Speaking at the European Financial Congress in the Baltic resort city of Sopot on Tuesday, Tusk said technological sovereignty should be treated as a strategic national objective rather than a niche industry pursuit.
"The point is not to become dependent on a narrow group of suppliers or a single supplier," Tusk said. "We will build technological sovereignty in such a way that we at least have the ability to choose between competing entities."
He said countries such as France, Denmark and Germany had adopted similar approaches.
Tusk warned that rapid advances in artificial intelligence and digital technology present both opportunities and risks. He said governments must ensure that people remain in control of new technologies rather than becoming tools of them.
The prime minister also expressed concern about growing dependence on global technology companies and major powers capable of influencing digital markets and critical services.
According to Tusk, Poland recorded a PLN 45 billion (EUR 10.6 billion, USD 12.3 billion) trade deficit in digital products in 2025, up from PLN 9 billion in 2016.
He said a government advisory body known as the Future Council, established in February, had recommended making technological sovereignty a core state priority.
'Sovereignty test'
As part of that effort, Poland will introduce a "sovereignty test" for major government technology purchases, including software and infrastructure projects.
The test will apply to procurement contracts worth more than PLN 5 million and infrastructure projects exceeding PLN 15 million, Tusk said.
Authorities will assess whether proposed projects could create strategic dependencies and whether Poland retains control over its systems and data, he added.
The government plans to use existing institutions, including a digitisation committee, to oversee the initiative and will publish annual reports on its results.
Tusk also announced a nearly PLN 2 billion investment project, financed largely through European funds, to establish artificial intelligence laboratories in schools across the country.
Under the programme, he said, about 8,000 primary schools and 4,000 secondary schools will be provided with AI laboratory equipment, including laptops, AI computing units, servers and networking infrastructure.
Equipment deliveries have already begun and are expected to be completed by the second half of July, Tusk told the conference.
The initiative is intended to help students develop the skills needed to understand and responsibly use emerging technologies, he added.
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Source: IAR, PAP
Click on the audio player above for a report by Michał Owczarek.