Forum of Cohesion and Border Development of the European Union with the participation of the Rector of Bialystok University of Technology

22-10-2025

On 28 October 2025, the Forum of Cohesion and Border Development of the European Union will be held in Białystok. During this prestigious meeting devoted to discussing strategic challenges and development opportunities for Eastern Europe, alongside representatives of the government and local and regional authorities, Assoc. Prof. Marta Kosior-Kazberuk, DSc, PhD, Eng., Rector of Bialystok University of Technology, will take part.

Objective and topics of the Forum

The main goal of the Forum is to develop common responses to the most important challenges faced by the eastern border regions of the European Union. Discussions will include an assessment of the impact of the conflict in Ukraine and the ongoing hybrid war on the development of areas along the EU’s eastern border.

The conference programme will also include a discussion of the “White Paper for European Defence – Readiness 2030” and proposals for increasing defence spending. Participants will also address the “Pact for the Eastern Border Regions”, proposed by Raffaele Fitto, Executive Vice-President for Cohesion and Reforms.

Participation of Bialystok University of Technology experts

Bialystok University of Technology will be represented at the Forum of Cohesion and Border Development of the European Union by Assoc. Prof. Marta Kosior-Kazberuk, DSc, PhD, Eng., Rector of Bialystok University of Technology, and Paweł Tadejko, PhD, Eng., from the Faculty of Computer Science at Bialystok University of Technology.

The Rector of Bialystok University of Technology will take part in the panel discussion entitled “From Technology to Success – How to Attract Talent and Develop Local Innovation” (12:15–13:15). The topics discussed will include smart specialisations, challenges related to the so-called “brain drain”, and cross-sector cooperation between business, academia and local government as the key to building the human and innovation potential of regions.

Paweł Tadejko, PhD, Eng., will speak in the discussion entitled “Digital Shield – How to Protect Ourselves in a World of Growing Cyber Threats”. The discussion will focus on combating state-sponsored cyberattacks, fake news, disinformation, ransomware blackmail, as well as challenges related to the implementation of smart solutions such as Smart City, IoT and e-government in border regions.

Participants and organisation

Leaders in politics and business will take part in the Białystok Forum of Cohesion and Border Development of the European Union, including: Donald Tusk – Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz – Minister of National Defence, Piotr Serafin – Commissioner for Budget, Anti-Fraud and Public Administration, Raffaele Fitto – Executive Vice-President for Cohesion and Reforms, Aija Kalnaja – Deputy Executive Director, Frontex (European Border and Coast Guard Agency), as well as many representatives of the worlds of politics, European institutions, business, finance, the military, academia and the media.

Together, they will seek key solutions to strengthen the resilience and development of border regions, including ways to integrate defence-oriented actions with development investments, smart specialisations, and economic and technological transformation.

The event is organised by the Podlaskie Voivodeship and the City of Białystok.

The Main Content Partner is the Evoluma Industrial Cluster, and the Forum’s partners are the Polish Construction Cluster and the Suwałki Special Economic Zone.

The event is held under the patronage of the Ministry of National Defence. Among the institutional partners are, among others: the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP), the Polish Investment and Trade Agency (PAIH), the Polish Chamber of Commerce (KIG), and the European Commission.

The Forum of Cohesion and Border Development of the European Union will take place on 28 October 2025 (Tuesday) at the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic – European Art Centre in Białystok.

Agenda:
09:00 – Opening of the Forum
09:40 – Security and the Future of the EU’s Eastern Border Regions
10:50 – Strategic Challenges and Development Opportunities of the Eastern Borderlands
12:15 – Discussion Panels (technology, security, business, investments)
14:15 – Discussion Panels (people, talents, labour, diplomacy, cooperation)
15:15 – Summary and Closing of the Forum

Registration and programme are available on the Forum website.

Registration open until 25 October: Registration Form

(prepared by Monika Rokicka)