How to Make Poland Great Again: Ten Ideas for the Next Chapter

Poland's Next Chapter: From Growth to Global Leadership

The last 30 years have been remarkable for Poland's economic development. After centuries of struggles, it succeeded, like South Korea, with the right policies and execution in favourable conditions. Though Poles deserve to be proud, we are at the best point in our history. However, we are not awesome yet and risk being complacent and entitled.

There was almost no recession or stagnation. The whole generation only remembers growth. Our biggest risk is that we assume progress is given and the economy will automatically improve. Many European countries, even the UK, have seen stagnation for over a decade. Poland risks that fate, too. It’s much easier to adjust now, while we have the momentum than to rebuild once problems start to creak in.

However, we need to reflect on the situation and develop a vision of what to do next. We are exhausting low-hanging, catch-up growth plays, such as building roads or courting foreign investments. We piggyback on the German industrial complex, which is experiencing its struggles. We are among the best places to invest in manufacturing or R&D centres. On the other hand, we are “just” the best subcontractors, struggling to develop our brands, unicorn tech champions and global companies.

The goal of this article is to inspire us to think big. We should chase many big opportunities and play asymmetrical games. We should not fear failure; some of the ideas below will end badly. Though we should be prepared for small failures, we can double down on what works and hit a home run on success.

Poland is like a student who graduated from a “developed economy” university with top grades. Congratulations, though the real world looks very different than a university campus. There is no point in procrastinating by staying longer on campus. We are ready to embrace the new reality and develop ourselves as worthwhile leaders.

We are now independent. We have the freedom to pursue our dreams and the ability to execute them. The world is full of problems and problem-makers, but we are not one of them. Our ambition should be to be problem solvers and trusted partners who make the world a better place, similar to how Shopify makes e-commerce easier or DJI produces world-class, affordable drones.

It’s not a charity but a way to earn Poland a place in the economic super league. I am happy to share my list of ambitious grand projects for the new era.

Let me suggest 10 ideas…

1. DARPA-style Military Research

Silicon Valley and Israel were the two best startup ecosystems born from military innovation. The USA won the Cold War thanks to its technological and economic edge. Many of the best innovations, such as computing chips, wireless communication, and the Internet, came from the industrial-military complex. The army is very good at figuring out what works and is a suitable early adopter. Later, as technologies mature, they could bring substantial economic gains.

Poland is also facing an existential threat from Russia. One of the best ways to counter this is to have a technological edge in all scenarios. We should similarly aim as DARPA pay for demonstrated capability in milestones, giving plenty of room for experimentation, different approaches and failures.

Potential research areas:

Currently, innovation in the new military is limited by gatekeepers. In the USA, you have to be a citizen to comply with ITAR, and even there, only billionaires can challenge prime contractors. For example, Palmer Luckey sold Oculus for Billions before starting Andruil. Poland can provide an entrepreneurial military breeding ground for the rest of us.

2. Be a European gateway for Self-Driving Car Tech

Self-driving car technology took longer than expected, but it is finally ready. You can now ride a Waymo taxi in several US cities, and others, such as Tesla, might follow soon. The technology has huge potential, though again, Europe is making a strategic mistake by overregulating and not participating (e.g., cookie law).

In previous centuries, Europe worked the other way around. If one country hesitates to try a new method, the other will step in. For example, Christopher Columbus was rejected by Portuguese experts and King John II. Luckily, Queen Isabella I and King Ferdinand II of Spain financed his expedition.

Now, Poland could show a little courage and be the testbed for frontier technologies such as self-driving cars. Waymo already has an office in Warsaw, Poland, and we should be eager to invite all sorts of companies. The EU is slo,w and even Ireland could play its tax heaven trick for almost two decades. Poland should not be afraid and pioneer a predictable, business-friendly, forward-looking regulatory environment.

