Brigadier General (Ret.) Adam Sowa, PhD, Eng.
Colonel Jacek Wojtanowski, PhD, DSc
CETEF’26 Thematic Conference
Defense, Cybersecurity and Dual-Use Technologies
Day II20.10.2026
Time: 9:00 - 15:00The Lecture and Conference Center of the Poznan University of Technology, Piotrowo 2, Poznań
Organizer
Poznań University of Technology is one of the largest and most recognizable technical universities in Poland, with over 100 years of tradition in educating engineers and conducting scientific research. Its history dates back to 1919, and today the university has over 15,000 students enrolled in 9 faculties covering key areas of modern engineering, technology, and science. The academic staff consists of several thousand employees, including hundreds of experienced scientists and experts carrying out research projects in cooperation with industry and foreign partners. Poznań University of Technology has modern laboratory and research infrastructure, carries out dozens of international projects, and actively participates in mobility programs such as Erasmus+. Thanks to this, the university effectively combines a solid academic foundation with practical preparation of graduates for work in the dynamically changing world of technology and innovation.
Celebrating 75 years of academic excellence, the Military University of Technology (WAT) is a premier public university under the supervision of the Polish Ministry of National Defence. As an open technical university, WAT drives innovation across STEM and social sciences by implementing projects within prestigious national and international consortia resulting in cutting-edge defence and dual-use technologies. Our synergy with the defence industry regularly sweeps top honours at the MSPO exhibition in Kielce, including “Defender” and “State Security Leader” awards for technologies like the Quantum Key Distribution system, the OSU-35K Naval Weapon System, SAJNA radar, MSBS GROT rifle, “Drozd” WIG drone, “Borsuk” IFV, and “Perun” unmanned ground vehicle.
WB Group is currently Poland’s largest manufacturer offering communications and command technologies, as well as advanced solutions for armed forces worldwide in areas such as:
Surveillance and reconnaissance systems,
Battlefield command, communications and management systems,
Fire control systems,
Strike systems,
IT and cybersecurity systems,
Military equipment and modernisation.
The main advantage of the systems offered by the WB Group is their modularity and scalability. This enables the creation of numerous configurations combining all the Group’s products into a single comprehensive tool for managing situations on the modern multidimensional battlefield, tailored to the user’s needs. In its operations, the WB Group is driven by innovation, creating groundbreaking technological solutions. This business philosophy is reflected in a product range comprising solutions that are unique on a global scale, finding buyers in the most demanding markets.
Description
We invite you to our session on dual-use technologies, where the boundary between civilian innovation and defense capability fades to create a more resilient Europe. In an era of rapid geopolitical shifts, the ability to pivot commercial breakthroughs into strategic assets is no longer just an advantage—it is a necessity for sovereignty.
During the session, this synergy will be explored through four distinct lenses. We begin with the strategic importance of dual-use tech in strengthening the European defense and industrial base. We will then discuss how the gap between advanced research and operational resilience has been bridged by developing sovereign satellite capabilities and fostering a robust industrial ecosystem. Afterwards, attention will be given to science-industry alliances, specifically how European cooperation in optoelectronics is forging a high-tech powerhouse for the future. The session will be closed by moving to practical applications, examining how additive manufacturing transforms ‘off-the-shelf’ devices into combat-ready solutions.
Join us as we bridge the gap between research, industry, and security.
Session: Intelligent Networks Under Threat – Technology, Policy and Defence
Modern telecommunications networks are becoming increasingly intelligent – and increasingly targeted. AI-driven automation, 5G/6G connectivity and the growing complexity of network architectures create enormous opportunities, but also open new attack surfaces for cyber threats, hybrid operations and disinformation campaigns.
This session brings together researchers, policymakers and industry leaders to examine the challenge from three angles. Science asks whether Explainable AI strengthens or inadvertently weakens network security. Policy asks whether regulatory frameworks are keeping pace with the threat landscape, including the protection of critical infrastructure and resilience against hybrid attacks. Industry responds with next-generation defence solutions – from AI-powered threat detection to Zero Trust architectures deployed across enterprise and carrier-grade networks.
The session is a call to action: securing the intelligent network of tomorrow requires science, regulation and technology to work in concert – today.
Agenda
13:30 – 13:50 – Importance of dual use technologies in enhancing European Defence and Technological Base – Marek Kalbarczyk, PhD, Eng. (keynote speech)
13:50 – 14:10 – From Research to Resilience: Scaling Dual-Use Space Tech with PIAST – Brigadier General (Ret.) Adam Sowa, PhD, Eng.
14:10 – 14:30 – Dual-Use Optoelectronics: Driving Europe’s Technological Edge – Colonel Jacek Wojtanowski, PhD, DSc
14:30 – 14:45 – From Commercial Off-the-Shelf to Combat Ready: Dual-Use Potential of Additive Manufacturing – Capt. Agnieszka Klimek, M.Sc., Eng. (PhD Candidate)
Speakers
- tel. + 48 22 651 73 87
- email. sekretariat@iztech.pl
- ul. Taborowa 22 02-699 Warszawa