Defence24 Days in 2027. Ukraine lessons and Polish defence industry

Defence24 Days 2027 will be the ninth edition of the event organised since 2019. In 2026, almost 6,000 participants, around 400 speakers, over 200 exhibitors and 50 official foreign delegations attended the conference. More than 65 panels brought together representatives of governments, armed forces, international institutions, industry, academia and the expert community.

The next edition will further expand this formula. The exhibition accompanying the conference will be larger, with particular emphasis on Polish defence companies and domestically developed technologies. Heavy military equipment will once again be displayed outside the stadium, while inside the PGE National Stadium, companies will present solutions covering armoured vehicles, artillery, unmanned systems, communications, cyber security, reconnaissance and other areas that are increasingly important for modern armed forces.

This is particularly significant because the challenge facing Poland and Europe is changing. For several years, the discussion focused primarily on increasing defence expenditure and purchasing new platforms. Today, this is no longer sufficient. The real test is whether European states can increase production, shorten delivery times, secure supply chains and maintain military equipment during a prolonged conflict. Without these capabilities, even very high defence budgets will not automatically translate into strategic resilience.

Ukraine is changing the battlefield

One of the central themes of Defence24 Days 2027 will therefore be the experience of the war in Ukraine. More than five years of full-scale conflict have fundamentally changed the way modern warfare is understood. Drones, electronic warfare, artillery, air and missile defence, battlefield medicine, reconnaissance and digital command systems have become areas in which technological development is taking place at unprecedented speed.

Ukraine has also demonstrated that adaptation itself has become a military capability. A system that works effectively today may require modification within several months or even weeks. The same applies to tactics, counter-drone solutions and electronic warfare. This means that armed forces can no longer rely exclusively on procurement cycles lasting many years.

For Poland, the issue is particularly important. The question is not only which equipment should be purchased, but how quickly lessons from Ukraine can be incorporated into training, doctrine, procurement and domestic production. Observing the battlefield is not enough. Experience must be transformed into decisions.

More than equipment

Defence24 Days 2027 will also focus on the modernisation of the Polish Armed Forces, strengthening NATO’s eastern flank and developing European defence capabilities. Discussions will address financing, cooperation between the state and private sector, technology transfer and resilient supply chains.

There will also be considerable emphasis on technologies that are increasingly defining the future battlefield: artificial intelligence, unmanned systems, space technologies, cyber security, reconnaissance and the digitalisation of command systems. Protection of critical infrastructure, border security, national resilience and the preparation of military personnel will remain equally important.

In this context, the role of the defence industry is becoming increasingly important. Poland cannot base its security exclusively on purchasing equipment abroad. Foreign cooperation remains necessary, but it should increasingly be accompanied by domestic production, maintenance capabilities, technology transfer and the development of Polish companies. The ability to produce and replenish equipment during a crisis may ultimately prove as important as possessing it in peacetime.

Defence24 Days 2027 will therefore take place at an important moment for Poland and Europe. The war in Ukraine has already provided many of the answers concerning the character of the contemporary battlefield. The remaining question is whether European states will be able to implement these lessons quickly enough.

Further details on Defence24 Days 2027, including the programme, confirmed speakers and registration, will be announced progressively at: Defence24Days.com.