MARKING a historic milestone in bilateral relations, H.E. Karol Nawrocki, President of the Republic of Poland, headlined the opening of the 5th Annual Poland-Philippines IT Business Summit at iACADEMY in Makati City.
The visit represents the first-ever State Visit to the Philippines by a Polish Head of State, aimed at expanding cooperation in defense, trade, agriculture, and information and communications technology.
During the summit, President Nawrocki delivered a keynote address and met with key officials, including representatives from the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) led by Secretary Henry R. Aguda, Makati City Mayor Nancy Binay, and participants of the Poland-Philippines Smart Cities Hackathon.
“Despite the geographic distance between Warsaw and Manila, we share an important ambition to build modern, competitive economies,” President Nawrocki stated.
“This is why the time has come to give our economic relationship a new dimension, with technology and innovation at its center,” Nawrocki added.
Organized by the Polish Investment and Trade Agency (PAIH), the Embassy of Poland in Manila, and Spiderhook Inc., the summit focused on practical applications of artificial intelligence, data security, digital infrastructure, and smart urban mobility.
A central highlight of the event was the Smart Cities Hackathon hosted by iACADEMY, which served as the first Philippine academic institution to host a Polish Head of State.
The partnership underscored the value of connecting students with international industry challenges, giving young innovators a platform to present solutions directly to global leaders.
Ultimately, the summit emphasized that building smarter, resilient cities requires not only advanced technologies but also skilled people capable of driving practical change.
By bridging international diplomacy with student-led innovation, the event paved the way for deeper technological and business collaboration between Poland and the Philippines.