The ceremonial WNP Awards gala, held alongside the EEC Trends conference, recognized individuals and institutions that have had a tangible impact on the course of the Polish economy in recent years. This year’s laureates included entities building competitive industry and infrastructure, developing innovations and future technologies, strengthening the capital and investment markets, and demonstrating that scale of action can go hand in hand with stability and responsibility. The 2026 gala was particularly special. It served as an opportunity to summarize actions taken during periods of uncertainty and to honour those who did not wait for favourable conditions but instead invested, developed modern technologies, and strengthened the economy’s security and resilience.
The event also highlighted the continuity of the ideas behind the awards. As Aleksandra Helbin, Editor-in-Chief of WNP.PL, noted, the awards continue a long-standing tradition of recognizing those who are actively transforming Polish industry and the economy. “Today, we honour those who operate effectively in a demanding environment, invest, grow, and build the competitiveness of the Polish economy,” she emphasized.
“Every day, we consistently and accurately report on what makes up the life of the Polish economy, describing your efforts, ambitions, and plans. And once a year, on a special occasion, we have the satisfaction and responsibility of recognizing bold and efficient companies and institutions — actions that build competitiveness and resilience, and smart public investments that create conditions for development,” added Wojciech Kuśpik, President of the PTWP Group, organizer and initiator of the European Economic Congress.
WNP Awards 2026 Statuettes were awarded to:
Experience, Stability, and Scale
Atlas Ward
Recognition was given for the implementation of projects of impressive scale and significance for the country’s development, in particular for a major contribution to the construction of modern, resilient industrial and logistics infrastructure. Atlas Ward is a leader in general contracting in Poland. For years, the company has executed large-scale, highly complex projects, serving key industrial and logistics investments. The company leverages its expertise and experience in projects related to the broad transformation of the Polish economy, as well as in the modernization of strategic facilities.
Beacon of Technological Sovereignty
Beyond.pl
Recognition was awarded for creating next-generation infrastructure in Poland — providing AI companies with independent access to the resources and tools needed to implement artificial intelligence solutions. Beyond.pl is one of the first companies in Central Europe to offer a comprehensive platform supporting AI development, including AI as a Service (AIaaS), software, data centres, infrastructure, and managed services, thereby minimizing dependence on global providers.
Timely and Bold Investments
Cognor and Elemental Holding
Cognor is a fully vertically integrated company and one of the most advanced steel producers in Europe, with a growing share of high value-added products. The company participates in the national supply chain for the defense sector as a supplier of special steel and armour plates for military vehicles. Cognor is planning further investments to ensure self-sufficiency and integration of its production chain, while pursuing certifications that open opportunities for cooperation with leading European defense industry players.
Innovations, Defence, Cooperation
WB Group
One of Poland’s leading advanced technology groups, Grupa WB specializes in designing and producing advanced technology solutions for both the defense and civilian sectors, in areas such as communications and connectivity systems, unmanned systems, data transmission, and public safety. The group is the largest Polish exporter of defense technologies to several dozen countries worldwide. It combines investment in innovation and creativity with flexibility, business analysis and insight, the ability to make fast and bold decisions, and openness to collaboration.
Effective Support in a Challenging Environment
BGK and KUKE
The award recognizes their effective support of Polish companies’ international expansion, the flexible adaptation of financial and insurance instruments to an unstable environment, and the tangible mitigation of risks in international operations. Together, they enable the financing of export projects and investments abroad, strengthening the resilience of the Polish economy in challenging times.
Digitalization Across Divides
mObywatel
The mObywatel 2.0 mobile application and the mObywatel.gov.pl portal are a prime example of effective “Polish-style digitalization.” An official project of the Ministry of Digital Affairs, developed since 2017, it provides mobile access to documents and an increasingly wide range of public services, while improving relations between society and the administration. From the very beginning, mObywatel has been developed in collaboration with users, creating a transparent and inclusive tool that strengthens social cohesion and trust.
Technologies for the Environment
SEEN Technologie
Seen Holding is a capital group investing in engineering and technology companies operating in the broad field of environmental protection. The award recognizes their consistent development of a Polish technological platform in environmental protection and support for companies on the path of green transformation. After securing a financial investor in 2007, SEEN built the largest group of companies in Poland implementing environmental projects, investing in engineering firms that have been active in the market for over 50 years.
Transformation for Climate and Security
Tauron Polska Energia
Grupa Tauron is a key player in the energy sector and an important link in Poland’s energy security system. The holding operates across an area equivalent to nearly one-fifth of the country, covering the entire value chain — from fuel extraction to the distribution and sale of electricity and heat. The group operates in a challenging macroeconomic, social, and regulatory environment, maintaining coal assets in its portfolio, which remain significant for system stability and the country’s energy security. Given the scale of its operations and Tauron’s role in the Polish economy, it is particularly important that the company consistently pursues an internal transformation strategy aimed at achieving climate neutrality in the future.
Trigon and Quercus TFI
Trigon is a leading independent investment banking firm operating in Poland and Central and Eastern Europe. It specializes in mergers and acquisitions, providing comprehensive support in the sale and purchase of companies. In 2025, the firm successfully executed high-profile transactions in collaboration with some of the largest entities in the Polish industrial and commercial sectors.
Quercus TFI is the first public investment fund company in Poland, offering services aimed at wealthy and high-net-worth investors. Quercus funds are distributed through leading Polish financial institutions operating in the private banking segment.
Both award-winning entities — through professionalization, stable growth, and an expanded offering — create conditions for ambitious, growing Polish companies to raise capital, thus occupying an important role in the national capital market.
The WNP Awards gala accompanied the EEC Trends conference, a multi-threaded debate on the future of the Polish and European economy. EEC Trends serves as a prologue to the European Economic Congress, the largest business event in Central Europe, which will take place on 22–24 April, 2026 at the International Congress Centre and Spodek in Katowice.