Local content should not be just a catchphrase written into a tender or a simple preference for domestic companies. At the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdańsk, representatives of Poland’s largest corporations and institutions argued that the stakes are much higher: economic resilience, stronger supply chains, and the ability of Polish firms to take part in rebuilding Ukraine.
The debate made clear that local content will not be resolved in codes, presentations, or strategies. It is decided much earlier than at the tender stage: in how investments are planned, how suppliers are selected, how contracts are divided, and whether smaller companies get a real chance to enter the supply chain.
– The most important barrier lies in the mindset, in the approach that must be applied in practice – said Ilona Deręgowska, vice president of the Industrial Development Agency (ARP). She stressed that local content should appear at the very beginning of project preparation, when supply chains are verified, smaller firms are not automatically excluded, and contracts are split into smaller lots to allow smaller entities to participate.
Planning, not tendering
– We have second-tier, third-tier, fourth-tier suppliers – those who deliver as the fourth subcontractor to the subcontractor’s subcontractor. We must take care of them too – said Grzegorz Kinelski, CEO of Enea, highlighting that the real value stays in the economy when companies deeper in the supply chain also grow. Katarzyna Rozenfeld, vice president of PGE for operations, said the group has adopted a local content strategy that includes appointing a local content proxy in every subsidiary, publishing annual procurement plans, and engaging with suppliers before tenders are launched. However, she stressed that local content cannot remain a project of state-owned companies alone: – The main task is to make this concept truly nationwide, not just a concept of state-owned companies.
Lasting value and regional transformation
– For me, local content means creating lasting value for shareholders, for the region, for the country, and for the company. It builds competitive advantage – said Grzegorz Lot, CEO of Tauron, who linked local content to the transformation of coal regions. He pointed to Jaworzno, where alongside conventional energy, projects involving hydrogen, peak units, energy storage, and EV charging hubs are being developed. – People raised on conventional energy are converting, learning, and moving into the world of new energy – he noted.
Polonization, sovereignty and partnership
In the defense industry, local content takes on an even more profound meaning. – Local content, polonization, sovereignty – that is the greatest lesson for all of us – said Adam Leszkiewicz, CEO of PGZ. He recalled that money from large programs, such as the 40 billion złoty order for Huta Stalowa Wola, flows further to subcontractors and suppliers across the country. – We must remember the word sovereignty in the productive, technological, and competence sense – he added. Beata Stelmach, CEO of Totalizator Sportowy, brought a different dimension, arguing that reconstruction is not only about infrastructure but also about institutions that can mobilize funds, build trust, and finance social goals. She recalled that Totalizator was founded to channel money from entertainment back to society. Finally, Katarzyna Rozenfeld warned against arrogance: – We must not fall into the narrative of arrogance. At the end of the day, the Ukrainian side will prioritize, will say at what time, when, what they want. Local content cannot mean one-sided expansion. It must mean partnership: Polish solutions, European solutions, and local Ukrainian ones built together.
Źródło: WNP.PL, Fot. Grupa PGE / X.com
