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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

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.

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.

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.

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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