestic cooperation and relationships being developed with Turkish partners.
The project also has an investment dimension. MBF Group is a public company listed on NewConnect, and subsequent stages of technological development are therefore being assessed in parallel in terms of financing, their impact on the company’s business profile, and disclosure obligations. The company has convened an Extraordinary General Meeting for September 14, 2026, with an agenda including draft resolutions concerning the issuance of new shares and the formal expansion of its business activities to include the design, production, sale, servicing, research, and development of unmanned aircraft systems, as well as activities related to advanced technologies.
The proposed Series K share issue includes an offer addressed, among others, to Radosław Majdan, who would subscribe for 160,000 shares at PLN 6.25 per share, for a total of PLN 1 million. The proposal also provides for a voluntary 12-month lock-up, intended to underline the long-term nature of the planned investment. From a capital-market perspective, this is a clear signal that further development of the UAV and advanced technology projects is also intended to receive financial backing, although the transaction still requires the adoption of the relevant resolutions and completion of further formal procedures.
In addition, the draft resolutions for the Extraordinary General Meeting provide for expanding the company’s scope of activity to include, among other areas, the production of civil and military aircraft and spacecraft, software development, scientific research, and R&D activities. This formally organizes the direction already indicated by MBF Group through the development of IRYDA+ X1 and the launch of Space Z1—the transition from a single UAV project toward building broader technological capabilities at the intersection of unmanned aviation, AI, space, and dual-use technologies.
At MSPO 2026, the company intends to present X1 as the result of work already completed, while Space Z1 will be introduced as the direction for the next stage of development. For the defense market, this will combine a product being prepared for commercialization with a system concept intended to make future use of satellite technologies, autonomy, and AI. For investors, the key point is that MBF Group is attempting to build both a product for the present and technological capabilities for the coming years, while simultaneously preparing financing tools and the potential for production in Poland.
Sources:
- MBF Group S.A. – article: IRYDA+ X1 today, SPACE Z1 tomorrow – a natural evolution of the unmanned program
- MBF Group S.A. – article: X1 completes Phase I: from demonstration in Konya to MSPO 2026
Press release
8 września 2026 r. o godz. 9:00 zapraszamy do sali Lambda w Centrum Kongresowym Targów Kielce. Wydarzenie odbędzie się podczas VIP Day, otwierającego tegoroczny Międzynarodowy Salon Przemysłu Obronnego. Będzie częścią Ogólnopolskiej Konferencji Naukowej „Technologie podwójnego… pic.twitter.com/C5uEOJRzFe
— MBF Group SA (@MBF_Group) August 17, 2026
IRYDA SPACE Z1 to naturalne przejście od gotowego i przetestowanego kierunku technologicznego do koncepcji wykraczającej znacznie dalej w przyszłość. IRYDA+ X1 pozostaje bazą do dalszego rozwoju i przygotowania oferty handlowej, a SPACE Z1 otwiera kolejny etap. Nie zamierzamy…
— MBF Group SA (@MBF_Group) August 11, 2026
MBF GROUP SA (48/2026) Rozpoczęcie programu IRYDA+ SPACE Z1 w obszarze technologii UAV, space-enabled i AI https://t.co/ocxZr4BZDV pic.twitter.com/QH5t9tPiML
— MBF Group SA (@MBF_Group) August 11, 2026