Financing the Future of Defence Industrial Capacity in CEE

Growing defence commitments of NATO member states, combined with dynamic geopolitical changes, are driving an unprecedented increase in demand for financing the development of the European defence industry. Yet public finances are not sufficient to deliver the scale and industrial capacity required in the current environment. As a result, the key challenge lies in mobilising private capital—particularly in Central and Eastern Europe—while ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and state aid rules.

These issues will be addressed during conference IPFA Continental Europe: Financing the Future of Defence Industrial Capacity in CEE, co‑organised by DZP and the International Project Finance Association, which will take place on 28 May 2026 at DZP’s offices in Warsaw.

The conference will be opened by DZP lawyers, who will deliver a brief introduction setting the scene for the discussions to follow:

• Tomasz Darowski, Head of the Defence Team,
• Magdalena Skowrońska, Head of the Capital Markets and Financial Institutions Practice.

They will present a strategic outlook on the development of the European defence sector, with a particular focus on the role of EU regulation, financial instruments, and public‑private cooperation.

The keynote speech will be delivered by Kamila Gasiuk‑Pihowicz, Member of the European Parliament. The first panel discussion will focus on the interaction between EU programmes such as SAFE and EDIP and the mobilisation of private capital, as well as the EU’s approach to the openness of the defence sector to financing. The second panel, featuring representatives of financial institutions and the defence industry, will be dedicated entirely to private financing of defence projects, including PPP structures.

The panels will bring together representatives of public authorities, the defence sector, financial institutions and international advisers.

Detailed information on the agenda, speakers and participation rules is available on the website of the co‑organiser, IPFA.