Polish Economic Mission in Taiwan: Partnerships, Talks, and Concrete Directions for Cooperation

The Polish economic mission at Smart City Summit & Expo (SCSE) 2026 in Taiwan has come to a close. It delivered signed memoranda of understanding, dozens of new business relationships, and a historic recognition for a Polish technology cluster. 8Foundry Alliance organised the mission and built the Polish Pavilion around cities, ports, and companies from the Pomerania region. The delegation — comprising the City of Gdynia, the City of Gdańsk, Invest in Pomerania, InvestGDA, Port of Gdynia, and Łączpol — travelled to Taiwan with one goal: to initiate real projects.

Historic Debut: The First Polish Pavilion at SCSE

This year, Poland debuted with its own pavilion at Smart City Summit & Expo in Taipei — one of the world’s largest events dedicated to smart cities and digital transformation. 8Foundry Alliance made it possible by uniting cities, institutions, and businesses from Pomerania around a coherent vision.

Former President of the Republic of Poland and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Lech Wałęsa led the opening ceremony. He was joined by Secretary of State at the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology Michał Jaros, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy Jacek Karnowski, Mayor of Gdańsk Aleksandra Dulkiewicz, and Deputy Mayor of Gdynia Tomasz Augustyniak.

All mission partners had representatives at the Polish Pavilion stand: Paweł Orłowski and Mateusz Prawde (InvestGDA), Evelina Zwierz (Invest in Pomerania), Grzegorz Bławat and Natalia Dąbrowska (Port of Gdynia), and Marcin Poltrok (Łączpol).

Taiwan–Poland Smart City Forum & B2B Matchmaking

The second day of the event brought the Taiwan–Poland Smart City Forum & B2B Matchmaking — dedicated one-on-one meetings between Polish cities and companies and their Taiwanese partners. Deputy Mayor Tomasz Augustyniak, Deputy Minister Jacek Karnowski, Deputy Minister Michał Jaros, and InvestGDA CEO Paweł Orłowski opened the Forum. In the presentation session, speakers shared the investment and economic potential of the region:

• Evelina Zwierz — Invest in Pomerania
• Grzegorz Bławat — Port of Gdynia
• Dr Rafał Gajewski — Gdynia City Hall
• Paweł Orłowski — InvestGDA

Following the conference segment, individual B2B meetings began. These direct negotiations and partnership-building sessions were the core purpose of the trip — the conversations most likely to translate into concrete investments and technology implementations in the region.

Mission to Kaohsiung: Gdynia’s Sister City Opens New Business Opportunities

The City of Gdynia, Port of Gdynia, Łączpol, and 8Foundry Alliance also travelled to Kaohsiung — one of Taiwan’s largest port cities and Gdynia’s official sister city. The visit confirmed that the relationship between the two cities goes far beyond diplomatic declarations. It has taken on a clearly economic dimension.

Deputy Mayor Tomasz Augustyniak spoke on a panel dedicated to smart transport solutions. He presented the TRISTAR system and its future development directions. The Mayor of Kaohsiung, Chen Chi-mai, visited the Gdynia stand at SCSE. As a result, discussions reached the highest level of local government on both sides.

During the Kaohsiung mission, the delegations signed the following agreements:

• A Memorandum of Understanding between Port of Gdynia and Port of Kaohsiung — covering digitalisation and automation of port processes, AI and data analytics, cybersecurity of critical infrastructure, and the development of shipping connections between Europe and Asia.
• Letters of intent on educational cooperation between five schools from Gdynia and five schools from Kaohsiung, signed by the deputy mayors of both cities — Tomasz Augustyniak and Lo Ta-Sheng.

Business Agenda: Technology, Investment, and Meetings with Taiwanese Leaders

The Pomeranian presence in Taiwan was, above all, an economic mission. The delegation held talks on building business and technology partnerships, developing investment relations, and strengthening the region’s position as an industrial and technology hub of European and global significance. Key topics included smart city solutions, e-governance, 5G and IoT technologies, intelligent logistics, cybersecurity, digital public administration, and port infrastructure.

As part of an intensive B2B programme, the delegation met directly with key technology companies and institutions:

• HTC
• BenQ Medical
• G REIGNS
• Chunghwa Telecom
• National Development Council of Taiwan
• Ministry of Economy of Taiwan

Talks covered both concrete technology implementations in Polish cities and ports, and long-term investment opportunities in the Pomerania region. Furthermore, Gdańsk promoted its investment potential together with regional partners — presenting a unified economic front for Pomerania. Such a coordinated presence strengthens the region’s credibility in the eyes of Asian investors and technology partners, for whom coherence and scale of offer are critical when entering a new market.

Historic Recognition: 8Foundry Alliance Joins the Taipei Computer Association

During the mission, the Taipei Computer Association (TCA) accepted 8Foundry Alliance as a member. TCA is one of the largest and most influential industry organisations in Asia. Its members include global technology leaders such as Acer, ASUS, Advantech, Delta Electronics, Trend Micro, and Foxconn.

This recognition is unprecedented. 8Foundry Alliance is the only foreign organisation in the world to receive a TCA membership certificate. In addition, it proves the trust of Taiwan’s technology community in the Polish cluster and confirms that Pomerania can serve as a credible technology partner in Asian markets.

“Participating in Smart City Summit & Expo is a breakthrough step in building Poland’s international position as a technology partner. For the first time, we have succeeded in bringing together cities, institutions, and businesses around a shared, coherent vision of presence in the Asian market. The primary goal of 8Foundry Alliance is to initiate real projects and long-term partnerships that will translate into concrete investments and implementations.”— Rafał Magryś, Chairman of the 8Foundry Alliance Cluster Council

Partners of the Polish Pavilion and the Mission

The Polish mission at Smart City Summit & Expo 2026 was made possible by the commitment of all partners: City of Gdańsk, City of Gdynia, Port of Gdynia, Łączpol, InvestGDA, Invest in Pomerania, and 8Foundry Alliance.

Overall, the mission to Taiwan delivered measurable results: established partnerships, launched project discussions, and clearly defined directions for cooperation. Its business focus and emphasis on concrete implementations confirm that this was one of the most important international economic initiatives the region has undertaken.