Poland is among the countries that have been developing a strong and systematic cluster policy for many years. One of the key drivers of this development is the Polish Clusters Association (PCA), which today brings together nearly 100 clusters and cluster initiatives from across the country. Through its activities, PCA promotes collaboration between businesses, research organisations, and public authorities and, for more than a decade, has organised the Polish Cluster Congress—the country's leading national event dedicated to cluster development and innovation.

The Polish Clusters Association (PCA) is a nationwide organisation supporting the development of clusters and fostering innovation across Poland. Established in 2012, PCA represents nearly 100 clusters and cluster initiatives from across the country, representing more than 5,000 companies that together employ close to one million people in innovative sectors such as construction, industry, automotive, and ICT. Many of these clusters are certified by the Ministry of Development and Technology as National Key Clusters, underlining their economic significance.

Since 2013, PCA has organised the Polish Cluster Congress, a cyclical, nationwide event held every year in a different region of the country. This deliberate choice of a rotating host location is central to PCA's mission: by moving the Congress from voivodeship to voivodeship, the Association ensures that the value of cluster cooperation is presented directly to local businesses, universities, and public authorities, rather than concentrated in a single hub. Each edition is co-organised together with the host region's marshal office and local clusters, who act as co-hosts and help shape an agenda that speaks to that region's own industrial strengths.

Over more than a decade, this format has turned the Congress into one of the most important recurring meeting points for cluster coordinators, business-support institutions, entrepreneurs, and decision-makers shaping national and regional innovation policy. The Polish Cluster Congress has grown from a single annual meeting into a nationwide institution: 11 editions, more than 5,000 participants, over 50 panels, and more than 500 speakers.

The scale and credibility of the Congress are reflected in the list of honorary patrons that has supported it over the years, among them the Sejm of the Republic of Poland, the Ministry of National Defence, the Ministry of Development and Technology, the Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy, the Ministry of Digital Affairs, the Ministry of State Assets, the Ministry of Climate and Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the Ministry of Energy, and 15 out of Poland's 16 regional marshal's offices.

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Each edition creates a space for discussion on the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing Polish enterprises and their surrounding ecosystem:
● The development of the defence industry in Poland and Europe
● Digitalization and digital security amid rapid technological change and hybrid threats
● The importance of international cooperation for economic growth and security
● Collaboration between enterprises and research institutions, and the practical implementation of innovative technologies
● Financing innovation and managing risk with the use of public funds

The fact that PCA is now marking 11 editions of the Congress is itself a confirmation of the event's significance for national and regional policymakers, cluster coordinators, business-support institutions, and entrepreneurs alike. By continuing to change its host region each year, the Polish Cluster Congress remains true to PCA's founding purpose: connecting businesses, research institutions, and policymakers to create opportunities for technological progress, sustainable development, and international collaboration in Poland and across Europe.

Contact Polish Cluster Association

President: Krzysztof Krystowski

email:poczta@klastrypolskie.pl

web: http://eng.klastrypolskie.pl/