Development of AI and Cloud in Poland? "You have to put the puzzle together wisely"

AI and the cloud in Poland? - Global initiatives and local solutions should and can complement each other. If we do not take offense at reality, then a compromise is optimal here. You simply need to wisely arrange these puzzles. This requires high-class specialists - says Agnieszka Kubera, Managing Director and President of Accenture in Poland.

• - A strategic approach to the implementation of investments on a national scale also allows for the patient creation of appropriate, own staff, as well as attracting experts who have sufficient qualifications to decide on the selection of projects in which they are involved - indicates Agnieszka Kubera, Managing Director and President of Accenture in Poland, in an interview with WNP.PL.
• - Poland is a leading country in all aspects of cybersecurity - except for the organizational aspect, where management and coordination mechanisms are assessed. We need to refine organizational and management issues (good procedures and practices). And we need to focus our efforts on improving this state of affairs - emphasizes our interviewee.
• - We spend slightly over 1.5% of GDP on our innovations (EU average - 2.2%). We hear about Polish aspirations to reach 3%, but for now let's focus on achieving the aforementioned average - says Agnieszka Kubera.
• The WNP.PL portal celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. The special anniversary project "25 for 25 WNP.PL" is a series of conversations with 25 people who have co-shaped and co-shape the economic image of our country in a noteworthy way. The series finale is planned for the European Economic Congress (April 23-24, 2025).

Energy transformation and our defense system, progress in cybersecurity - these are some of the areas you indicated as areas for mega-investment in our country. A year ago, you suggested that "experienced partners from the private sector" should be involved in the discussion on specifics and you declared Accenture's openness to participating in this exchange of opinions with the state administration and state-owned companies. How do you assess the course of this debate today?

- Such comprehensive and ambitious programs require a long-term strategy and the involvement of all parties to the process: business, public sector, academia; a truly comprehensive discussion and broad consensus.

It was certainly a very intensive period of talks, also with the participation of politicians. We also use economic conferences for this purpose - with the European Economic Congress at the forefront - and meetings of employers' organizations.

How do we see these three extremely important projects today?

Energy transformation is one of the most pressing problems - among other things, because energy prices are a big pain for companies. Our competitiveness depends on building an energy sector based on renewable energy sources and nuclear energy. But this will take decades... Success here depends on three elements .

First: from supra-political consent to continue the great project for many years. Second: continuity of management and accountability of managers for the implementation of the program. We must have a group of outstanding experts at our disposal, because in some aspects the required competences are very complex and unique. Third: from using experience and tools supporting the implementation of long-term and expensive capital projects. And here the private sector will be extremely helpful.

Poland already spends 4.7% of GDP on defense, and there are voices that 5% is also an option. This is an opportunity for our defense sector, but also for the aviation, energy and logistics industries, as well as for so-called dual-use production.

It is crucial for us to shape - to the maximum possible extent - our own independence and to place orders in Polish industry. But this requires its thoughtful development, including the private sector.

In terms of cybersecurity, the war in Ukraine has shown the scale of threats - the necessary changes are much broader and deeper than we have previously assumed. Yes, we have excellent staff, and Poland is a leading country in all aspects of cybersecurity - except for the organizational aspect, where management and coordination mechanisms are assessed.

We need to work on organizational and management issues (good procedures and practices). And we need to focus our efforts on improving this state of affairs.

Personnel, experts, and major transformations… Somehow, we don’t talk much about it here.

- And that's a pity. The discussions I mentioned also serve to build understanding that such fundamental changes require unique, multidisciplinary knowledge and the ability to manage complex transformation programs.

In Poland, the most commonly used models are the so-called capacity service, i.e. "buying" experts to implement specific projects, which generally does not lead to a significant increase in productivity. These are not holistic actions, but "island" ones - focused on narrow goals, short deadlines, not analyzing the relationships with other phenomena and processes.

A strategic approach to the implementation of investments on a national scale also allows for the patient creation of appropriate, own staff, as well as attracting experts who have sufficient qualifications to decide on the selection of projects in which they are involved.

Another problem that needs to be solved is the issue of contracting - in Poland it is still a very complex process that requires significant simplification.

The delays in decision-making remain a chronic problem, including at the level of state strategies.

