Program
21st edition of the Smart City Forum
Day 1
November 18, 2025
SMART CITY FORUM & SECURITY OF POLAND CONGRESS – TOTAL SECURITY
8:45-9:30 A.M.
Registration
9:30-9:40 A.M.
Opening of the Congress
9:40-9:50 A.M.
Speech by the Chairs of the Polish Security Congress – Total Security and Smart City Forum
- Konrad Fijołek, Mayor of the City of Rzeszów
- Krzysztof Dyki, Co-Chair of the Polish Security Congress, Chair of the CISOs and CSOs Committee
- Radosław Maćkiewicz, Co-Chair of the Polish Security Congress; Director, Central Information Technology Center
- Maciej Bluj, Chair of the Programme Council, Smart City Solutions Expert, Deputy Mayor of Wrocław from 2007 to 2018
INAUGURAL BLOCK: SECURITY STRATEGY, CONNECTIVITY AND DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE
9:50-10:00 A.M.
Speech
- Lieutenant General (ret.) Edward Gruszka, Advisor at the Office of the Minister of National Defense
10:00-10:50 A.M.
Dynamics of changes in the security environment of Poland and NATO, and adaptation of the system of state defence management
- The network of influence and decisions in the global national security landscape and the role of the National Security Strategy
- What kind of war are we preparing for?
- Current organisational aspects of state security and defence leadership
- NATO transformation (recent transition) and its current impact on national security and defense policy
- Concepts for change in US security and defense strategy
- Risks and changes in Poland’s security and defense environment
Speakers:
- gen. w st. spocz. dr Mieczysław Bieniek
- dr Jacek Bartosiak, Founder, Owner, Strategy&Future
- Marek Budzisz, Polish publicist, historian, journalist
- gen. broni. Dariusz Łukowski, Director of the Department of Defense Planning Strategy, Ministry of National Defence
Moderator:
- gen. broni w st. spocz. Edward Gruszka, Advisor in the Office of the Minister of National Defence
10:50-11:40 A.M.
Connectivity and digital infrastructure – strategic challenges for the state
Debate
- Poland’s digitisation and cyber security strategy – how to build the country’s long-term resilience to disruptions and attacks?
- State models for secure satellite communications (sovereignty vs. efficiency)
- Application of satellites in military and civilian communication systems – guidelines and recommendations
- Security and technological sovereignty – how should a state invest in building its own critical communications infrastructure?
- Standards, interoperability and recommendations – what should be the role of the State in creating communication and connectivity standards in cities?
- Infrastructure resilience to cyber threats – blackouts, communications disruptions, attacks
Speakers:
- Col. M.Sc. Eng. Artur Strużyk, Head of the Teleinformatics Infrastructure Directorate, DKWOC
- Brig. Gen. Piotr Chodowiec, Chief of the Command and Control Directorate – P6, General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces
- Monika Stachoń, Department of Strategy and International Cooperation, Polish Space Agency
- Jerzy Żurek, Advisor to the Management Board, Polsat Plus Group
- Przemysław Kuna, President of the Management Board, Office of Electronic Communications
- Ewelina Kozłowska, Chief Information Security Officer, Head of the Cybersecurity Center, Polish Air Navigation Services Agency
- Jan Szczyrek, Member of the Management Board, MindMade
Moderator:
- Krzysztof Szubert, Plenipotentiary of the Director for Commercialization and International Cooperation, National Institute of Telecommunications-State Research Institute
11:40-11:50 A.M.
A new stage in the development of the space sector in Poland
- Monika Stachoń, Department of Strategy and International Cooperation, Polish Space Agency
11:50-12:40 P.M.
A city that responds on its own – smart city infrastructures, utilities and the new role of construction
Debate
- Reference infrastructure – how to ensure that upgrades are well coordinated with the city’s overall infrastructure, meet real needs, and take into account long-term development
- Who should be in charge of smart city infrastructure guidelines and how to ensure operability, communication standards, adaptation, openness and accessibility of systems
- Who should hold the reins on smart infrastructure – local government or business?
- Communications systems – 5G network capabilities in cities – mission-critical communications systems, MCX systems
- Autonomy of algorithms vs. human role in decision-making
- Modern construction – safety standards and requirements for defense adaptation
- Key elements from the Law on Civil Protection and Civil Defence
- Bunkers, shelters, hiding places – how should cities prepare infrastructure for emergencies?
Speakers:
- Konrad Fijołek, Mayor of Rzeszów
- Marcin Pabierowski, Mayor of Zielona Góra
- Anna Streżyńska, Director of the Institute of Communications – National Research Institute
- Grzegorz Wawryniuk, Director of Product and Marketing Office, EXATEL
- Paweł Niedzielski, Sales Director, Nokia Solutions and Networks
- Przemysław Gęsiak, Team Manager for Plus MCX Network, Plus
- Mirosława Kaźmierowska, CGO/Director of Sustainability, URBANOVA.Group
Moderator:
- Karol Tokarczyk, Digital Economy Analyst, Polityka Insight
12:40 – 1:40 P.M.
