From the laboratory to industry. New Mobility Congress 2026 on technologies driving economic transformation.

Artificial intelligence, new technologies, and industrial automation determine today where investments are made, factories are built, jobs are created, and the competitive advantage of nations is established. Increasingly, these are also dual-use technologies that simultaneously drive economic development and strengthen the security of critical infrastructure and state resilience.

Does Poland have a chance not only to use technologies developed abroad, but also to create them locally and scale them to European markets? What must happen for solutions created in laboratories to reach industry and for Polish innovations to become a source of real competitive advantage?

Poland's expenditures on research and development have increased to 1.41% of GDP – by nearly half in five years. At the same time, global competition for investments in future technologies is clearly accelerating. States are now competing not only with capital or production costs, but primarily with the ability to develop, commercialize, and implement their own technologies on an industrial scale.

These challenges will be discussed by experts at the New Mobility Congress 2026, which will take place on September 23-25 in Katowice, within the Górnośląsko-Zagłębiowska Metropolis (GZM). The program for the Deep Tech Transformation Forum, New Economy & Investments and New Security & Resilience tracks includes discussions on technologies that have the potential to change European industry, as well as the investments and cooperation models needed to forge research and development potential into real economic development and build Europe's resilience in the area of dual-use technologies.

Deep tech enters industry. AI, robotics, and technologies

The Deep Tech Transformation Forum features premiere discussions about technologies that have the potential to define the future of European industry. In a single track, leaders from research, startups, industry, and investment funds will meet and exchange views to discuss the commercialization of innovations and their implementation on an industrial scale.

The forum's program will open with talks about artificial intelligence, technology commercialization, and building the competitiveness of European industry. Among them is a workshop providing practical support for entrepreneurs who want to focus on innovation: "Innovation Coach in the Regions: Śląskie – Katowice. Support for innovative companies." There will also be discussions on the technological potential of Polish industry: "Robotics and production automation: from smart factories to resilient supply chains" or "AI Made in Poland: can we become a European hub for artificial intelligence?" – showcasing solutions emerging at the intersection of industry, energy, mobility, and security. An increasingly important role is played by technologies developed in the dual-use model, meaning they are designed for both civilian applications and those related to state security and critical infrastructure. Today, dual-use technologies are becoming one of the key areas of European investment in AI, electronics, autonomous systems, and cybersecurity, which is why the panel "New mobility, new security: how dual-use technologies strengthen state and industrial resilience" was a must-have. Furthermore, the keynote "Science. I like it." will introduce participants to the world of New Space, demonstrating how scientific research, engineering, and advanced technologies can create new specializations in the economy.

The future of mobility is not created exclusively in laboratories and design offices. It is also created in cities and metropolises, where millions of people make decisions every day about how to get to work, school, or home. In GZM, we are already implementing this change – by integrating transport, developing the Metrorower, and investing in solutions intended to ensure that convenient mobility will increasingly mean choosing public transport, a bicycle, or a train. Therefore, the New Mobility Congress is an important place for us to exchange experiences and discuss how to translate European trends and technologies into concrete solutions for our residents, says Igor Śmietański, Vice-Chairman of the Board of the Górnośląsko-Zagłębiowska Metropolis.

Europe's reindustrialization begins with investments

While the Deep Tech Transformation Forum showcases technologies that can change the industry, the New Economy & Investments track focuses on how to forge their potential into investments, scalable business, and real economic growth. This is exactly what we will learn from the opening presentation: the keynote "Investments in mobility transformation in Europe: from innovation to deployment, competitiveness, and resilience". In this area, experts will also tackle the subject of the role of local content and sources of financing for strategic investments: "The new geography of mobility. Global partnerships, investments, and value chains", "What role does the EU's multiannual financial framework (MFF) play in supporting Europe's drive for competitiveness and resilience?" and "The ideal balance for public and private funds - when does the market take over responsibility?".

The event will also feature discussions about the industries that will drive economic development in the coming decade. Sessions such as "Batteries and critical raw materials for European industry", "Hydrogen after the hype phase", and "The circular economy as a new model of industrial competitiveness" will focus on raw material security, new production models, and building the resilience of European industry.

The question today is no longer just how much investment can be attracted to Poland, but what part of the value created thanks to it will remain in our economy. If the technological transformation is to strengthen competitiveness, Polish companies must become something more than just recipients of ready-made solutions. They should actively participate in their design, production, and scaling. That is why local content is becoming an element of industrial policy and part of the discussion about the place Poland will occupy in European value chains. The New Mobility Congress is a place where we will discuss concrete mechanisms that will allow us to translate investments in new technologies into lasting industrial competencies and capabilities in Poland, says Łukasz Witkowski, Vice President of the Polish New Mobility Association (PSNM).

