Poland is rapidly becoming one of Europe’s most important defence and security markets. For Finnish companies, the opportunity is now.
This was the key takeaway from the Cold Will and Business Tampere export delegation’s visit to MSPO 2026, held in Kielce, Poland, on 8–11 September. As one of Europe’s leading defence exhibitions, MSPO brought together more than 1,000 exhibitors from around 40 countries, highlighting the accelerating growth of Europe’s defence and security ecosystem.
The technologies showcased at the event aligned closely with the strengths of the Tampere region and Finnish industry. Key themes included artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, autonomous systems, counter-UAS technologies, advanced sensors, and NATO-compatible communications solutions.
“The MSPO trip was highly successful. We gained valuable market insight, strengthened relationships with existing customers and established several promising new business contacts that are already being developed further.”
Heikki Kantola, Hetitec Oy
Beyond the exhibition itself, discussions in Warsaw highlighted two rapidly growing markets with strong relevance for Finnish companies: Poland’s energy transition and large-scale investments in civil protection and shelter infrastructure. Both areas create opportunities in cybersecurity, critical infrastructure, automation, energy resilience, sensors and dual-use technologies.
The delegation included representatives from Tamcontrol, Keskipakovalu, Hetitec, Osuko, Clausal Computing, BusinessOulu and Oulu University of Applied Sciences. Finnish industry was strongly represented throughout MSPO, with companies such as Patria, Varjo and ICEYE showcasing their capabilities to an international audience.
For Cold Will members, the message from Poland was clear: the market is growing fast, major investments are underway, and now is the time to build partnerships and secure a position in future supply chains.
