FDI in Manufacturing & Defence in Poland, 2026

Manufacturing remains the backbone of foreign-owned activity in Poland, and higher defence budgets have added demand for industrial, engineering and dual-use supply chains. The two topics share infrastructure, talent and regulation, but their evidence should be read differently.

Foreign capital in manufacturing

The National Bank of Poland reports an FDI stock in manufacturing of PLN 415.3 bn at the end of 2025 and net FDI inflow into manufacturing of PLN 13.4 bn in 2025. These are balance-of-payments measures, including reinvested earnings.

Industrial activity and exports

Statistics Poland reports that sold industrial production grew by +3.6% in January–July 2026 compared with the same period of 2025. Polish goods exports reached €368.6 bn in 2025 (final data). These indicators describe the economy as a whole and are not a project-level demand forecast.

Defence budgets: plans versus execution

The 2026 Budget Act plans defence spending of PLN 124.8 bn, or 3% of GDP. That figure covers the state budget only. Including the off-budget Armed Forces Support Fund, the Ministry of Finance plans defence financing of PLN 200.1 bn, or 4.81% of forecast GDP. These are planned amounts, not actual spending or signed contract values.

For execution, the state budget's national defence part reached PLN 118.6 bn in 2025, and the Armed Forces Support Fund spent PLN 57.8 bn, below its plan. Suppliers should model demand from executed spending and published procurement, not from headline plans.

Talent

Statistics Poland reports that 12.3% of students study engineering, manufacturing and construction fields. This is a field-of-study share, not a count of engineers available for employment.

Location and incentives

Maximum regional aid intensities for large enterprises are highest in eastern regions such as Lubelskie (50%) and Podkarpackie (50%). Incentives depend on eligibility, project size and the decision on support being granted before investment begins.

Regulatory screening

Investments in companies considered strategic, including in defence and dual-use segments, may require clearance under Polish investment-control rules, and export of dual-use items is subject to licensing. Investors should build screening and security requirements into the timeline from the outset.

Poland FDI does not engage in the trade of arms or military equipment. Our work covers market entry, location, industrial partnerships and compliance-aware execution for manufacturing and dual-use projects.

How Poland FDI can help

Poland FDI helps foreign companies test these indicators against a specific project, location shortlist and timeline. Assess your Poland readiness or contact our team.