From research to competitive advantage

The transformation of new mobility is accelerating, but its pace is increasingly determined not by a single innovation, but by the ability to build entire technological and industrial ecosystems. Today, competitive advantage is created where research, production, infrastructure and competencies develop in parallel.

The best example of this change is electromobility. In Poland, the development of the market means more than just more electric cars or new charging stations. Solutions are emerging that set new standards for all of Europe, from the first charging station for heavy transport with a capacity of 1.5 MW in the MCS standard, to projects building a complete value chain around the production of vehicles, batteries, and components.

Modern technologies constitute the foundation of the Silesian Voivodeship's transformation from a region of traditional heavy industry into a modern, diversified knowledge-based economy. The introduction of advanced production systems, robotization, and digital technologies allows for the modernization of traditional industries – metallurgy, mining, machinery, and automotive. As a result, plants increase their productivity, reduce production costs and enter global value chains. On the other hand, ICT technologies are one of Silesia's most important smart specializations. They generate thousands of high-paying jobs in the region, attracting global business and technology centres. They encompass, among others, cybersecurity, process modelling, and systems supporting the factories of the future. The development of technology forces the evolution of higher education. Universities are opening new majors tailored to the digital labour market, says Wojciech Saługa, the Marshal of the Silesian Voivodeship.

An equally important symbol of this transformation is the city of Jaworzno. The electric vehicle factory currently under construction and the technology hub implemented by Electromobility Poland are intended to create not only a production plant but also a research and development facility, a supplier network, and new competencies for the entire Central and Eastern European region. It is precisely this kind of model—from the laboratory, through the prototype, to large-scale production—that is becoming the foundation of modern industrial policy today.

More of these technologies are also being developed in the dual-use model, with both civilian applications and those related to state security and critical infrastructure in mind. Artificial intelligence, electronics, space technologies, autonomous systems, or cybersecurity simultaneously drive industry and strengthen the economy's resilience.

These are precisely the issues experts will focus on during the three tracks of the New Mobility Congress: Deep Tech Transformation Forum, New Economy & Investments, and New Security & Resilience. Discussions during the Congress will cover how to effectively translate research and development potential into investments, build technologies ready for commercialization and increase the participation of Polish companies in strategic projects implemented in Poland and Europe.

• Registration: https://tickets.kongresnowejmobilnosci.pl/registration?ticket=nw9dszkbch

• Free admission: https://kongresnowejmobilnosci.pl/bilety-darmowe/

• Event program: https://kongresnowejmobilnosci.pl/program-knm-2026/

• More information: www.kongresnowejmobilnosci.pl

--

Contact

Maciej Gis, Director of the Communications Office, PSNM
e-mail: maciej.gis@psnm.org; tel.: (+48) 606 740 357

Jan Wiewiór, PR Specialist, PSNM
e-mail: jan.wiewior@psnm.org; tel.: (+48) 608 019 500

About PSNM

The Polish New Mobility Association (PSNM) is the largest industry organization in Poland dedicated to creating the market for electromobility and alternative fuels. The organization brings together nearly 300 enterprises from the entire electromobility value chain: vehicle and infrastructure manufacturers, charging service operators, fuel and energy corporations, financial institutions, transport companies, providers of modern technologies, other entities and institutions active in the area of sustainable transport. PSNM is part of E-Mobility Europe, the largest organization dedicated to the development of the electromobility market in Europe.

About GZM

The Górnośląsko-Zagłębiowska Metropolis (GZM) is an association of 41 cities and municipalities in Upper Silesia and Zagłębie, inhabited by over 2 million residents. The Metropolis utilizes the potential of its municipalities to improve the quality of life for its residents and strengthen its competitiveness.
One of GZM's most important tasks is the organization and development of an integrated transport system. Under the Transport GZM brand, it integrates buses, trams, trolleybuses, bicycles, and regional rail, creating one of the largest public transport systems in Europe. GZM is also developing the Metrorower – the largest city bike system in Poland – and is consistently strengthening the role of rail as the foundation of the future metropolitan transport system. GZM's activities also include economic development, education and science, climate and environmental protection, and the development of leisure offerings. The Metropolis is a space for cooperation between local governments, universities, businesses, and residents, as well as a place for implementing modern solutions that respond to the challenges of contemporary cities.

Event Co-hosts: Marshal's Office of the Silesian Voivodeship, City of Katowice.