LUNCH BREAK. Completion of the common part of the Total Security & Smart City Forum
SMART CITY FORUM
1:40 – 1:45 P.M.
Opening ceremony
1:45 – 1:50 P.M.
Speech by the Chairman of the Program Council of the Smart City Forum
- Maciej Bluj, Chairman of the Program Council, Expert in Smart City Solutions, Deputy Mayor of the City of Wrocław in 2007–2018
BLOCK: INFRASTRUCTURE AND URBAN SPACE PLANNING
1:50 – 2:45 P.M.
Urban infrastructure and space planning
Debate
- Opportunities for dynamic, adaptive planning – can we plan infrastructure in real time?
- “City on the map or city in the data?” – Chief Sanitary Inspectorate vs. classic local plans
- Integration of installations with urban plans – how to design infrastructure to be consistent with urban planning and the energy system?
- The potential of the digital twin – why aren’t all TSUs taking advantage of it?
- How can statutory procedures be reconciled with the expectation of dynamic change?
Speakers:
- Krystian Kinastowski, Mayor of the City of Kalisz
- Tomasz Miśko, Deputy Mayor of Stalowa Wola
- Jarosław Flakowski Ph.D., Deputy Mayor of the City of Zielona Góra
- Artur Szymczyk, Plenipotentiary of the Mayor of Lublin for Sustainable Development and President of MPWiK in Lublin
- Robert Bednarski,Director of Smart City, Wrocław City Office
- Ewelina Włoch,Department of Digitization and New Technologies, Rybnik City Office
- Krzysztof Kieszkowski, President of the Management Board, Recover the Environment Foundation
Moderator:
- Magdalena Bartnik,Deputy Director of the Department of Architecture and Urban Planning, Kraków City Office
2:45 – 2:50 P.M.
Zwrotomat.pl – deposit return system in your municipality – an educational solution
Case study
- Krzysztof Kieszkowski, President of the Management Board, Recover the Environment Foundation
2:50 – 3:00 P.M.
Case study
Case study
- Michał Macewicz, Sales Director for Street Lighting Fixtures, LENA Lighting
3:00 – 3:10 P.M.
Vision Systems and the Latest Earth Observation Technologies
Case study
- Patryk Jaskuła, GeoIntelligence Sales Business Development Manager Space Digital, Airbus Defence & Space
BLOCK: EXCEL IS NO LONGER ENOUGH – DATA MANAGEMENT CITY
3:10 – 3:30 P.M.
Using Social Digital Twin in urban transportation planning and management
Case study
- dr Lowell Edgar, Director of Research, Fujitsu Research Europe
3:30 – 3:50 P.M.
The Power of Open Data – an interactive seminar with a live demonstration on how to use them
Case study
- Tadeusz Osowski, Expert in Smart City and Digital Innovation and Technology
- Grzegorz Zajączkowski, Leader of Digitization, Ministry of Digital Affairs
- Agata Miazga, Vice President for Strategy and Organizational Development, Instrat Foundation
3:50 – 4:50 P.M.
Excel is no longer enough – a data-managed city
Debate
- Data management and performance reporting for TSU – how is the role of the official changing in the era of data-driven infrastructure? Is the official of the future a data analyst?
- Are offices today able to interpret data and act on it?
- Data center investment and redundancy – how to ensure the reliability of digital infrastructure in cities?
- Building a local government data warehouse and integrating data from different municipal systems, common reporting standards and benchmarks between municipalities, is it possible?
- API standardisation – how to ensure compatibility and interoperability of city systems and facilitate data exchange between different platforms and government entities
- Vendor lock – how to avoid making cities dependent on a single technology provider
Speakers:
- Magdalena Cieślik, Deputy Mayor of Sopot
- Michał Łakomski, Plenipotentiary of the Mayor for Smart City, Poznań City Office
- Małgorzata Czaja,Plenipotentiary of the Mayor of Gdynia for Open Data, Gdynia City Office
- Rafał Porada, Head of the IT Office, Przemyśl City Office
- prof. Andrzej Szarata, Ph.D., Rector, Cracow University of Technology
Moderator:
- Grzegorz Szczuka, Director, Gdańsk Shared Services Center
4:50 P.M.
END OF DAY I OF THE FORUM
Day 2
November 19, 2025
9:30-10:00 A.M.
Registration
10:00-10:10 A.M.
Opening Ceremony
OFFICIAL 2.0 BLOCK – CITIZEN AS CUSTOMER OR CO-CREATOR OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT, NEW QUALITY OF INTERACTION AND RELATIONSHIP WITH THE OFFICE
10:10-11:00 A.M.
