Meeting at the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology

At the initiative of the Polish authorities, a high-level meeting was held in advance of the 78th International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2027), to take place in Poznań, Poland.

On 6 February 2026, Michał Jaros, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, met with Christian Feichtinger, Executive Director of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF). Their discussions focused on strategic priorities and coordination efforts in the lead-up to IAC 2027.

The meeting was followed by a broader consultation bringing together representatives from the Polish government, industry, and academia. Participants included Piotr Zawadzki, Director of the Innovation and Space Policy Department at the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology and Head of the Polish Delegation to the European Space Agency (ESA); Jacek Jaśkowiak, Mayor of Poznań; Marta Wachowicz, Head of the Polish Space Agency (POLSA); Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, Polish astronaut; Col. Marcin Mazur, Vice President of the Polish Space Agency (POLSA); Łukasz Wilczyński, President of the European Space Foundation; and representatives of the IAC 2027 Local Organizing Committee.

Also in attendance were Members of the Parliamentary Group for the Space Sector, heads of national agencies and scientific laboratories, representatives of ministries involved in Poland’s space policy, leaders of space sector associations and space companies, representatives of space technology institutes and university faculties, science communicators and space influencers, as well as representatives of several Polish regions interested in hosting technical tours during IAC week.

Addressing the participants, Christian Feichtinger encouraged stakeholders to view IAC 2027 as a unique opportunity for Poland to showcase its engineering excellence, technological capabilities, and spirit of collaboration, while reaffirming its role as a bold, innovative, and reliable partner in the global space community. Drawing a parallel with the Olympic Games, he emphasized that, the full potential of an International Astronautical Congress (IAC) can only be realized through strong and sustained support from the national government.

He welcomed the early and broad engagement of Polish parliamentarians and stakeholders and expressed his confidence that, through close cooperation, the preparations would culminate in an exceptional International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Poznań in 2027.