Many emotions are stirred by the plans for the development of artificial intelligence and the cloud in our country. On the one hand, there are government announcements and the first practical steps that are to ensure a high level of adopted solutions and their development; on the other, opponents claim that "we are selling out to giants" and as a result, there will be a real leveling of national initiatives in this field, such as IDEAS NCBR or major difficulties in the operation of domestic companies associated in the Polish Cloud. Is a wise compromise possible here, when emotions subside?

- Global initiatives and local solutions should and can complement each other. World leaders such as Microsoft, Google and Amazon have already invested billions in AI and the cloud - and are growing rapidly in these areas.

The AI ​​market in 2024 is estimated at USD 279 billion, and its average annual growth in the years 2025-2030 is estimated at over 35 percent. For comparison, Polish companies spent PLN 1.8 billion on artificial intelligence in 2024. Our country is not able to bear this type of investment on its own and remain competitive.

If we don't take offense at reality, then the optimal compromise is here. We simply have to put these puzzles together wisely. And again: this requires high-class specialists.

Global proposals already have scalability, "technical support", are characterized by innovation and integration with other existing global solutions, and security. Disadvantages? With unwise implementation, costs for the client may be higher. It is also potential dependence on subsequent modifications, sometimes also not fully satisfying local needs.

"Native solutions", on the other hand, are most often associated with high development costs ("entry threshold"), a shortage of qualified specialists (who are, after all, the most sought-after on the market) and difficulties in achieving a global scale.

The Polish Development Fund signed a memorandum with Google regarding the preparation of an AI development plan for Poland. The media discovered that neither the Ministry of Digital Affairs nor the Ministry of Health knew about it, although the giant from across the ocean is also supposed to propose appropriate solutions here (after all, a joint committee was established). What could threaten such separation? We have been hearing about the silo structure of the government for decades - and there is still something to talk about...

- Indeed, such areas require cooperation, coordination, excellent communication and, above all, a well-thought-out state strategy.

The ideal solution would be to establish a competent coordination center that would monitor progress in implementing a precisely defined and updated strategy for the use of AI and cloud in administration; it would also rigorously oversee the implementation of standards, decide on minor, practical corrections, etc. The issue of creating infrastructure that will enable the effective implementation of this strategy cannot be ignored either.

Such a structural approach to reforms should also include specific requirements and areas for constructing alliances and partnerships - cooperation with technology companies on the one hand, and with the EU or NATO on the other.

In fact, in each of your statements, you can hear a call for coordination… Let's go further: how do you assess the state of cyber aggression and cybersecurity in our country, including the role of state administration in the security system? What to do when many SME companies cannot afford to hire compliance and security specialists?

- Poland is probably the most frequently attacked country in the world by cybercriminals. There is no concept of 100% cybersecurity, but resistance to attacks does depend on the size of companies - larger companies can allocate much greater resources for protection.

The 2024 Global Cybersecurity Outlook, presented at the World Economic Forum, shows that 36% of organizations maintain only the necessary level of security, while another 22% no longer meet even the minimum requirements (compared to 14% in 2020). Worryingly…

In Polish conditions, smaller companies, in order to ensure an adequate level of protection, should quickly convince themselves to use the support of entities specializing in cybersecurity or cooperate within the supply chain or by sector. For example, projects shared between entities that allow for cost optimization are desirable here.

It is also worth using cloud solutions that have many security features as standard.

It is certainly necessary to introduce a mechanism that would enable SMEs to lower the technological barrier to effective protection against cyber threats - the state could help in this.

It would also be advisable to consider the involvement of the Ministry of National Defense in a broader strategy to protect the private sector of the economy , as many attacks come from countries that are not necessarily friendly to us. The aim of these attacks is to disrupt the economy and weaken the country's security. Once again, proper coordination is a key aspect here.

What else should the administration do? Urgently complete the process of amending the regulations on the national cybersecurity system. Companies are submitting solutions without knowing whether they will be compliant with the target regulatory solutions.

Today, let us also keep in mind the new threats resulting from technological progress - the era of quantum technologies is beginning, which provokes completely new challenges.

There is the EU Omnibus package, which is to reduce the administrative burdens of EU companies to some extent. And the Tusk-Brzoska initiative . The government also adopted - after months in the freezer - a legal package providing for deregulatory changes in 40 acts (including taxes, social security and construction law). Why should there be a breakthrough now, since we are talking about this flaw in Poland without any serious effect for three decades?

