Tripling high-tech exports in the last 15 years

The Polish economy is maturing technologically. High-tech goods and IT services play an increasingly important role in the country’s export structure. This is the result of many years of investment, increasing efficiency and integration with global value chains.

A threefold increase in the share of high-tech in exports

In 2007, technologically advanced products accounted for only 3 percent of Polish exports. According to preliminary data from the Central Statistical Office, in 2024 their share has already reached 10.6 percent. This is a threefold increase in the last fifteen years. The value of high-tech exports reached EUR 37.25 billion, an increase of 10.1 percent compared to 2023.

In terms of the share of high-tech goods in total exports, Poland was ahead  of Italy, Spain and Finland, i.e. countries with a longer history of industrialization. However, it still remains below the levels achieved by Hungary (14.8 percent) and the Czech Republic (19.2 percent), which confirms that t growth potential is still there.

Key Industries: Automotive, Electronics, Machinery

Polish’s technologically advanced exports are largely based on three sectors: automotive, electronics and machinery. In recent years, Poland has shifted in global supply chains from the role of an assembly country to a manufacturer of complex components.

This technological advancement was possible thanks to:

• foreign direct investments that have brought modern technologies and know-how,
• EU support for infrastructure and innovation;
• exchange rate stability and increasing productivity, which have strengthened our price competitiveness over the years.

A new dynamic: the export of defence technologies

In the last two years, the Polish export of defence technologies has been developing particularly dynamically. In response to the changing geopolitical situation – especially after the start of the war in Ukraine – the share of armaments in high-tech exports increased from 0.5 percent in 2021 to 7.1 percent in 2024.

This is a significant change in the structure of exports, which shows Poland’s growing presence  in the segment of advanced solutions for the security and defence sector.

IT Services – a silent leader of growth

IT services are also becoming increasingly important. In 2023, their exports reached EUR 14.25 billion, an increase of 22.2 percent y/y. The share of IT services in total service exports reached 14.2 percent, compared to 4 percent in 2010.

This dynamic shows the growing presence of Polish technology companies on the global market and their share in digital value chains.

Poland on the radar of investors and foreign observers

The development of high-tech exports and the dynamic growth of IT services and the defence sector make Poland an increasingly recognizable player on the global map of innovation and production of advanced technology.

This is confirmed, among others, by the British newspaper The Times, which described Poland as “one of the greatest success stories in modern Europe“, pointing to the rapid economic development and the growing presence of the country on global markets. The export of modern technologies is one of the pillars of this transformation.

Sources:

• The Polish Development Fund, Innowacyjność Polski –  March 2025
• The Polish Chamber of Commerce, Polski eksport w liczbach: analiza najnowszych danych
• The Times, How Poland Became One of Europe’s Biggest Success Stories