Self-driving cars face extreme regulatory pressure, as the safety bar is higher than human drivers. Cruise was burning $5 million per day, and a single mishap shut it down. Accidents will happen for quite a while, but the regulatory system should provide decent and quick compensation instead of shutting down a multi-billion dollar venture. For example, the at-fault fatal self-driving accident will give at least $1mln in compensation, but we are not going to shut down the whole company over a single incident. In exchange, it should ask for R&D investments and technological partnerships.

3. Buy Distressed Tech Companies that Could Spawn New Industries

We live in an era of disruptions, deglobalisation and reshuffles. Plenty of great technologies, brands and companies would be up for sale at a discounted price. They may not work financially because they are too early, need a longer time horizon, or lack efficiency and discipline.

It’s not the first time someone has sold gold goose too early. In the 2000s, Germany was the leading solar panel producer, but it lost patience and sold its manufacturing equipment, kickstarting China's rise.

In January 2025, Germany was close to making a similar mistake with Lilium. Electrical Air Taxi could be revolutionary, but it was plagued with delays and a lack of a good early adopter market. In that situation, Poland's economy should be ready to buy assets and take a long-term approach to building the new industry. It can use military use cases or foreign aid as an early adopter market.

Another tremendous opportunity is Northvolt, the European battery manufacturer. It spends way too much capital with too few results. It tried to operate as a high-burn VC software startup, which is a poor fit in a high-volume, low-margin battery business.

These are just some examples; they may or may not make sense, but strategically, we should always be willing to act quickly and look for them. Poland should always be on the lookout for opportunities that could spawn new industries, buy them at great prices and revamp them into champions. We need innovative financial models such as Israel’s Yozma Program. Buyout tech, provide long-term VC-styled capital to 3-5 successors every 2 years, eliminate funding of worst run successor. Allow the champion to capture the upside and reward.

4. Focus on the Drone Industry

Drones will lead the military and civilian industries. Today, they are dominated by a single Chinese company, DJI. As the war in Ukraine shows, it is not about producing a few handmade drones but mass manufacturing drones at scale and constantly innovating on them.

We should aim to have huge domestic capabilities, which is essential for Europe and the USA. We might not be able to compete commercially on Day 1, but Poland should be maniacally obsessed with growing its drone manufacturing capability. During peacetime, drones could be a great export product. In wartime, we should quickly switch to producing military swarms, giving Poland and its allies a technological edge.

There are several ways to go after it:

5. Medical Tourist Facilities

The world is ageing rapidly, and healthcare systems are under pressure. Many countries fail to train enough doctors, exacerbating the problem with unnecessarily long and costly processes that choke supply. Worse still, innovation—whether in AI adoption or prioritising patient outcomes—often takes a back seat.

Currently, healthcare services are inherently local and not easily exportable. While medical tourism exists, it remains a niche market with limitations, such as vulnerability to bad actors. Reputation is everything in this field, and having robust systems to manage inevitable mistakes is non-negotiable.

Poland is already well-positioned with world-class facilities, such as the World Hearing Center. We should aim to expand this strength into a full-scale healthcare industry. This means starting from the ground up: efficiently and effectively training doctors, attracting patients globally, and delivering comprehensive results with exceptional care. By focusing on quality, innovation, and reputation, Poland could become a premier destination for medical training and treatment.

6. Establish Boarding Schools for Prospective Immigrants

Almost all developed countries are ageing rapidly and face labour shortages. Most are stuck in wishful thinking that somehow they would be able to reverse the trend and have more babies. No one managed to do that consistently and at scale, but somehow, everyone seemed to hope to do so.Many could benefit from immigration, but this process is chaotic and sometimes fails. Without immigration, we risk Japan's stagnation or even the collapse of the economic system. Instead of wishful thinking, this should be a strategic government initiative to attract more great people to live in Poland and integrate with society.

We should investigate which types of immigrants could benefit us the most and how best to attract them. For instance, establishing open boarding schools, vocational training centres, or part-time educational institutions in regions with strong recruitment potential—such as Eastern Europe, Latin America, India, and Africa.. By offering quality education at low costs, supplemented with stipends, we could provide opportunities that are mutually beneficial.

