On December 18, an agreement on strategic cooperation was signed at the WB Group Presentation Hall in Warsaw between the Łukasiewicz Research Network and three companies belonging to the capital group headquartered in Ożarów Mazowiecki. For several months, all parties have been cooperating, among other things, on the GLADIUS and WARMATE projects as well as other unmanned systems.
The solutions being jointly developed are designed with the modernization of the Polish Armed Forces in mind and to support Poland in the technological race. The primary areas of cooperation will be defense and security systems developed in line with the principles of technological sovereignty, which is essential for the resilience of the state.
The strategic partnership agreement will accelerate research efforts and enable the transfer of ready-made solutions into military systems integrated by the WB Group, followed by their verification during trials and tests. This represents an example of synergy between the Polish defense industry and research and development centers.
The Łukasiewicz Research Network was represented by Dr. Hubert Cichocki, President of the Łukasiewicz Center, while the parent company of the WB Group – WB Electronics – was represented by its President, Piotr Wojciechowski. On behalf of Polska Amunicja, the agreement was signed by President Paweł Poncyljusz and Management Board Member Mateusz Buzuk. MindMade was represented by President Paweł Poncyljusz and Management Board Member Jan J. Szczyrek.
/ Photos: Wb Group
“WB Group is one of the most innovative companies in Europe. I am pleased that the largest private enterprise in Poland’s defense sector is at the same time a proven and priority partner of the Łukasiewicz Research Network. WB Group systems are proving effective, among other places, in Ukraine, where they constitute a strategic element supporting defensive capabilities,” said Dr. Hubert Cichocki, President of the Łukasiewicz Center.
“Broad cooperation with the facilities of such a distinguished research and development organization as the Łukasiewicz Research Network aligns with the need to build—indeed, to achieve—Poland’s technological sovereignty, and even technological dominance, in the high-tech domain of security and defense. Such agreements make it possible to develop our specializations in the Polish and also the European market,” said Piotr Wojciechowski, President of the WB Group.
“This partnership is an important step for us in implementing our Network’s strategy. As a consequence, we aim to achieve the status of the research and development partner of first choice for companies in Poland’s defense sector,” emphasized Hubert Cichocki. He added that technology implementations increase the operational effectiveness of products and, consequently, their export potential.
During the signing ceremony, Piotr Wojciechowski, President of the WB Group, emphasized that he is extremely proud of the cooperation with the institutes of the Łukasiewicz Research Network.
“Over the past several months, cooperation between the Network’s institutes and the WB Group has accelerated significantly. This is an entirely new quality: within just a few months, a technology related to a key component of ammunition was developed – something that, according to the original assumptions, was expected to take several years,” assessed the President of Łukasiewicz.
In accordance with the agreement, institutes of the Łukasiewicz Research Network will take part in the development of new versions of the WARMATE family of loitering munitions and the GLADIUS search-and-strike system. Plans also include projects related to, among other things, unmanned aerial vehicles, electronics, and advanced materials.
Łukasiewicz is responding dynamically to the needs of the WB Group by delivering solutions in the areas of autonomy and automation as well as special-purpose electronics components. These include, in particular, printed circuit boards, photodiodes, and optoelectronics.
The Łukasiewicz Research Network is a research and development organization composed of 22 scientific institutes. Its mission is to provide enterprises with innovative solutions in order to enhance the competitiveness of the Polish economy. The Łukasiewicz institutes and their branches employ approximately 7,000 people in 30 locations.
Łukasiewicz’s potential is focused on four key research areas: defense and national security, chemistry for industry, energy transformation, and the circular economy.
WB Group is a European manufacturer of global significance. The Polish company is a leading designer and producer of advanced command, control, communications, and integration platforms, as well as one of the world’s largest suppliers of unmanned systems.
WB Group manufactures, modernizes, and integrates innovative solutions in cooperation with various partners, combining science with industry. The Polish company is able to effectively translate battlefield experience into technological success and is capable of constructive cooperation in the international environment in support of European sovereignty and collective security.
Based on a press release