Digital transformation of industry: a race in which Poland cannot be left behind

• Digitization in factories is no longer a trend, but a condition for maintaining a competitive advantage, say Bartłomiej Rozpęda and Krzysztof Podeszwa, directors of the Velux factory in Namysłów, in an interview with WNP.
• Poland is still lagging behind the EU in the field of digitalization and digitization of industry – the reason is economic and personnel barriers, the interlocutors specify.
• As representatives of the Polish plant of the Danish giant of the roof window market point out, new technologies are changing the employee profile and require investments in education and competence development.
• The conversation is part of a series of interviews that will serve as the basis for the report "From Tape to Algorithm: How Digitalization Is Shaping the Future of Industry," prepared by WNP Economic Trends in conjunction with the New Industry Forum (Katowice, October 14-15, 2025).

For European industry, digitalization and the digitization of production are currently at the forefront of the fight for competitiveness. Velux recognized the potential of new technologies quite early on. What investments have you made, and how do you assess the company's digital maturity today?

Bartłomiej Rozpęda, director of the Velux factory in Namysłów: "We began our digitalization efforts a long time ago, as the first investment decisions in this area were made around 2014, and the concept itself was born even earlier. Since then, we have been consistently developing these types of projects."

What was the first, "crown" project?

BR: - It was the digitalization of the entire work environment of our staff and the transition from analog solutions (e.g. in working time records and, more broadly, the entire administration) to digital tools.

We have built a kind of "passport," a card that allows employees to enter the plant by passing through the gate, logging in to the machine panel, submitting leave requests, and even ordering meals, for which we provide subsidies.

In this way, step by step, since 2014, the digitalization of all administrative processes in the factory has been continuously ongoing.

What about automation and robotization, the basic elements of the Industry 4.0 revolution?

BR: - This has been an integral part of Velux's strategy for years. Our factory in Namysłów has been operating since 2003, and in 2005–2006 we began building competences in automation and robotics.

Over the last six years, the number of such solutions has increased by 60%. Our long-term strategy assumes that the share of automation in production will increase by 10% each year compared to the previous year.

What criteria do you use when selecting projects and specific technologies to implement in your own production? Where do you source your innovations?

BR: - The business case for a given project is always the first priority. We don't succumb to technological fads, but always create business models that clearly demonstrate the business value and economic justification for a given investment. Added value and the potential for further project development are also important.

Solutions must deliver a defined return on investment – ​​this is key in automation. With digitization, we also expect time savings and improved data quality.

Krzysztof Podeszwa, Operations Director of the Velux factory in Namysłów: - We operate in the spirit of lean management, which means we look for sources of waste, collect ideas from employees who are closest to all processes and - on this basis - we develop a strategy and plan projects.

We draw innovation from scientific conferences, but also from internal expertise – the people employed in our factories are specialists in computer science, automation, and mechanical engineering ; their knowledge and experience are most valuable in implementation. Furthermore, the younger generation is a natural ambassador for digital solutions.

The labor market is not keeping up with the skills needed for Industry 4.0

Speaking of human resources, how is the Polish labor market faring in terms of preparing staff for Industry 4.0? Is the education system keeping pace with these dynamic changes?

KP: At the university level, yes. Technical university graduates are well prepared. However, we see a gap in secondary schools.

Learning often stops at Excel, and we work on visualizations, Power BI, SQL, and data merging. I think this is largely due to the underfunding of the education system in Poland and the lack of tools for developing more advanced skills at the school level.

Meanwhile, business needs for digitization and digitalization are growing year by year. This creates a skills gap, which is why we invest heavily in the development of our employees.

The founder of Velux said that one experiment is worth more than a thousand expert opinions... We strive to implement this idea, unleashing the ideas and creativity of the staff.

Artificial intelligence and digital twins are changing the role of engineers in factories.

So, which technologies make real business sense for you: smart factories, IIoT, digital twins, AI?

BR: - All the technologies you mentioned are future-proof and we are implementing them in our plant in Namysłów, which is – without undue modesty, I must emphasize this – a leader among the industrial plants of the Velux Group in this field.

Each of these technologies has the potential to significantly improve workflows and address today's biggest challenge, which is processing the vast amounts of data collected at subsequent stages of production.

Digital twin technology, in turn, is extremely interesting because it allows for experimentation without risking the process, and AI accelerates analysis and decisions – faster than the best analyst doing it "manually".

KP: Today, for an engineer, collecting data, collating facts, and finding correlations is a process that takes hours. Meanwhile, IoT, digital twin, and AI technologies allow for near-real-time responses.

This innovative approach pays off on every front, as evidenced by the implementation of the lean strategy cascading approach at our Namysłów factory, which has received international recognition. Our innovative project proved to be one of the best in the world, winning second place in the prestigious Global KAIZEN™ Award competition.

Cybersecurity is one of the key challenges of transformation

However, technologies carry certain risks. Where do you see the greatest risks, including in B2B relationships?

