Italian-Polish Defence & Dual Use Forum

• H. E. Luca FRANCHETTI PARDO – Italian Ambassador to Poland
• Cezary TOMCZYK - Secretary of State at the Ministry of National Defence
• Michał BARANOWSKI – Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Development and
  Technology
• Gen. Wiesław KUKUŁA – Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces
• On. Emanuele LOPERFIDO – President of the Italy-Poland Inter-Parliamentary Friendship
  Group
• Roberto CAFIERO – Director of ICE (Italian Trade Agency) in Warsaw
• Piero CANNAS – President of the Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Poland

• Gen. D. Paolo SANDRI, Defence Policy Director, Italian Ministry of Defence

• Marco LUPO – President of Leonardo Poland

Europe’s defence agenda is moving from emergency procurement to a more structural phase: building production capacity, resilient supply chains, technological autonomy and cross-border industrial partnerships.

The objective is to discuss how to build credible project pipelines: matching Polish and Italian capability needs, involving prime contractors and specialised suppliers, reducing supply-chain vulnerabilities, increasing production readiness and developing cooperation models capable of attracting public, institutional and private capital.

Panelists:

• Marco LUPO – President Leonardo Poland
• Gen. B. Mario BOZZI, Italian NAD
• Col. Giuseppe DELLO STRITTO, Head of Unit Land and Logistics, European Defence Agency
• Representative of the Armament Policy Department, MoND
• Representative of Armaments Agency (TBC)
• Grzegorz WYSZYŃSKI, Member of the Management Board, Leonardo PZL-Świdnik
• Rafał HARMOZA, Director of the International Cooperation Department, PGZ

Moderator: Jacek RAUBO, Head of the analysis department, Defence24

• Luigi RIVA, Presidente, Strategic Management Partners

The war in Ukraine has shown that Armed forces need interoperable, resilient and scalable capabilities able to operate in high-intensity scenarios. For Europe, this creates both an operational and an industrial challenge.

The panel will discuss how lessons from Ukraine are reshaping land forces, air and missile defense, unmanned systems, counter-UAS, battlefield management.

Panelists:

• Gen. Aurelio COLAGRANDE, ACT
• Gen. div. pil. Tomasz JATCZAK, Inspector of the Polish Air Force
• Gen. B.A. Diego SISMONDINI, Italian Air Force
• Nazario BIANCHINI, Head of Sales, IDV
• Piotr WOJCIECHOWSKI, President of the Management Board, WB Group*
• Grzegorz WROCHNA, Global Affairs Director, Creotech

Moderator: Jacek RAUBO, Head of the analysis department, Defence24

Protecting borders and critical infrastructures is now more than ever a timely issue, that implies huge technological challenges and industrial partnerships to share development and manufacturing costs.

In the maritime domain, both Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean are strategic maritime gateways for Europe, both host critical ports, energy routes and offshore infrastructure, and both depend on the resilience of underwater cables, pipelines and seabed assets.

The panel will focus on how armed forces, infrastructure operators and industry can strengthen the protection of strategic infrastructure. Particular attention will be devoted to the role of the La Spezia-based underwater security ecosystem — including the NATO Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation.

Panelists:

• Vice Admiral Jarosław ZIEMIAŃSKI, Inspector of the Polish Navy
• C.A. Fabrizio RUTTERI, Deputy Director of the Policy and Plans Department, Italian Joint
  Defence Staff
• Mauro MANZINI, Director Sales Naval Business Unit, Fincantieri
• Claudio CONFALONIERI, Country Manager, ELT Group
• Francesco CAVALLINI, Head of Commercial and Tendering, Sonsub, Saipem
• Grzegorz SOWA, Naval Domain Director, PGZ
• Piotr GORZEŃSKI, President of the Management Board, Port of Gdynia Authority

Moderator: Jacek RAUBO, Head of the analysis department, Defence24

Selected Italian and Polish companies will present concise, capability-oriented solutions, focusing on operational needs, potential cooperation models and relevant funding or procurement pathways.

Participants will be able to schedule meetings in advance through a dedicated matchmaking portal, facilitating targeted exchanges among companies, institutions, armed forces representatives, financial actors and innovation stakeholders. To increase operational value, participants will be divided into thematic matchmaking tables, reflecting the priority areas identified during the Forum.