Official 2.0 – citizen as customer or co-creator of local government, new quality of interaction and relationship with the office
Debate
- How is the role of the office changing in the eyes of residents?
- Does digitisation really shorten queues, or change their form?
- Simplicity, accessibility, and a “here and now” response – is the office responding to the real needs of Generation Z?
- What good practices in digitizing local services are worth scaling in other municipalities?
- Cashless solutions and mCitizen – how local government can use the state application and digital wallet to improve the lives of residents
- Involving residents in decision-making processes and civic budgets – a tool for real influence or a semblance of participation?
- Social activism and local responsibility – who should build civil society?
- Modern methods of community activation – UrbanLab and participatory platforms
Speakers:
- Katarzyna Kuczyńska-Budka, Mayor of the City of Gliwice
- dr Ewa Weber, Deputy Mayor of Zabrze
- Adam Szponka, Deputy Mayor of the City of Toruń
- Tomasz Misiak, Vice President of the Management Board, Polish Cashless Foundation
Moderator:
- Dorota Glaza, Director of the Office of Social Activity, Bydgoszcz City Office and Chair of the Urban Lab Team in Bydgoszcz
11:00-11:20 A.M.
Direct democracy 2.0 – the future of citizen initiatives
Fire Chat
- How can new technologies modernise the process of collecting signatures for citizen bills?
- How to implement electronic tools for citizen participation to strengthen citizens’ participation and not to exclude?
Speakers:
- Tomasz Skoczylas, Mayor of Glogów Małopolski
- Małgorzata Michalska, Director, Urban Lab Rzeszów
Moderator:
- Marcin Adamski, Head of the Smart City Projects Department, City of Warsaw Office
“BUREAUCRACY TO OVERHAUL” – NEW MODELS OF MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION OF OFFICE WORK
11:20-12:00 A.M.
“Bureaucracy to overhaul” – new models of management and organisation of office work
Debate
- Agile management and interdisciplinary teams – what does an office that learns, tests and changes in real time look like?
- New models of office organisation – agile, paperless, remote workflow, decentralisation of decision-making
- How to train and support executives – how to prepare officials to work in agile teams
- Automation of administrative processes – who does it serve and how does it change the role of the official?
- Does modern management in the office require a change in regulations, or rather a change in approach?
- Voting in mCitizen – how to effectively support direct citizen influence on local government decisions?
- Reliable KPIs for Polish cities – how to create comparable, independent indicators for assessing management
Speakers:
- Krystyna Danilecka-Wojewódzka, Mayor of the City of Słupsk
- Radosław Michalski, Director of the City Brand Department, Wrocław City Office
- Michał Łakomski,Plenipotentiary of the Mayor for Smart City, Poznań City Hall
- dr Sebastian Grabowski, Ph.D., Smart City Expert of the Polish Chamber of Information Technology and Telecommunications, Host of the MiastoMiasto channel
Moderator:
- Agata Kemona, Director of the Office, Dąbrowa Górnicza City Office
12:30-12:50 P.M.
AI in local government: from ‘shadow AI’ to innovation.
Presentation
- Tomasz Mostowski, Specialist in Generative AI and Digital Transformation, AI for People
DIGITAL SECURITY BLOCK AND MONITORING SYSTEMS IN CITIES – CHALLENGES, STANDARDS, RESPONSIBILITY
12:50 – 13:50 P.M.
Digital security and monitoring systems in cities – challenges, standards, responsibility
Debate
- Is it possible to implement a “law on the future of the city” in Poland – a culture of strategic planning and securing long-term investments
- Disinformation and fake news – how can local government institutions defend themselves against disinformation and build residents’ information resilience?
- Security funding – how can resilience be built to attacks without big budgets?
- Digital vulnerabilities – how officials should identify them, and do they know how to protect themselves
- Human resource competencies – training and awareness building of officials against digital threats
- Secure together or separately – should electronic workflow systems be implemented as one integrated package, or should each city operate individually?
Speakers:
-
- Anna Frankowska, Deputy Director for Security, Department of Crisis Management and Security, Poznań City Office
- Andrzej Kamiński, Director of the Department of Security and Crisis Management, Lubusz Voivodeship Office in Gorzów Wielkopolski
- Paweł Witkowski, Director, Center for Information Technology Shared Services Olsztyn
- Magdalena Hajdysz, Business Development Manager, OKE Poland
Moderator:
- Bartłomiej Przybyciel, Expert in Security and Data Analytics in Local Government Units
2:00 P.M.
END OF CONGRESS. LUNCH
Day 2
November 19, 2025
9:30-10:00 A.M.
Registration
10:00-10:10 A.M.
Opening Ceremony
OFFICIAL 2.0 BLOCK – CITIZEN AS CUSTOMER OR CO-CREATOR OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT, NEW QUALITY OF INTERACTION AND RELATIONSHIP WITH THE OFFICE
10:10-11:00 A.M.