BR: - Ensuring cybersecurity is one of the core competencies of enterprises today - and from this perspective, every company must manage this risk both in terms of internal security and in relations with business partners.

The weakest link is often humans - both in IT, exposing the organization to various types of attacks, e.g. phishing, and at the OT/IT interface, when it comes to access to drivers.

As part of the global Velux Group, we have strong corporate support and periodic training for every infrastructure user. We also learn from the experiences of other companies that have been disconnected from the network or blackmailed.

KP: We also check seemingly "simple" things: how employees handle passwords, whether they lock their computers... We build conscious attitudes about data management among employees. Growing social awareness helps – many people have personally experienced hacking or account theft, and as a result, they are becoming more cautious in their actions, including at work.

What role should the state and administration play here? I mean both support in the area of ​​cybersecurity and generally in building Industry 4.0 competencies?

BR: - From the perspective of the last five years, we appreciate the progress of digital services in government, such as e-office, mObywatel, and qualified signatures. However, in the field of cybersecurity, educational efforts should definitely be intensified, especially aimed at young people who operate in the digital world and should be aware of the threats. Therefore, I would like to emphasize that public education is crucial both in the area of ​​cybersecurity and Industry 4.0 competencies.

Economics and labor costs are hampering investments in digitalization

Velux is a global company, so I need to ask about Poland's technological advancement. We don't have much to brag about when it comes to robotization and digitization in Polish companies. Not to mention AI implementations... Why are these processes progressing slower in Poland than in the EU?

BR: In my opinion, it's simple economics: labor costs are lower here, and robot prices are at European levels, which cools enthusiasm for investing in expensive technologies. Investments require money, and the payback period for such investments in Poland is longer than in Western factories.

Please note, however, that rising labor costs over the years may rob us of our competitive advantage. Modern technologies, automation, and digitization remain the only way to maintain competitiveness, which is why a national strategy for the industry in this area is needed.

KP: I would also add other barriers hindering implementation progress in domestic companies. These include staffing shortages, limited knowledge of support programs, longer investment approval processes, and—in some companies—a lack of a long-term strategy for automation and digitization. And we're talking about the fight for industry competitiveness...

But we do have European digitalization megaplans, including AI gigafactories and quantum technologies, as well as national programs such as the Poland Digital Strategy 2035. Do they give industry hope for real support?

BR: - Of course, such megaplans at the national and even EU level can be a real support - provided that we have knowledge about them.

We're pleased that steps are being taken that recognize the horizontal nature of digitalization. However, these assumptions and plans, unfortunately, are still at a very declarative level. Meanwhile, we need implementing legislation and legal solutions.

Automation changes the employee profile, it doesn't take away jobs

As we advance in the implementation of new technologies, a fundamental question arises: will automation and AI take away jobs?

BR : - We're building a competitive advantage, but we've never laid off people because of automation. We leverage natural turnover and automate primarily tedious and unergonomic processes. An example? Installing heavy glass – today, it's done by robots. The crew sees the work as easier and safer.

And what about the place for artificial intelligence in your factories?

KP: - We see the use of AI in our plants in three main areas: in data analysis for engineers, in supporting automation specialists in working with code and diagnostics, and in office administrative tasks.

Thanks to the use of artificial intelligence in this type of activities, we can speed up many matters and processes, so people do not treat it as a threat, but rather as an opportunity to optimize their working time.

At the same time, we must remember that demographics are at work in the background: society is aging, so the claim that robots will replace people in factories is bad PR, because automation is not a threat here, but quite the opposite: it can help us maintain production capacity.

However, the fact is that automation and robotics are fundamentally changing the profile of employees companies seek. We no longer need people solely for manual, physical work. We are now also seeking specialists who can acquire knowledge and competencies in process control and automated processes.

The profile of a maintenance worker is also changing. These are no longer simple repairs; they require a much higher level of knowledge.

So are we ready for Industry 5.0 – can business cope with it?

BR: - Companies with a clear strategy and solid calculations will win. We say: "Lean for business, not business for lean." There are many grassroots ideas, so we have a set process for prioritizing them to align with the strategy...

Digitalization supports sustainable development and emission reduction

Finally, ESG. How do your investments translate into sustainable development?

BR: - Digitization facilitates reporting – data is available and can be analyzed. We are developing systems for managing energy and compressed air, which is a very expensive medium. We are also reducing the environmental impact of our production.

Our Polish production facilities are a leader in this area across the Velux Group. This year, we are completing an investment in a second bioboiler in Namysłów , and we are already using 100% green energy. We have already switched to almost 100% single-use packaging.

All of this aligns with the Group's overall goals to reduce its Scope 1 and 2 emissions almost entirely by 2030 (compared to a 2020 baseline). Across its entire supply chain, or Scope 3, Velux – together with its partners – aims to halve its emissions by that time.