On Tuesday, March 10, 2026, the Poznań University of Life Sciences and WZL-2 established cooperation in the field of unmanned technologies. The agreement opens the way for joint research, educational, and implementation activities, combining the scientific potential of the university with the experience of one of the key entities in Poland’s aviation sector.
Photos: Poznań University of Life Sciences
The document was signed by Professor Krzysztof Szoszkiewicz, Rector of the Poznań University of Life Sciences, and Jakub Gazda, President of WZL-2. The cooperation will include, among other areas, the development and applications of unmanned systems, the implementation of joint research projects, and educational initiatives.
The unmanned technologies being developed today increasingly have a dual-use character. This means solutions that can be used in both civilian and military applications. In practice, this includes uses in precision agriculture, environmental monitoring, and spatial data analysis, but also in the security sector and the aerospace industry. It is precisely in the area of dual-use technologies that the complementary roles of the partners become particularly evident: the research and expert potential of the university and the technological and implementation experience of industry.
The agreement is also of particular importance in the context of a new academic program recently launched at the Poznań University of Life Sciences—Artificial Intelligence and Unmanned Systems—which responds to the growing demand for specialists with expertise in drone technologies.
The signing of the agreement was accompanied by a meeting devoted to the development of unmanned systems and opportunities for cooperation between academia and industry in this field. The event was attended by representatives of the academic community, public administration, and the industrial and agricultural sectors interested in the development of modern technologies. Participants were welcomed by Professor Krzysztof Szoszkiewicz, Rector of the Poznań University of Life Sciences, and Professor Klaudia Borowiak, Dean of the Faculty of Environmental and Mechanical Engineering.
Representatives of the regional authorities also took part in the meeting: Jarosław Maciejewski, Deputy Voivode of Greater Poland, and Paweł Napierała, Director of the Regional Program Implementation Department of the Marshal’s Office of the Greater Poland Voivodeship.
During the event, the research potential of the university in the field of unmanned technologies was presented. Dr. Eng. Krzysztof Achtenberg and Dr. Eng. Tomasz Wojciechowski from the Faculty of Environmental and Mechanical Engineering outlined the development directions of unmanned systems at the Poznań University of Life Sciences and presented examples of their applications.
The industry perspective was presented by representatives of WZL-2 – President Jakub Gazda and Board Member and Technical Director Zbigniew Matuszczak, who spoke about the growing role of unmanned technologies in the aviation sector and security systems.
The signed agreement represents an important step toward strengthening cooperation between academia and industry and enhancing the region’s potential in advanced technologies. Joint activities in the fields of unmanned systems and artificial intelligence are intended to support the development of solutions addressing the needs of the modern economy and security, while also educating specialists prepared to work with future technologies.