Official 2.0 – citizen as customer or co-creator of local government, new quality of interaction and relationship with the office
Debate
- How is the role of the office changing in the eyes of residents?
- Does digitisation really shorten queues, or change their form?
- Simplicity, accessibility, and a “here and now” response – is the office responding to the real needs of Generation Z?
- What good practices in digitizing local services are worth scaling in other municipalities?
- Cashless solutions and mCitizen – how local government can use the state application and digital wallet to improve the lives of residents
- Involving residents in decision-making processes and civic budgets – a tool for real influence or a semblance of participation?
- Social activism and local responsibility – who should build civil society?
- Modern methods of community activation – UrbanLab and participatory platforms
Speakers:
- Katarzyna Kuczyńska-Budka, Mayor of the City of Gliwice
- dr Ewa Weber, Deputy Mayor of Zabrze
- Adam Szponka, Deputy Mayor of the City of Toruń
- Tomasz Misiak, Vice President of the Management Board, Polish Cashless Foundation
Moderator:
- Dorota Glaza, Director of the Office of Social Activity, Bydgoszcz City Office and Chair of the Urban Lab Team in Bydgoszcz
11:00-11:20 A.M.
Direct democracy 2.0 – the future of citizen initiatives
Fire Chat
- How can new technologies modernise the process of collecting signatures for citizen bills?
- How to implement electronic tools for citizen participation to strengthen citizens’ participation and not to exclude?
Speakers:
- Tomasz Skoczylas, Mayor of Glogów Małopolski
- Roman Szełemej, Mayor of Wałbrzych*
Moderator:
- tbc
“BUREAUCRACY TO OVERHAUL” – NEW MODELS OF MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION OF OFFICE WORK
11:20-12:00 A.M.
“Bureaucracy to overhaul” – new models of management and organisation of office work
Debate
- Agile management and interdisciplinary teams – what does an office that learns, tests and changes in real time look like?
- New models of office organisation – agile, paperless, remote workflow, decentralisation of decision-making
- How to train and support executives – how to prepare officials to work in agile teams
- Automation of administrative processes – who does it serve and how does it change the role of the official?
- Does modern management in the office require a change in regulations, or rather a change in approach?
- Voting in mCitizen – how to effectively support direct citizen influence on local government decisions?
- Reliable KPIs for Polish cities – how to create comparable, independent indicators for assessing management
Speakers:
- Robert Szewczyk, Mayor of the City of Olsztyn
- Krystyna Danilecka-Wojewódzka, Mayor of the City of Słupsk
- Radosław Michalski, Director of the Department of City Promotion and Tourism, Wrocław City Office
- dr Sebastian Grabowski, Ph.D., Smart City Expert of the Polish Chamber of Information Technology and Telecommunications, Host of the MiastoMiasto channel
Moderator:
- Agata Kemona, Director of the Office, Dąbrowa Górnicza City Office
12:00-12:15 P.M.
AI in local government: from ‘shadow AI’ to innovation.
Presentation
- Tomasz Mostowski, Specialist in Generative AI and Digital Transformation, AI for People
12:15-12:30 P.M.
How to build a data ecosystem in a city that engages residents and supports data-driven decision-making?
Case study
- Wojciech Łachowski, Head of the Urban Data Integrator, Institute for City and Region Development
12:30 – 1:00 P.M.
NETWORKING BREAK
DIGITAL SECURITY BLOCK AND MONITORING SYSTEMS IN CITIES – CHALLENGES, STANDARDS, RESPONSIBILITY
1:00 – 2:00 P.M.
Digital security and monitoring systems in cities – challenges, standards, responsibility
Debate
- Is it possible to implement a “law on the future of the city” in Poland – a culture of strategic planning and securing long-term investments
- Disinformation and fake news – how can local government institutions defend themselves against disinformation and build residents’ information resilience?
- Security funding – how can resilience be built to attacks without big budgets?
- Digital vulnerabilities – how officials should identify them, and do they know how to protect themselves
- Human resource competencies – training and awareness building of officials against digital threats
- Secure together or separately – should electronic workflow systems be implemented as one integrated package, or should each city operate individually?
Speakers:
-
- Anna Frankowska, Deputy Director for Security, Department of Crisis Management and Security, Poznań City Office
- Andrzej Kamiński, Director of the Department of Security and Crisis Management, Lubusz Voivodeship Office in Gorzów Wielkopolski
- Paweł Witkowski, Director, Center for Information Technology Shared Services Olsztyn
- Magdalena Hajdysz, Business Development Manager, OKE Poland
Moderator:
- Bartłomiej Przybyciel, Expert in Security and Data Analytics in Local Government Units
2:00 P.M.
END OF CONGRESS. LUNCH
Update 05.11.2025
