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EuropeConferences & summitsPast event

8–9 Apr 2026

East x West Forum

Pawilon Czterech Kopuł (Four Domes Pavilion) / Aula Leopoldina, University of Wrocław · Wrocław, Poland

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East x West Forum venue
Dates
Wed, 8 April 2026 – Thu, 9 April 2026
Venue
Pawilon Czterech Kopuł (Four Domes Pavilion) / Aula Leopoldina, University of Wrocław
Location
Wrocław, Poland
Organizer
BRIDGE Foundation (Fundacja BRIDGE)
Cost
paid
Scale
intimate
Recurrence
annual
Format
On-site

Why it matters

The forum convenes high-level decision-makers—including senior government figures, the US ambassador and defence-sector primes—making it a rare access point for suppliers and startups to shape policy on defence economics and technological sovereignty in Central and Eastern Europe. Its explicit focus on dual-use technologies, local content and critical infrastructure aligns with procurement and reindustrialization priorities relevant to SMEs seeking industrial partnerships. The intimate, curated format offers direct networking with C-suite executives, investors and public administration.

Registration

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About

East x West Forum is an invitation-only business-strategic conference organized by the BRIDGE Foundation, held annually in Wrocław, Poland. It gathers business leaders, investors, government administration and experts to discuss economic and technological sovereignty for Poland and the Central and Eastern European region. The agenda is built around three pillars: reindustrialization and local content, technological sovereignty, and a new geopolitical order, with sessions dedicated to defence and dual-use technologies. The forum feeds into the 'Repositioning Poland' report of business and expert recommendations.

Market intel

medium confidence

East x West Forum is a conference (not an exhibition), so 'key exhibitors' is better read as leading speaker organizations; it drew diplomats such as Polish Deputy PM Radosław Sikorski and US Ambassador Tom Rose, ESA representatives, and Polish tech leaders across AI, data, space and defence. The 2026 edition featured roughly 50 speakers across 4 sessions and 13 panels over two days. As a conference, it has no traditional exhibition floor space or per-sqm exhibitor pricing.

Notable exhibitors
DataWalkDeviniti / Bielik AICapgeminiEuropean Space Agency (ESA)Wrocław University of Science and Technology

AI-researched Thu, 6 August 2026. Estimates from public sources. Verify with the organizer.

Topics

Dual-useAIEnergy ResilienceProcurementSpace

Who it's for

PrimesSMEsStartupsInvestorsInstitutions

Funding behind this kind of event

Instruments open to companies based in Poland, tracked with their call deadlines.

All defence and dual-use funding

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