Warsaw has been selected as the location of a new European Space Agency (ESA) Centre – the first facility of its kind to be established outside the founding member states of the Agency. The centre is expected to begin operations in 2027 and will support the development of European space technologies, security capabilities, and resilience against modern challenges.
The new centre will focus on three key areas:
- crisis management and solutions supporting civil protection,
- orbital operations and advanced space mission simulations,
- monitoring satellite services and analysing disruptions affecting their performance.
The facility will also serve as a platform for cooperation between public administration, the scientific community, industry, and international partners. The investment is expected to foster innovation, support research and development projects, and create new career opportunities for highly skilled professionals and university graduates.
Poland, which has been an ESA member since 2012, continues to strengthen its involvement in the space sector. For the 2026–2028 period, the country has committed €731 million to ESA programmes. In addition, the Polish Development Fund (PFR), together with Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego (BGK), plans to launch a fund worth PLN 500 million to support investments in Polish space-sector companies.
In the coming years, the Warsaw ESA Centre is expected to expand its capabilities in testing and validating security technologies, including next-generation secure satellite communications.
One Year After the IGNIS Mission
The announcement of the new ESA Centre in Warsaw coincides with the first anniversary of the completion of the Polish technological and scientific mission IGNIS to the International Space Station (ISS). The mission, involving Dr Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, concluded on 15 July 2025 with the spacecraft’s splashdown off the coast of Florida.
To mark the occasion, the Ministry of Development and Technology hosted the conference “IGNIS: Trajectories of the Future” on 13 July 2026. The event brought together key representatives of the European space sector, experts, policymakers, and innovation leaders.
During the conference, participants discussed the future of space technologies, their impact on economic development, and their importance for European security and competitiveness. The event also provided an opportunity to review the achievements of the IGNIS mission and present plans for the further development of Poland’s space sector.
