Speaking at a Cabinet meeting, Tusk stressed that the centre would focus on leveraging space technologies for security and innovation.
"Poland is becoming one of the leaders in this sector. This centre will act as a flywheel for our domestic industry and will cooperate with all Polish research and academic institutions involved in space," he said.
At last week’s ESA Ministerial Council in Bremen, Germany, Warsaw pledged EUR 731 million to ESA missions, including nearly EUR 550 million for optional programmes for 2026–2028, and signed a letter of intent to launch preliminary planning for the centre.
Poland has been a member of ESA since 2012, contributing both mandatory and optional funds, but Tusk highlighted that the new centre represents a "turning point" in the country’s role in Europe’s space landscape.
The Prime Minister also confirmed that the government would introduce legislation to regulate national space activities, including establishing a national register of space objects and clarifying operator liability for damages caused by space assets.
He framed the law as part of Poland’s National Recovery Plan and a step towards strengthening domestic innovation.
Experts say the development signals Warsaw’s growing ambition to be a technological and industrial hub in Europe, moving beyond symbolic participation to shaping ESA’s programmes and priorities.
"Until recently, this might have seemed political fiction. Now it’s a reality," Tusk added, underlining the government’s intention to leverage space investment as a driver for broader economic and technological growth.
(ał)
Source: PAP