- The key here is of course the determination of the state administration to introduce changes on domestic soil, but also cooperation with the EU, because we are receiving strong deregulation signals from Brussels - including in the matter of reviewing regulations and reporting requirements in this respect.

It would be wise to start with smaller solutions and then scale them up: not to immediately undertake fundamental changes that we will discuss for a few or a dozen months, but to start with smaller, very specific issues, where the benefits of the actions taken will be visible in a short time.

This builds faith in the success of the entire operation. And mutual trust, which has been eroded for many years on the business side.

In 2023, almost 35 thousand pages of new law were passed in Poland, and the vacatio legis averaged only 31 days… What is your list of the most urgent deregulatory changes in Polish regulations? What is worth putting the greatest emphasis on - in the context of further growth of the Polish economy?

- One of the basic problems is certainly the stability of the law plus the appropriate vacatio legis - the minimum, real period of adaptation to changes. And analysis of how the introduced changes affect other regulations and the consequences of this.

When it comes to consulting fundamental decisions - with business and with scientists - it must be admitted that the situation has improved.

Digitalization would certainly help speed up decision-making by public administration - including effective implementation of interoperable systems that enable communication between the ecosystem of institutions: exchange of information, elimination of duplication of processes, improvement of data collection. It is also necessary to expand the scope of cyber services for entrepreneurs (and improve resistance to digital threats).

The first priority should be to simplify the Polish tax system , which is currently one of the most complicated in Europe, and to significantly reduce the reporting and settlement obligations for entrepreneurs, especially SMEs.

The point is not to eliminate control, but to rationalize and shorten the process.

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Everything we have talked about so far should contribute to improving the competitiveness of the Polish economy. If you were to draw up an outline of what still helps us in this competition and what hinders us in the current, unstable (not only in business) world, what would be among the cardinal points on both sides of the list?

- Our big advantage is still the quality of our human teams - highly educated, flexible in action, able to work creatively. We also make good use of European funds - in many aspects for the modernization of the country. Open access to the Community market is also very important.

Our geographical location is beneficial to us - we are already beneficiaries of nearshoring and friendshoring in both services and production.

I would also like to emphasize the significant growth potential of the modern technology sector, especially in the context of human resources. It is important that we carry out these transformational changes as independently as possible.

New opportunities for Poland are opening up in regional cooperation - at the economic and military level. Poland is the eastern flank of NATO - and we can see how we are gaining importance (including the East Shield ). Recent international events have meant that Poland can more clearly define its role and contribution to the new, developing EU system. We are at the main table.

And the burden?

- The downside is definitely the aforementioned overregulation and legal instability. High energy costs. Inflation and monetary policy. The demographic situation and the labor market. And also a serious shortage of investment in research and development.

We spend slightly over 1.5% of GDP on our innovations (EU average - 2.2%). We hear about Polish aspirations to reach 3%, but for now let's focus on achieving the aforementioned average.

Poland is also limited by the structure of its economy, which still has energy-intensive and low-cost sectors. The fact that less complex forms of production are gradually moving to other locations is not a problem as long as we acquire higher-value-added production; if we want to continue to improve the quality of life of citizens, we should increase productivity.

This interesting process quite clearly illustrates the shared services sector: we started with accounting and customer contact centers, today more and more companies are locating R&D and complex data analytics centers in Poland.

The non-Polish brakes on our development and competitiveness include regional and global political instability, as well as growing tendencies towards economic self-isolation and preferences for domestic markets in large markets. The slowdown in the eurozone, including Germany - our main trading partner, is also having an impact.

It is common for Polish and EU businesses to complain about high energy prices. The European Commission's proposals, especially those included in the Clean Industrial Deal package, aim to maintain the green transformation (climate neutrality of the Community in 2050), which the program tries to reconcile with a reduction in energy prices, strengthening the competitiveness (costs) of the European economy. Is it possible to have your cake and eat it too?

- Unfortunately, there are many indications that energy prices will remain high until 2030. It is predicted that later, the effects of energy transformation and energy from renewable sources will cause a gradual decline in prices, which - according to various estimates and scenarios - could amount to 20 to 50 percent around 2050.

