On 19 March, the Competitiveness & Security Business Summit 2025 took place in Brussels, organized by Business & Science Poland - the largest organization representing Polish companies at the EU level. During this full-day event, held under the patronage of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, representatives of the Polish government, EU institutions, and business debated the future of the European economy and ways to strengthen Europe's security.
The event, organized just weeks after the European Commission's presentation of the strategic document "Clean Industrial Deal" and the so-called Omnibus Package, aimed at simplifying regulations for businesses, became a platform for discussions on the newly proposed strategies to strengthen the EU’s position in five key areas: innovation, industry, financing, strategic value chains, and defence.
“Today, Polish businesses have a lot to contribute to the European discussion - insights drawn from experience, ambition, and determination. That’s our goal today—to share ideas, challenge assumptions, and help shape Europe’s future” said Bartek Czyczerski, President of Business & Science Poland.
The event began with a speech by the Minister for European Affairs, Adam Szłapka, who highlighted the priorities of the Polish EU Council Presidency: “Our presidency motto is "Security, Europe!" But in the same breath, we could say Simplicity Europe. Security and simplicity - we need both”
The keynote speech was followed by the official launch of the "We Did It In Poland" campaign, inaugurated by Deputy Minister for EU Affairs Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka, along with the campaign’s creators, Olga Kozierowska and Olga Adamkiewicz. The campaign aims to strengthen Poland's image as an innovative, dynamic, and modern country contributing significantly to the EU’s development, while also highlighting the potential of Polish entrepreneurship.
After the opening ceremony, summit participants engaged in five thematic panels focused on innovation, industry, financing, strategic supply chains, and defence. Throughout the event, "fireside chats" were also held, where opinion leaders shared their personal insights, experiences, and expertise in a conversational setting.
The Innovation Panel – under the “what does it take to innovate?” theme – focused on the challenges and need to create conditions conducive to innovation development. Discussions revolved around appropriate regulatory frameworks, incentive systems, and fostering collaboration between businesses, research institutions, and startups.
The "Pillars of the EU's Common Future: Competitiveness and Economic Security" Panel addressed critical issues such as energy affordability for industry, reducing external dependencies, industrial policy, support for energy-intensive sectors, and balancing climate policy with competitiveness, while ensuring resilient supply chains and economic independence.
The "Financing the Future: Strengthening Europe's Competitiveness" Panel concentrated on EU investment mechanisms, public-private partnerships, strategic financing of the green and digital transitions, and strengthening capital markets to enhance competitiveness and security.
The "Economic Security: From Raw Materials to Clean Technologies and Space" Panel discussed key economic security aspects, including reducing external dependencies, diversifying supply chains, supporting the Clean Tech sector, and circular economy strategies.
The "Towards a Stronger and Safer Europe: Enhancing EU Defense Preparedness" Panel focused on strengthening the EU’s defense capabilities, cybersecurity, military mobility, competitiveness in the defense industry, and promoting strategic autonomy to safeguard European defense interests.
Strategic partners of the Competitiveness & Security Business Summit included ORLEN S.A., Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa S.A., KGHM Polska Miedź S.A., Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego, Związek Cyfrowa Polska, Totalizator Sportowy, and Allegro.
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