PONAR Wadowice, a European technology leader in advanced dual-use hydraulic power systems, announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Demarko, a leading manufacturer of specialized semitrailers, trailers, and special bodies for delivery and heavy trucks. The agreement, concluded on 15 April, is strategic in nature and concerns cooperation in the area of hydraulic component supplies, as well as the provision by PONAR of hydraulic power system services for vehicles manufactured by Demarko. At the same time, Demarko will support PONAR in the delivery and assembly of advanced welded structures for the military market. The agreement also provides for the exchange of technological expertise and further joint efforts toward modern solutions for the defense sector.
Photos: Jakub Link-Lenczowski, MILMAG
“The pace of development of the Polish defense industry is clearly accelerating, building on technologies and capabilities developed locally over many years. Long-term cooperation and strategic partnerships between leaders such as PONAR and Demarko support the further strengthening of our position and make it possible to carry out increasingly advanced projects within European supply chains. Together with Demarko, we are focusing on comprehensive production and research-and-development projects for the defense sector, which opens up new opportunities for us in international-scale tenders and forms the foundation of our strategy,” commented Marek Warzecha, President of the Management Board of PONAR Wadowice.
The agreement signed on 15 April provides for the development of strategic cooperation between the two companies. The cooperation covers the supply of hydraulic components and the provision by PONAR of hydraulic system services for specialized semitrailers and vehicle bodies for delivery and heavy trucks manufactured at Demarko’s production plants. At the same time, Demarko will provide support in the delivery and assembly of complex welded structures for PONAR. The adopted cooperation model is based on the complementary specializations of both companies and solid operational foundations – PONAR delivers advanced hydraulic power solutions, while Demarko is responsible for advanced welded structures and the production of special-purpose vehicles. This combination creates a synergy of capabilities and enables the joint design and development of new technological solutions for a wide range of customers.
PONAR is a qualified supplier of hydraulic power components for military applications and holds NATO certification, a license from the Ministry of the Interior and Administration, as well as the AQAP quality management system required for production for the defense sector. It supplies critical technologies used, among other things, in the AHS Krab self-propelled howitzer, the Borsuk infantry fighting vehicle, military command-and-staff vehicles, mobile radar stations including the Bystra radar, and Poprad air defense systems, as well as in other combat and logistics vehicles produced in Poland, such as the ZU-23-2MR Wróbel II naval gun system. The group thus participates in key programs for the modernization and expansion of the Polish Armed Forces. / Photo: PONAR
Demarko is a leading manufacturer of specialized semitrailers for oversized transport and special modular bodies, with a presence in Poland and in more than a dozen foreign markets. The company specializes in the design and production of such dual-use solutions employed in the defense sector. Demarko cooperates with renowned research institutions such as the Military Institute of Armored and Automotive Technology (WITPiS), the Military Institute of Armament Technology (WITU), as well as the Polish Naval Academy and the Silesian University of Technology. In turn, the PONAR Wadowice Group brings to the cooperation advanced expertise in hydraulic power systems for applications with elevated operational requirements, including specialist platforms and the defense sector, as well as engineering and production capabilities in metalworking and the execution of complex industrial structures.
“I am convinced that the engineers of PONAR and Demarko will be able to compete even more effectively with the biggest players, not only in the defense industry, but wherever solutions requiring strength and durability are critical. Our partnership is a clear signal that Polish companies possess the technology and production capacity needed to deliver the most complex hydraulic systems and specialist transport platforms,” added the President of the Management Board of PONAR Wadowice.
“For us, PONAR is a strong, proven partner and the first-choice company in the field of the most advanced hydraulic power solutions. We see very significant synergy potential – both in research and development, and in production and commercial relations. Our combined capabilities will allow us not only to improve the quality and innovativeness of the solutions we offer, but also to respond more effectively to growing customer requirements, including those of the defense sector,” commented Mateusz Komarec, President of the Management Board of Demarko.
The PONAR Wadowice Group is one of Europe’s technological leaders in advanced dual-use hydraulic power systems. Based on its own know-how, it designs, develops, and manufactures highly specialized components and complete hydraulic systems that form integral elements of the architecture of modern industrial and military platforms.
PONAR’s solutions are used in many demanding civilian sectors, including the machinery industry, offshore, energy, aviation, and by manufacturers of specialist machinery. The Group cooperates globally with more than 3,000 customers, including such corporations as Caterpillar, Alstom, ArcelorMittal, Komatsu, Palfinger, and Pratt & Whitney, providing full life-cycle support – from design and development work, through production and implementation, to servicing and spare-parts supply.
PONAR’s advanced hydraulic power technologies are used, among other things, in gun balancing mechanisms and brakes, track tensioners, hydraulic power units, platform stabilization systems, radar leveling systems, as well as in complete hydraulic systems and hydropneumatic suspensions designed for the specific technical requirements of customers and of industrial and military platforms.
PONAR is a qualified supplier of hydraulic power components for military applications and holds NATO certification, a license from the Ministry of the Interior and Administration, as well as the AQAP quality management system required for production for the defense sector. It supplies critical technologies used, among other things, in the AHS Krab self-propelled howitzer, the Borsuk infantry fighting vehicle, military command-and-staff vehicles, mobile radar stations including the Bystra radar, and Poprad air defense systems, as well as in other combat and logistics vehicles produced in Poland, such as the ZU-23-2MR Wróbel II naval gun system. The Group thus participates in key programs for the modernization and expansion of the Polish Armed Forces.
PONAR is also developing its activities in the field of artillery systems. Through PK MIL, a joint venture company, it is participating in the project to launch production of Ukrainian Bohdana self-propelled howitzers in Poland, in line with the priorities of the ReArm Europe initiative.
The Group’s technological development is based on its own research and development center, design facilities, and proprietary know-how developed by a team of more than 150 engineers. PONAR’s R&D Center is responsible for improving existing products and developing new generations of components and complete hydraulic systems, including ultra-high-pressure (UHP) technologies. These engineering capabilities make it possible to carry out projects comprehensively, resulting in a growing patent portfolio and the development of solutions used in demanding industrial sectors.
PONAR has two main competence centers: its component production plant in Wadowice and its systems center in Łaziska Górne, which specializes in the design and integration of complete hydraulic systems, as well as plants in Lubań and Ostrów Wielkopolski.
Demarko, in turn, is the supplier of ST775-20W high-mobility low-bed semitrailers for transporting tanks and heavy tracked equipment with a payload capacity of more than 63 tons under the Jak program, paired with Jelcz C882.62 8×8 tractor units. Earlier, it supplied multicarrier ambulances to the Polish Armed Forces.
More recently, on 10 February this year during World Defense Show 2026 in Riyadh, Demarko signed an agreement with Saudi company Jassara Supply Trading, part of Jassara Group, concerning joint activities on the Saudi market.
Finally, it is worth emphasizing that cooperation between Demarko and PONAR includes an offering of components for Jelcz and equipment for trucks at PONAR’s plants in Świętochłowice and Demarko’s facilities in Bytom.
Based on a press release