Let's take advantage of the fact that the EU plans to allocate EUR 100 billion to support "clean production" in its country. The Polish government, on the other hand, is to allocate over PLN 136 billion for the modernization and expansion of the transmission and distribution network, which is almost 80 percent more than planned. Not a little. Expenditures on the integration of energy markets will also be significant.

EU initiatives aimed at reducing bureaucratic burdens, which have been expanded during the energy transformation, are also raising hopes – also in order to manage it more effectively. It is expected that as many as 80% of companies in the EU covered by the CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive – editor’s note) will be exempt from the ESG reporting obligation . For them, it will become a voluntary matter.

The regulations that are intended to protect the Community against unfair competition – the flood of non-EU products whose production does not follow the principles of decarbonisation – are also slowly changing.

Competitiveness is of course also influenced by productivity... In 2023, according to the OECD, its growth in our country was the fourth highest in the countries of this organization (but it is only 1.5 percent). But - as you emphasize - productivity in Poland is lower than the average of the countries of "old Europe" by about 40 percent. Why is it so bad? And how can this serious problem be alleviated relatively quickly (at least)?

- Productivity is certainly growing in our percentage above average - and that should be appreciated. But in fact from a low level.

Barrier? Without high R&D expenditures, there is no lasting and rapid progress in productivity. The largest companies in our country (including those with State Treasury participation) invest funds in modern solutions.

SMEs naturally have more trouble raising productivity; they need to be convinced that innovation will help them grow. And compete effectively - especially in sectors focused on competing on foreign markets. I would add that when it comes to productivity and innovation levels, the situation in individual industries is varied - for example, construction is doing quite well.

What to do? In the framework of innovation, the goal should not only be intensive spending of funds, but also the parallel creation of structures enabling their effective use.

We are talking about people and companies that will create innovations in and for the domestic market, and not direct their solutions abroad due to lack of demand or emigrate in search of better professional opportunities. Certainly, eliminating shortages in technological and energy infrastructure will also affect productivity. This is urgent.

We are not as rich a country as many Western countries, nor do we have as many natural resources as the US, China or Russia. But we do have – I will stubbornly refer to this again – enormous human capital, which remains our advantage. Growing productivity and innovation will further improve our position – also in the context of a place to locate foreign investments.

The labor market is also important here. We need to continue to encourage women to develop their professional careers in the IT, energy, and security sectors, and to increase the professional activity of seniors. We cannot afford for people with extensive experience to disappear from the labor market in their intellectual and physical prime. Incidentally, creating mixed teams of different generations usually yields great results.

Still on competitiveness, although on a slightly different level… Both the Polish government and our companies are promising themselves a lot after the reconstruction of Ukraine. The participation of our companies is to be so significant that it will increase our GDP. Are these calculations realistic? Because this time, not only ruthless competition with foreign corporations is at stake, but - with double the force - also politics.

- Of course, we are not the number one player here, nor do we define these rules. We hope that the actions of the international community, primarily the US and NATO, will lead to an end to the war in a way that respects Ukraine's rights - including its right to self-determination. At the same time, global conditions remain dynamic, which naturally also affects the strategies of key partners.

Regardless of how events unfold, our undeniable advantage remains our geographic, cultural and moral proximity, as well as our long-standing ties with Ukraine. Thanks to this, we will certainly be an important participant in the process of rebuilding that country.

Large Western entities - with extensive experience in implementing cross-border projects and strong institutional support from their countries - are already declaring today (and we also know this from the talks we are having) that much of the work will require Polish partners. We need to think now about where we can fit in well with our participation.

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We also have many experienced managers who work or have worked in Ukraine or with Ukraine. The Polish experience in the systemic transformation of our country and the preparatory process for EU accession are also significant. Because it is not only money that is important, but also the management of change - political, economic and social. We can also support Ukraine in its efforts to increase transparency, which is an important step on the road to membership in the European Union.

Let us note that Ukraine is a different country today than it was during the occupation of Crimea by Moscow. Let us look at its army or the level of digitalization of the state apparatus. Certain processes have already been initiated, some have already borne fruit. Poland can provide excellent assistance in, among other things, building competences, modern chains, renewable energy sources, construction… The list could go on for a long time.

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