On 5–7 May 2025, Bucharest is to host the international Spring Conference of the Global Industrial Cooperation Association (GICA), with this year’s theme being Industrial Cooperation in Times of Global Uncertainty. This event has for years brought together leaders in the defence, aviation and technology sectors, representatives of the public administration and businesses involved in industrial cooperation projects. GICA meetings provide a platform for the exchange of experiences, presentations of good practices and discussions on strategies for action in the face of dynamic geopolitical and regulatory changes.

During this year's conference, Tomasz Darowski, Partner and Head of the Defence Team at DZP, is to take part in a panel discussion entitled Legal Dimensions of Industrial Cooperation: Romania, Czech Republic, and Poland. Together with representatives of law firms from Romania and the Czech Republic, as well as representatives of companies in the defence sector, he will discuss key legal aspects of industrial cooperation in the Central European region.

The panel discussion will include the following topics:

• practical aspects of cooperation between the Polish defence industry and foreign contractors – the cooperation models that are used and the current role of offset,
• the impact of new EU regulations, including the SAFE Regulation and the European Defence Industry Programme Regulation, on the development of cooperation in the defence sector,
• regulatory challenges for industrial cooperation in the region, particularly in the context of legislation on public procurement, State aid and foreign investment control mechanisms.

Detailed information about the event and the conference agenda can be found on the organiser’s website.