Building Deterrence: SAFE Program and Defence Industrial Growth across CEE

How will Central and Eastern Europe build real defence capability and who will finance it?

As Europe strengthens its defence posture, the focus is shifting from strategy to execution: industrial scale-up, financing, and cross-border cooperation.

Join a high-level conference bringing together policymakers, financial institutions, and defence industry leaders to explore how the SAFE Program can accelerate defence industrial growth across the CEE region

AGENDA

2:30 PM | Registration

3:00-3:15 PM | Opening Session: Navigating the SAFE

Inside SAFE: Legal Overview and Core Principles
Speaker: Jarosław Witek, Head of Defence and Security, Dentons, Poland

3:15-4:15 PM | Panel 1

SAFE in Action: Financing Europe’s Defence Industrial Base

Moderators:

Jarosław Witek, Head of Defence and Security and Anna Szymańska, Head of Public Procurement, Dentons, Poland

Speakers:

• Roman Utracki, Assistant at the Minister’s Office, Ministry of National Defence
• Tomasz Zakrzewski, Corporate Business Development Director, RTX / Pracodawcy RP
• Mariusz Wawron, Head of Legal, Corporate & Compliance Affairs, Leonardo PZL – Świdnik S.A.
• Andrzej Raszewski, CEO, Rheinmetall Polska
• Aleksandra Mazur, Senior Transaction Manager at the International Expansion Office, Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego

Key questions:

• Can SAFE become Europe’s flagship platform for defence investment?
• How can policy, procurement and capital be aligned to deliver scalable projects?
• What financing tools are needed to expand manufacturing capacity and secure supply chains?
• How can public-private cooperation accelerate strategic capabilities?
• What does SAFE mean for Poland’s economy, competitiveness and industrial position in Europe?

4:15-4:30 PM | Market Insight: Defence Markets in Transition

Growth Dynamics and Emerging Competitive Landscape
Speaker: David Dixon, Partner, Dentons, Poland

4:30-5:30 PM | Panel 2

From Regional Players to Global Powerhouses – Lessons Learned

Moderator:

Oana Voda, Head of Public Procurement, Dentons, Romania

Speakers:

• Jacek Cyrek, President and CEO, Hanwha Aerospace Europe
• Erhan Ülgen, Marketing and Business Development Director for Europe and America, ASELSAN A.Ş.
• Grzegorz Rabsztyn, Head of the EIB Group Warsaw Office at European Investment Bank
• Adam Mycyk, Partner, Dentons, Ukraine.

Key questions:

• What does it take to scale from domestic success to global relevance?
• How are innovation, technology and specialization reshaping competitive advantage?
• What role can development banks and financial institutions play in global expansion?
• What practical lessons separate successful growth stories from failed ambitions?

5:30 PM | Networking Reception

Event Details

Date: Monday, 22 June 2026
Time: 3:00–6:00 PM CEST (registration opens at 2:30 PM)
Location: Warsaw
Language: English
Registration: Dentons – Dentons Defence Days – Annual Conference

Part of 3D – Dentons Defence Days

Annual Conference • Defence Breakfasts • Defence Power Talks