These institutions would also allow us to create qualification criteria, evaluate students over a period of two or more years, and equip them with valuable skills. For those who demonstrate the most promise, we could offer visas with a clear and straightforward path to permanent residency, ensuring they contribute meaningfully to our workforce and society.

7. Poach Talent, Company-Wide Visas, and Group Visas

Poland made a brilliantly strategic move with its Business Harbour Program, successfully relocating numerous companies from Belarus to Poland. This boosted Poland’s human capital and tax revenue and strategically weakened an adversarial regime. While there are inherent risks when dealing with uncooperative authoritarian states, the potential benefits far outweigh the downsides.

In today’s economy, companies are often defined by their people. Many of the world’s most talented individuals are stuck in countries that lack the infrastructure and environment to support their success. This creates a golden opportunity: we should step in and offer company-wide visas covering all employees and their families.

Most visa systems today focus narrowly on individuals or close family units. Instead, Poland could innovate with a new visa category designed for larger groups—extended families, specialised industry teams, or entire companies. By processing applications collectively, we would simplify bureaucracy and increase appeal. Actively scouting for opportunities where other immigration systems fall short could position Poland as a leader in global talent acquisition. And, of course, these visas should include a clear pathway to permanent residency, ensuring we retain the best talent for the long term.

8. Emerging Company Policies: Go Big or Go Home

Poland has an impressive entrepreneurial spirit, but it struggles to produce rapidly growing large companies. The current system doesn't do enough to encourage scaling up—so many entrepreneurs settle for small or medium-sized businesses. And honestly, why take on the extra risk, tax liabilities and headaches if you already have a comfortable life? Scaling comes with significant challenges that deter even the most ambitious.

The issue is that many industries today have massive entry barriers and operate on winner-takes-all models. Without big companies (think $1B+ valuations), Poland risks missing out on key opportunities and losing its ability to compete globally. Without these "chips," we can’t play in the big leagues.

Instead of glorifying the small business model, we should create targeted incentives for rapid growth. Entrepreneurs who achieve specific growth milestones could benefit from regulatory or tax breaks designed to reward scaling up. By making high growth more appealing and less risky, Poland can foster a new wave of globally competitive businesses that punch above their weight.

9. Competitive Intelligence as a National Sport Competition 

The world is awash with disinformation, and many companies exist more as financial engineering projects than as organisations genuinely serving their clients or employees. Inefficiencies abound, and tackling them could unlock tremendous value. While private equity firms often exploit these gaps for profit, their processes are opaque, and the rewards are typically reserved for wealthy investors.

Why not democratise this value creation? The public could actively participate in exposing inefficiencies and improving companies. One approach is to create paid competitions for top talent to analyse major corporations, evaluating their strengths, flaws, customer satisfaction, and technology. The results could be published openly, much like academic research, to foster credibility and transparency.

This initiative could double as a training ground for aspiring entrepreneurs and a wellspring of innovation. It could also become a source of soft power, offering insights to improve some companies while publicly exposing flaws in others. Done right, it’s not just a tool for reform but also a platform for shaping industries and inspiring the next wave of problem-solvers.

10. Last but Not Least:

Poland needs more investments in R&D, a new airport, AI research, defense, good diplomacy, cheaper housing, and high value-added services and products.

While many of these priorities are well-documented, there's still room to grow. Expanding infrastructure, such as the CPK airport and related railways, is crucial. AI research is another obvious trend with immense potential. These are all essential initiatives, often highlighted by experts, and they remain key to Poland’s future success. Let's continue to focus on these necessary steps to ensure sustained growth.

That wraps up the list—thank you for taking the time to read it. For other countries, there will be no shortage of opportunities to partner, invest, and collaboratively seize what the future holds. But this time, Poland shouldn’t wait for luck to come its way. Instead, it’s time to make its own.

Jacek Migdal

Founder Quesma