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Poland's defense sector makes push in dual-use innovation with Korea as a partner

Published: 08 Sep. 2025, 12:00 Updated: 08 Sep. 2025, 15:34

SEO JI-EUN
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Visitors walk through the outdoor exhibition zone at MSPO 2025 in Kielce, Poland, on Sept. 2. [SEO JI-EUN]

WARSAW — Poland is harnessing dual-use innovation as a cornerstone of its defense-industrial strategy, and Korea has emerged as a key partner in this transformation.

On the occasion of the International Defence Industry Exhibition 2025 defense expo in Kielce from last Tuesday to Friday, Polish officials and companies highlighted how crossover technologies in AI-powered systems and AI-powered systems advanced textiles are driving not only military modernization but also broader economic progress.

Poland has dramatically increased its defense budget in response to regional security threats, targeting 4.7 percent of its GDP, with plans for 5 percent — which both is and will be the highest level in NATO and the European Union — against the backdrop of the prolonged Russia-Ukraine war.

Dual-use technology refers to innovations that can be deployed both on the battlefield and in civilian markets — such as unmanned aerial vehicles, protective textiles or AI autopiloting — offering resilience, cost-effectiveness and broader commercial spinoffs.

With record defense spending and a push for indigenous capabilities, Poland is cultivating homegrown innovators like Unifeq and Quantum Quest while also actively courting international cooperation, especially Korean investors and firms, amid deepening defense ties.

Tomasz Korzeniowski, founder of Quantum Quest, a Warsaw-based startup developing AI-powered autopilot systems for drones, speaks with a delegation of Korean reporters at his office in Kielce, Poland, on Sept. 1. [SEO JI-EUN]

Prioritizing civilian market first

Poland’s dual-use strategy isn’t limited to established firms; it also nurtures startups like Quantum Quest, which focuses on cutting-edge concepts such as AI-driven autopilot for drones.

Founder Tomasz Korzeniowski, speaking with a delegation of Korean reporters at his office, described the steep barriers for small firms in Poland's procurement system.

Defense contracts, he said, are like “a lottery ticket.” If the military eventually decides to buy in bulk, as the Ukrainian army did with some autopilot suppliers, it can rapidly boost a company’s growth. But for startups, large military contracts often require lengthy processes and even having “a general on payroll” to navigate bureaucracy.

Contracts for special forces operations are a different story: They are more autonomous, more open to innovation and willing to test new solutions. But, he noted, even if a unit buys 10 drones, “it won’t give you enough money to sustain talent and keep the team.”

As a result, Korzeniowski said that he believes that dual-use companies should focus on civilian markets first, where steady demand can sustain business, pivoting to defense when opportunities arise.

Quantum Quest has deliberately avoided building full drones.

Instead, it develops autopilot software and electronics modules — what Korzeniowski calls the “brains” of the drone — that manufacturers worldwide can integrate into their own platforms. His mission is to democratize access to advanced autonomy while ensuring that sensitive technology only goes to trusted allied users.

International partnership is central to this strategy.

“I would love to team up with Korean drone manufacturers […] to bring more advanced autonomy and together make their drones as efficient as possible,” Korzeniowski said, adding that Korea’s innovative drone ecosystem could help scale his technology internationally. "If one of them succeeds with their drones using my electronics, my autopilot, my software, that’s how I want to grow."

The booth of Unifeq, a Polish performance-textiles company specializing in military and protective gear, at MSPO 2025 in Kielce, Poland [SEO JI-EUN]

Advanced textiles weaving military tech into civilian markets

Another pillar of Poland’s dual-use strategy is leveraging its defense know-how in materials and textiles in civilian markets.

Unifeq, a Polish company specializing in apparel and gear that meet military standards, is doing exactly that.

For 15 years, Unifeq has supplied armed forces with everything from uniforms to socks and ballistic protection, and now it plans to launch its own consumer brand built on this technology.

“We are at the last step of creating our own brand […] We will launch a brand for [business-to-consumer] which will be available — it will use the military technology that we’ve used for the last 15 years and transfer this to the civilian sector,” said Piotr Kowalik, CEO of Unifeq Europe. In practice, this means high-performance fabrics and designs proven on the battlefield could soon be available in outdoor clothing or workwear — offering civilians extreme durability, weatherproofing and comfort derived from military research and development.

Unifeq exemplifies global integration in Poland’s defense industry — the company sources advanced textiles from around the world, including Korea.

“We have some ties with Korea […] we buy especially laminated fabrics — three-layer, two-layer fabrics. Korean companies are very good in [these],” he remarked, highlighting Korea’s reputation for quality in technical textiles. Such materials are critical for breathable, waterproof military uniforms and gear, often using specialist membranes like 37.5 technology, which Unifeq referenced.

Most important Asian partner

Poland’s dual-use strategy is not only about strengthening its own defense ecosystem but also about deepening ties with trusted partners.

"Korea is our most important Asian partner at the moment in terms of investment relations," Arkadiusz Tarnowski, deputy director at the Polish Investment and Trade Agency (PAIH), said. "In trade volume, China is bigger, but in terms of the investment portfolio, Korea is number one."

Polish officials emphasize that the country offers a unique investment environment: a central location at the crossroads of four pan-European corridors, one of Europe’s largest railway networks, a highly skilled work force and some of the EU’s most generous incentives, from tax breaks to direct grants.

Already, more than 650 Korean companies operate in Poland, with cumulative investments exceeding 7 billion euros ($8 billion) across sectors ranging from batteries to electronics, showing how defense can build on an already solid economic bridge.

As one PAIH representative put it, Poland’s mission is to help foreign partners “create stronger joint offers with Polish companies for international customers” — a formula that allows Korean firms not only to expand in Europe but also to anchor themselves at the heart of NATO’s most dynamic defense market.

"This is the right moment […] K-beauty, K-drama and K-pop are booming in Poland, and Korean studies are among the most attractive majors at our universities," Tarnowski said. "That cultural affinity makes it easier for Korean companies to do business here."

BY SEO JI-EUN [[email protected]]