Industry
US Army Invites Polish Companies to Get Involved in Investments
Throughout the last 4 years 27 Polish companies got themselves involved in the US military investment effort in Poland, receiving 40 million dollars in the course of working with the Americans. The works are taking place in Powidz, Żagań, Świętoszów, Redzikowo, Łask, Poznań and Drawsko Pomorskie. Deputy Ambassador was encouraging the companies last Tuesday to apply for participation in future projects.
USACE (US Army Corps of Engineers Europe) organized an “Industry Day” on Tuesday in Warsaw. The meeting involved more than 200 persons.
Deputy Ambassador of the US to Poland, Eric F. Green, opening the meeting, was stressing the fact that aggressive stance adopted by the Russians creates a necessity to make investments that would reinforce security and deterrence capabilities. Green stated that the Poles are literally creating security through developing own and American infrastructure which makes it possible to respond to challenges emerging in this region of the world.
Green stressed that, as of 2014, the Pentagon expanded its activities in the European Deterrence Initiative that had been previously known as the European Reassurance Initiative. The EDI’s budget went up from USD 1 billion (2014) up to USD 6.5 billion (2019). Within the framework of those assets the US Administration has been financing its enhanced military presence in Europe and investing money in military capabilities and infrastructure in Europe, including Poland.
Green noted that over the last 4 years 27 Polish companies received 40 million dollars in total, within the framework of American projects. The Industry Days formed an occasion to give some tips to companies that would be potentially competing to participate in such investments, on how to do that effectively. Green jokingly added that when working with the US government, one could expect a lot of forms to be filled.
Green said that projects may concern railways, barracks, mess halls, ammunition depots and other facilities, adding that there is an actual willingness, in case of the US, to have the Polish companies participate and benefit from that undertaking, also encouraging the Poles to apply for participation in the future NATO and US initiatives.
Meanwhile, Col. Tomasz Kowalik, head of the Military Foreign Affairs Department at the Polish Ministry of Defence noted that investments planned in Poland over the upcoming years belong both to EDI, as well as to the NATO Security Investment Programme. Kowalik added that up until now the investment has been taking place in Powidz, Żagań, Świętoszów, Łask, Redzikowo, Poznan and in Drawsko Pomorskie.